Microbreweries Love Sustainability

I’m making some calls to the top microbreweries in the U.S., trying to get a read on the industry’s appetite (thirst?) for solar thermal heating, considering the enormous amount of energy needed to heat all that water, grain, hops, etc.  The only problem I’m experiencing is that they then need to cool that hot liquid (called “wort”) down before they add their yeast, and forward-thinking companies use heat recovery systems — in this case, heat exchangers. 

One thing’s certain, though: microbreweries (generally) have their attention riveted on the notion of sustainability; in fact, I’ve encountered several that have people dedicated solely to the challenge of minimizing the eco-footprint of brewing beer.  I’m speaking with a fabulous young woman at New Belgium one of the largest (and, in my opinion, the coolest) breweries in Massachusetts.  Her title: “Sustainability Generalist  | LEED AP BD+C/ND,” credentials signifying that she has an advanced depth of knowledge in green building practices, particularly the design and construction phases.

I’m guessing that word “Generalist” here is something of a play on words.  In the old days, everyone thought it was cool to be a “specialist,” where today, we’ve come to realize it’s often more effective to look at the world through an inter-disciplinary perspective.

This, btw, is one of the reasons that I hold out hope for humankind: with each passing day, it’s becoming increasingly dominated by young people who care deeply about the impact that they and their businesses are having on the world around them.