Welcome !

In 2010 New Belgium installed a Smart Grid, partially funded by the FortZED project mentioned below.  What is a Smart Grid? A Smart Grid applies 21st century technology to our power systems.  Today’s electrical grid is characterized by one-way flow of information, centralized, bulk generation, and no data for consumers to use to manage their energy use.  The smart grid enables the 2-way flow of both energy and information.  For example, when we receive notice from our electricity provider, we can shut off non-essential functions, like our HVAC system, to reduce the load on the grid and the need for additional power generation at the utility.  Likely, cooling can be reduced for a short time without noticeably affecting the ambient temperature in a room. We will also be able to integrate our variable distributed generation (solar, biogas, etc) with the City’s supply and demand.

Waste-water from brewing process gets treated; methane, a byproduct of the water treatment, powers a generator which powers the brewery.

New Belgium utilizes an on-site Process Water Treatment Plant (PWTP) where microbes clean all of our production waste-water through a series of aerobic (with air) and anaerobic (without air) basins.  A byproduct of this process, methane gas, is harvested and piped back to the brewery, where it powers a 292kW combined heat and power (CHP or co-gen) engine. This engine can produce up to 15% of our electrical needs and turns a waste stream into a source of energy.  It is a beautiful example of a closed-loop system in our brewing process.  But, like much that’s innovative, it malfunctioned a bit in years past.  Through a partnership with locally headquartered Woodward, we installed new controls equipment and the co-gen is running better than ever.

In January 2010 we commissioned a 200 kW photovoltaic array on top of our Packaging Hall.  At the time it was installed, it was the largest privately owned array in Colorado.  It will produce almost 264,000 kWh each year and contribute over 3% of our total electricity.  This project was partially funded by the FortZED partnership which you can read about below.

In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, New Belgium conducted an energy audit in 1998 which showed that the single biggest emitter of CO2 in our process was from the electricity we used supplied by coal- burning power plants.  As a result, New Belgium employee-owners voted to dip into their bonus pool to subscribe to the City of Fort Collins’ Wind Program at a premium of 2.5 cents more per kWh than fossil-fueled electricity (or, 57% more, at the time).  Thus: New Belgium Brewing became the country’s first brewery to purchase 100% of its electricity from wind power in 1999. 

Our co-workers still relay the story of the wind-power vote as a personally defining experience that cemented their commitment to NBB and to sustainability.  Their enthusiasm put the environmental stewardship value Kim and Jeff committed to during the hike in Rocky Mountain National Park into action in a bonding, memorable, unanimous way.

When we started purchasing wind power, 100% of it was generated by turbines in Medicine Bow, WY which is tied directly to our grid.  The City erected an additional turbine/monopole just to supply New Belgium with our electricity for the next ten years. In fact, our commitment as the single largest subscriber in the program allowed Fort Collins Utilities to become Colorado’s first electric utility to offer wind power.  This is an example of “the ripple effect”, described later in this report, almost 10 years before we put a name to it.

 RECs: “to be eaten sparingly”

Currently, 17% of the City’s renewable energy comes from the Medicine Bow wind farm and the rest comes from wind-generated renewable energy credits (RECs) from Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Kansas, as well as landfill gas RECs from Idaho.  New Belgium also purchases RECs for the offsite warehouse that we lease.

Renewable and Distributed Systems Integration

Many of our efforts would not have been possible if NBB had attempted them alone.  When we collaborate with other talented organizations and institutions in our community, we find we can reach heights impossible to achieve on our own.

 In 2007, New Belgium partnered with the City of Fort Collins, Colorado State University and other energy-focused companies to apply for a grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate 20 - 30 percent peak electric load reduction.  The collaborative project will be the first phase of implementing FortZED, a long term vision for a zero energy district in downtown Fort Collins. (Learn more at www.fortzed.com.)

 In April, 2008, the DOE announced that the City and its partners will receive $6.3 million in federal grant money to research, develop and demonstrate new electric grid technologies. $4.9 million in matching funds, including cash and in-kind services, have also been donated to make the DOE grant a reality.

For New Belgium, this meant installing $3 million in new load-shedding and on-site generation capabilities, funded 50% in house, 25% by the DOE and 25% by in-kind donations.  Our goal is to be able to create or shed 1000kWof electricity—almost our annual peak load– through solar PV, co-generation, metering and controls.

New Belgium uses natural gas for thermal energy (i.e., heating water, creating steam) and works to conserve natural gas through recovery systems which close heat loops in the production process.

With our Steinecker ‘Merlin’ Brew Kettle, we are able to reduce our natural gas consumption by cutting the boil time in half.  Instead of boiling from the outside in, the Merlin has a cone shaped boiler plate that flash boils the wort. The accelerated boiling reduces natural gas consumed and cuts back on water lost to evaporation.