Craft breweries and beer pubs are rapidly making their presence felt in terms of the variety of beer and food that they are making available to American consumers. Numbering more than 7,000 breweries and brew pubs in the United States and a growing number in the international market, craft breweries and beer pubs have become a significant fact of life for Americans.

One of the factors that has made this possible is the reduced cost of solar power. As major consumers of electrical power, breweries are especially aware of the gains to be made through the adoption of solar power. Though it is one of several resources that needs to be brought together to brew beer, solar energy is one that can be used in any number of products or processes. Solar power, especially combined with the supply of cheap batteries, can make solar energy a “go to” energy source in a renewable resource equation.

When you start looking at solar energy, it is important to look at the top solar producers in the brewery market. In 2016, the Solar Resources Guide listed its Top 10 Solar Powered Breweries. The number one producer was Sierra Nevada Brewing Company with 2.65MW off of approximately 12,000 solar units. This puts them just slightly behind MillerCoors who produced 3.6MW. The rise in Sierra Nevada Brewing and the opening of their second facility in Mills River, NC (just outside of Ashville and pictured above) indicates they are in the brewing business for the long haul.