Sierra Nevada adds microturbines to generate power, lower energy bills

May 25, 2016Chris Crowell

Two California breweries have recently commissioned Regatta Solutions to install Capstone microturbines as a way to achieve their energy efficiency and carbon reduction goals. The microturbines will positively impact these businesses’ bottom line by generating electrical and thermal energy on site.

Combined Heat and Power (CHP), or cogeneration, allows the exhaust heat from the microturbines to be converted via heat exchangers into hot water or steam for the brewing process.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., located in Chico, Calif., has installed the microturbines as part of a broader effort to reduce their dependence on the local electric grid while maximizing the efficiency of their current systems. With 2 MW of installed solar, the microturbines complement this existing on site electrical generation. With multiple sources of on-site generation, Sierra Nevada is now operating as a microgrid.

Regatta Solutions’ President and CEO, Steve Acevedo, believes that microgrids are essential for facilities that care about resiliency and want control over both how they use energy and how that energy is made in the first place.

“In the not too distant future, more and more companies will be looking for innovative ways to integrate multiple sources of energy to create secure, resilient microgrids,” Acevedo said. “As an energy solutions company, we are helping to lead the way by installing systems that can easily be integrated with other technologies.”

The 2-MW Capstone microturbine system is fueled by Low Pressure Natural Gas (LPNG) and replaced aging fuel cells that were previously installed at the property. The system provides steam to the brewery process via two steam generators.

“We believe in doing everything we can to minimize our impact on the environment and our local community,” said Cheri Chastain, sustainability manager for Sierra Nevada. “We are continuously evaluating how we can make things more efficient, reduce operating expenses and utilize our resources to their fullest potential. A CHP system made the most sense for us, and Capstone microturbines were the best fit for our brewery.”

The Capstone microturbine technology is increasingly being used by forward thinking breweries who understand that the next several years will see massive shifts in the way utilities operate, significantly so in California. From changing time of use rate schedules to increasing demand charges, these changes disproportionately impact energy intensive industries like breweries.

Regatta Solutions is the exclusive Capstone Distributor covering California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. The company provides innovative solutions for data centers, hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare, food and beverage production, property management, landfills, digesters, waste water treatment and utilities.

Capstone Turbine Corporation is a leading producer of low-emission microturbine systems and was the first to market commercially viable microturbine energy products.