Maui Brewing Installing Solar Cogeneration System

Garrett Marrero, founder of Maui Brewing Company. Courtesy of SBA.

By Sonia Isotov

Congenra Solar has announced a solar cogeneration project with Maui Brewing Co. (MBC) later this year at the Lahaina brewery.

“We were searching for a way to maximize the space on our roof. Cogenra’s solar cogeneration technology was the perfect match, producing both electricity and hot water in one compact design,” said MBC founder Garrett Marrero, in a written statement.

The 24-module, 60-kilowatt (kW) rooftop system will occupy less than 2,400 square feet and support the brewery’s existing 100kW solar photovoltaic (PV) installation, supplying renewable electricity for pumps, packaging and cooling. The solar hot water generated will feed directly to the facility’s brewing processes.

“Any business that uses a lot of hot water can profit greatly from solar cogeneration, whose hybrid technology provides two benefits: solar hot water and solar electricity.  Customers in Hawaii, with ample sun exposure and high energy costs, are at a special advantage,” said Gilad Almogy, the chief executive officer of Cogenra Solar, based in Mountain View, California.