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How Foothills Brewing improved its lighting while reducing usage by 58 percent

June 7, 2017Chris Crowell

foothills brewing
Even uncool people wear their sunglasses inside here now. So bright, yet so efficient!

Be green and save green — it’s not just a catchy cliche. GreenTech Solutions Group just completed an LED lighting upgrade for Foothills Brewing that they say resulted in a 58 percent reduction in annual lighting energy usage.

Winston-Salem-based Foothills Brewing is known for featuring some of the best hand-crafted beers in the Southeast. Its IPAs are enjoyed by many watching the Durham Bulls play ball. The brewery’s 2017 beer releases will be part of the Craft Happiness IPA Project that aims to highlight local, national and global causes. Each month, the brewery will focus on a human, environmental or animal awareness campaign. That social consciousness was evident when the owners reached out to GreenTech Solutions Group for help reducing the brewery’s carbon footprint.

Inside the project

GreenTech carefully assessed the lighting needs and energy usage of the brewery and custom-designed a lighting plan. The LED lighting upgrade in the brewery brought significant energy savings for the 48,000-square foot facility. After legacy high bays and T12 fluorescents were replaced with energy-efficient LED fixtures, the brewery experienced a 68 percent reduction in annual operational costs. A summary of benefits is as follows:

  • 58 percent reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • 1.8 year payback period
  • 68 percent reduction in annual operational costs
  • 30 percent savings in energy incentives
  • 44,172-kWh reduction in annual energy usage

The lighting upgrade began by illuminating dark areas behind the brewing tanks with LED wall packs. After removing all of the 8-foot strip lights, high lumen LED high bays were strategically placed around tanks, packaging and bottling lines to aid in production and cleanup. The maintenance shop was also upgraded with LED tubes, providing better lighting for task performance. The upgrade resulted in improved overall lighting quality, providing a safer and more pleasant atmosphere. It also allows the employees to better inspect the final product, something Foothills takes very seriously.

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GreenTech helped secure 30 percent of the project’s upfront costs in energy savings for the brewery, resulting in a quick 1.8-year payback period. LED lighting is longer lasting, so the bulbs will need to be replaced much less often, offering significant savings on maintenance and the cost of replacement bulbs. In fact, the LED upgrade will continue to yield Foothills a 68 percent savings in annual operational costs.

“We commend Foothills Brewing for their vision and environmental advocacy,” said GreenTech CEO Glenn Edmonds. “Whether it’s with the LED lighting upgrade or spotlighting an environmental cause with their IPAs, the folks at Foothills are committed to making a large impact with their business.”

The LED lighting retrofit also resulted in a 44,172-kWh reduction in annual energy usage, which is the equivalent of planting 26 acres of forest or consuming 3,508 gallons of gasoline. For a business committed to making a big impact on the environment, Foothills Brewing has fulfilled that commitment by implementing the lighting solutions provided by the team at GreenTech Solutions Group. Not only will patrons and employees enjoy a better lit atmosphere within the brewery, the environment will benefit as well.

Q&A with Sierra Nevada’s sustainability manager Cheri Chastain

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