Michigan’s Short’s Brewing installs solar panels

A ribbon cutting ceremony took place last Friday at Short’s Production facility in Elk Rapids, Mich.

Sun-powered beer sounds delicious — and environmentally friendly and sustainable — and Short’s Brewing Co. is all about delicious, eco-conscious craft brewing. In fact, the Michigan-only brewery just announced its most recent effort to make its brewing operations more sustainable, installing solar panels on the roof of their production facility in Elk Rapids, Mich.

The new solar array will help power the production facility with an annual energy output of 49250 kWh. This will help supplement the energy needs of Short’s in a big way. Approximately 7 percent of the energy used annually will be supplied by the solar array. This will allow Short’s production facility to have a clean and sustainable energy source for the next 25 years.

“We are always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact,” explained Director of Quality, Tyler Glaze. “Implementing on-site green energy systems has always been something that Short’s wanted to do. The sun is always blasting us with some awesome energy and we feel that it is a great time to start capturing it and using it to help us make some tasty beer.”

Short’s sought to find a company located in Michigan for the installation of this solar array. Short’s chose to use CBS Solar, a family-owned and operated business located in Copemish, Mich. Short’s said it was happy to find another company with the similar goals of making Michigan a great place to live and work. CBS Solar installed 148 photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of the pull barn building and packaging hall using clever stands to pitch the panels at an angle where they will receive maximum sunlight.

Short’s efforts to lessen the impact the brewery has on the environment has gained the attention of U.S. Senator, Debbie Stabenow, who attended the solar panel ribbon cutting ceremony at Short’s production facility on August 14. Senator Stabenow provided keynote remarks at the ceremony in addition to touring the facility.

“Short’s Brewing Company is helping to fuel Michigan’s rapidly expanding beer industry that supports thousands of jobs across our state,” said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. “With new solar panels to power production, Short’s is also supporting Michigan clean energy manufacturers committed to reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”