Brewing Up Sustainability: The Intersection Of Water And Energy In Breweries
Alliance to Save Energy, July 11, 2016
On Tuesday, June 21, the Alliance to Save Energy hosted a webinar exploring the relationship between water and energy by looking at two things that are better when handled together: beer and sustainability.
The webinar, which covered best practices on sustainable breweries, featured two speakers: Emilio Tenuta of EcoLab and John Stier of the Brewers Association. Tenuta focused on the connection between energy and water, as well as the ways EcoLab has helped breweries reduce their water and energy use. Stier discussed steps craft breweries have taken and still need to take in order to continue their rapid growth while increasing sustainability.
Emilio Tenuta, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability, EcoLab
Tenuta highlighted the link between water and energy – and in particular, between water savings and energy efficiency. Pointing to a real-life example, he explained that both water and electric utilities weathered the California drought by increasing the efficiency of their plants, thereby achieving vital usage reductions.
Both water and energy are integral aspects of the food and beverage industry, Tenuta explained. Water, in particular, is especially critical in the brewing industry: breweries use water for meeting hygiene standards, heating and cooling, processing and packaging and more. In addition, water quantity and quality vary by location, making it a local issue. As water scarcity increases around the world, stable water supplies for these businesses decrease. This affects economies around the world because the brewing market is a significant global market.
Various brewers already have sustainability goals, many focusing primarily on decreasing the water-use ratio from 5 liters of water for every 1 liter of beer to about 3.5-4:1, or even as low as 2.5:1. Tenuta’s company, EcoLab, further assists businesses in reducing their energy and water use by providing them with energy, water and hydrotech services. And the secret is out: it’s working. One of Ecolab’s clients, a European brewer, was able to save $110,000 in two months after making energy and water consumption reductions, proving that energy savings impact a business’ bottom line.
Tenuta went on to explain that EcoLab helps decrease the impact that further water scarcity or droughts could have on breweries. Furthermore, he pointed out, increasing the efficiency of breweries to reduce both water and energy consumption is smart both for business and for the environment.