Kona Brewing Company recently announced it has signed a contract with Sunetric to install a 229 kW solar energy generating system at its Kailua-Kona brewery and pub on Hawaii’s Big Island. Construction has begun on the system, and it is expected to be fully operational by April, 2010.
The project, a roof-mounted grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system, is estimated to produce an average of 900 kWh of electricity each day, which will allow Kona Brewing Company nearly 60 percent offset of its current electricity usage. It will include 880 260-watt solar modules on the brewery’s rooftop space. At the entrance to the restaurant, Kona Brewing Company guests will be able to check out a real-time monitor that shows how much energy the solar system is generating. At the current commercial retail electricity rate, the system will offset more than $100,000 in Kona Brewing Company’s electricity expenditures per year.
PV solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source. It does not pollute or consume natural resources. Sunetric estimates that over the next 30 years Kona Brewing Company’s PV system will prevent approximately 7,730 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere annually, or about 5 million car trips to a local grocery store. The solar array offsets 16,425 barrels of oil that would otherwise be burned to make electricity during the next 30 years.
Watch Sunetric’s Alex Tiller and Kona Brewery’s Mattson Davis discuss the partnership on KHON, Channel 2.
On The Web:
