Twisted Manzanita’s new PTG Water & Energy CHP System cuts energy costs by 50% #CBC2015

Twisted Manzanita, a Santee, Calif.-based craft brewer recognized for its hand-crafted ales that feature natural ingredients, just slashed its energy bill with the installation of advanced onsite power generation technology from PTG Water & Energy (PTG). Jeff Trevaskis, CEO of Twisted Manzanita, stated here at the Craft Brewers Conference that Manzanita’s recent installation of a PTG B-30 combined heat and power (CHP) turbine has equipped its brewing facility to generate 95 percent of its electricity needs and will pay for itself in three to four years (just watch the video above).

“It’s a great story to be able to tell our customers that we’re one of the most innovative craft brewers in the industry. But this investment also delivers real bottom-line benefits,” said Trevaskis. “In an era of rapidly increasing electricity rates, we are able to slash our overall energy costs, which puts us in a much better position to produce excellent beer and invest in our growth. PTG’s onsite power generation technology is a critical component of our plans for expansion.”

The PTG B-30 system simultaneously generates clean power and hot water — two significant and growing costs of any craft brewer. By integrating PTG’s system with its brewing process at its craft beer production facility in San Diego County, Twisted Manzanita will reduce its electricity bill by over 70 percent and its boiler costs by more than 30 percent. PTG’s technology offers dependable protection against brownouts and blackouts, eliminates peak summer electricity charges, and ensures the brewery can prevent production downtime and inventory spoilage due to power outages.

By switching to PTG’s modular and scalable combined heat and power technology, Twisted Manzanita also benefits from the generation of thousands of gallons of hot water — a key ingredient of the brewing process — for free. This substantially reduces the operating costs associated with Twisted Manzanita’s existing boilers, and delivers additional cost savings at key steps throughout the brewing process. Looking ahead, another cost saving is the elimination of future boiler purchases.

“We’re thrilled to work with Jeff and the Twisted Manzanita team to reduce costs and grow more efficiently by using our breakthrough technology,” said Greg Ryan, CEO and co-founder of PTG. “Craft brewers have unique needs for which PTG’s tailored systems are designed.”

The compact footprint of the B-30 required minimal facility preparation and integration. The system is extremely durable through extensive use of corrosion-resistant stainless-steel parts. The B-30 is controlled by intelligent software and can be operated remotely and securely via a smartphone. The system is also scalable and modular, which provides Twisted Manzanita with flexible options for additional capacity as the brewery continues to expand.