Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Solar  -  August 3, 2018

Kona brews solar-plus-battery storage project

The Kona Brewing Company has signed a 20-year PPA with Holu Energy, a subsidiary of EnSync, Inc. to build a solar-plus-battery storage system at the beer company's new brewery, under construction in Kailua Kona. The system, expected to be online in 2019, will meet one-quarter of the brewery’s electricity need and will allow the company to produce a peak output of 6,875 cans of sun-powered beer per hour.

"Since it formed over 20 years ago, Kona Brewing has been committed to making locally brewed beers in an environmentally responsible way," said Julia Person, sustainability manager of Kona Brewing, in a statement. "By partnering with Holu, we are working with another Hawaiian business to reduce our imported fossil fuel use and create on-site solar energy that helps the state meet its renewable energy goals. This partnership demonstrates how we embrace innovation to maintain our commitment to the 'Aloha spirit' and the larger Hawaiian community."

The statement said the installation will consist of a 336-kilowatt  roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system and an EnSync DER SuperModule™ that contains a 122 kW-hour battery system to capture and store excess solar generation.

"This installation offers Kona Brewing a fully integrated resource to meet its dual goals of using clean energy and reducing energy costs, which in Hawaii are the highest in the nation," said Ted Peck, president of Holu Energy. "Integrating energy storage with PV will help the brewery reduce expensive peak demand charges, add resiliency and provide grid services, which benefits both the local utility and Kona Brewing."

Energy storage will also enable Kona Brewing to participate in utility Hawaiian Electric's demand response programs, which were created to incentivize energy efficiency and stabilize the grid.

Share this valuable information with your colleagues using the buttons below: