“We’re very honored and humbled by this certification,” said Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman. Panel-built concrete walls and insulation and energy efficient windows and doors help keep temperatures stable, natural light at a high level, and noise to a minimum. Throughout construction, the brewery was able to divert 81% of total waste away from landfills.īuilding Efficiency and Indoor Environmental Quality-The construction of the building itself was carefully considered for both efficiency and to counter the energy and noise demands of the brewing environment. Resource Recovery-The brewery works toward eliminating waste materials through extensive and ambitious recycling and composting programs. The front parking areas at the brewery also consist of permeable pavers, which allow rain water to absorb into the ground rather than cascading off and carrying sediment into the French Broad River. The entire brewery site was designed to collect rain water runoff and either repurpose it for use as irrigation and other non-potable water needs or to store and manage runoff through an elaborate system of cisterns, underground storage, sunken gardens and bioswales, all of which lead to a system of plunge pools to further clear sediment before the water reenters the French Broad River system. Additionally, the Mills River brewery has made storm water runoff, reuse and recovery a priority. Water Use, Recovery, and Treatment-A brewery-wide initiative to conserve water has reduced water consumption to only 3.5 barrels of water to make one barrel of beer, a near historic low in the brewing business. Between the solar array and the microturbines, in Mills River Sierra Nevada produces an average of 1 megawatt of AC power on site, enough to power dozens of average American homes. Additionally, the brewery uses Capstone Microturbine technology to convert methane biogas captured from their on-site wastewater treatment plant into electricity. Energy Creation and Performance-The Mills River brewery has nearly 2,200 photovoltaic solar panels spread over the warehouse roof and on nine tree-like canopies in the main parking area.
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