The owners of the FogHorn Brewhouse in Erina have decided to take a stand on sustainability.
The venue’s co-owners, Mr James Garvey and Mr Shawn Sherlock, said they were serious about the use of renewable energy in their everyday operation. “Our brief to renewable energy specialists, Earthconnect, was to design a solar energy solution that would assist with our daytime load, and be battery storage ready to meet increased demand as the businesses grow,” Mr Garvey said.
Opening their venue at Erina in May 2016, Mr Garvey and Mr Sherlock said the solar panels installed at the site were just the beginning of their longterm approach to bettering businesses’ accountability of their own carbon footprint. Most FogHorn Brewhouse diners would be unaware that the venue and brewery operate with a solar energy solution that assists with their daytime power requirements and have battery storage at the ready to meet increased demand. Located at the rear of Fountain Plaza, FogHorn Brewhouse Erina features an earthconnect 30 kilowatt (kw) Solar Energy System, which provides the venue with approximately 44 megawatts (mWh) of Renewable Energy per annum, and a reduction of 46,866 tonnes per annum of carbon dioxide (CO2)/ Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
The Erina site’s system comprises of 103 x 290w JA JAM6(L) Percium Solar Panels, 103 x 270w Enphase Micro Inverters, Enphase Envoy Communications and Clenergy Racking. Earthconnect’s Managing Director, Mr Adam James, said: “It was a pleasure to work with such a motivated client who has a real passion for Renewable Energy. “When consideration is given to the way the people have embraced Foghorn Brewhouse, I personally believe that the Battery Storage integration phase of the Program will be happening sooner, rather than later,” he said. “Long-term, we will not only be generating enough power to operate our venues off-thegrid, but able to generate and on-sell our overflow to other local businesses interested in making their operations more ‘green’,” Mr Garvey said. “Where there is a way to innovate our operation, we will.
“Renewable energy and a sustainable business that can protect its bottom line and reduce its carbon footprint is just smart business as far as we’re concerned. “It’s not every day you come across a microbrewery that uses solar energy to produce its multi award winning craft beer.” At this year’s Australian International Beer Awards, FogHorn took home gold medals in both The Stout (Sligo Extra Stout) and IPA (Young Americans IPA) categories and even went on to win the trophy for Champion Stout. They were also awarded Bronze medals for our “4 Saisons in One Day” and “Monk Magic”.
Source: Media release, Jul 25 Krystal Miller, FogHorn Brewhouse