Hybrid Solar Thermal System Enables Brewing of 'Green Beer'
SEATTLE — Net Zero Impact has begun installation of a hybrid solar-thermal system at Hale’s Ales, the company’s largest and most sophisticated solar project to date. Located in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, the project kicked off with the lowering of a 1,200-gallon storage tank through a temporary opening in the brewery’s roof.
Hale’s Ales expects to save approximately $15,000 per year on natural gas costs. The system will supply 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of solar-heated water per day for various brewing processes, radiant heating for the building, and use by the adjoining Hale’s Pub. Over the next 25 years, the solar technology is expected to prevent 3.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.