There are incentives to going solar. And this local company can help.

Exciting new incentives can help regional breweries (and beverage producers) make the switch to solar

Note: This newsletter is a paid partnership between the Cleveland Prost and GreenSpark Solar.

Breweries across New York state and across the country are taking steps to go green.

And as these producers are increasingly leading the way to become more and more ecologically (and economically) sustainable, one local company stands ready to help craft beverage producers make the transition to solar power.

GreenSpark Solar, based in Ontario, Wayne County, has been a leading provider of renewable and sustainable energy solutions for more than 20 years. The knowledgeable and friendly folks at GreenSpark can answer any and all questions, connect interested parties to the incentives that could make this transition even easier, and then develop a plan for installation.

And as a Certified B Corp (striving for a balance between purpose and profit), one of Rochester’s fastest-growing companies, and one of the top places to work, GreenSpark offers an employee-centered, solutions-focused partner in these solar projects, regardless of their size and scope. GreenSpark describes itself as “fiercely local,” both in terms of the solutions it engineers and the industries it seeks to support.

“It’s long been my dream to figure this out and to partner with some local breweries,” said Matt Vanderbrook, GreenSpark’s director of commercial origination and an avid craft beer fan. “When we’ve talked to breweries in the past, there was a ton of interest, but it just came down to the numbers. One of the main incentives for solar is the tax credit. It’s a 30 percent tax credit. It takes a while for a brewery to become profitable, so that has always been the trick. Like here’s this great incentive, but you can’t use it because you haven’t established yourself as profitable yet.”

New programs, however, are starting to shift this conversation. And some really well-respected and well-known breweries have also signaled the opportunity. Spots like Maine Beer Co., Bissell Brothers, Rock Art, the Alchemist, Kona, Lagunitas, and Ithaca are just a few of the breweries utilizing solar energy. The massive Anheuser-Busch plant in Baldwinsville, Onondaga County, has also tapped into solar.

“It has to be the right scenario for a project like this to work,” Vanderbrook said. But there has also never been a better time to explore the possibilities, thanks to recent legislation at both the state and federal levels.

Classic origin story

GreenSpark started, like many of the best dreams and partnerships, in the garage of one its three co-founders.

“We were originally a wind company, providing services to wind farms,” said Vanderbrook, who oversees the company’s commercial sales and development team. And then about 12 years ago, the company shifted its focus to solar energy solutions.

During Vanderbrook’s 16-year career with the company, it has grown from 15 employees to 115, reflecting the rapid rise of solar-based projects and the growing demand for sustainable energy.

“It has been quite a ride,” Vanderbrook offered.

GreenSpark is a multi-faceted company as it maintains a residential division, as well as serving as a contractor for large-scale solar farms. The commercial division works with businesses to construct solar setups on rooftops or other areas.

“Those (commercial) projects have really picked up lately, and we seem to be getting a lot more interest in that area,” Vanderbrook said. “That’s pretty exciting.”

And by spreading the word, Vanderbrook is hopeful GreenSpark can partner with some craft breweries in the Rochester area.

Why go solar now?

The federal Inflation Reduction Act contains a slew of incentives that could potentially help regional breweries and other Rochester-area beverage producers make the leap to solar. The IRA, signed into law in August 2022, makes solar much more accessible to craft beverage producers, regardless of their size. Those incentives could also attract other businesses, municipalities, non-profits, and many others.

The incentives include a new 30 percent federal tax credit (to be applied over the next 10 years. (And don’t worry, the fine folks at GreenSpark are happy to explain it all and can easily guide you through this fact-finding exploration.) Included in the IRA are additional bonus credits for projects in low income and rural areas. So this could be an excellent fit for breweries in the Finger Lakes or other outlying areas.

Overall, the IRA helps the United States move much closer to its climate goals, including the creation of a “carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050,” according to a fact sheet published by the White House.

Overall, the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which is part of the climate bill within the Inflation Reduction Act, provides significant incentives to make the switch to solar power. Vanderbrook said the map outlining those that qualify for the REAP benefits covers a lot of this region. (It’s basically the areas surrounding Monroe County.)

And as energy rates continue to unpredictably rise, solar can act as a shield for businesses. It’ll provide some certainty while ultimately saving money and moving a business toward energy independence and resiliency.

“It’s a hedge against electricity rate spikes, especially last year,” Vanderbrook said. “We were seeing electricity rates double within a couple of months. There’s really not much you can do about it. Solar is one of the few things you can do. You still need to connect to the utility, but you’re not going to get hit with an excessive charge if you’re offsetting it with solar.”

GreenSpark representatives will gladly guide clients through the application process, too.

Here’s a summary of what agricultural producers, of which local wineries, distilleries, and breweries fit into that category) are eligible to receive:

• Agricultural producers are classified as businesses with at least 50 percent of their gross income being derived from agricultural operations.

• Small businesses in eligible rural areas (where the population is less than 50,000 people) also qualify.

• REAP program grants are capped at 40 percent of the total project cost.

• The minimum grant is $2,500, while the maximum is capped at $1 million.

• Under the REAP guaranteed loan program, the minimum loan is $5,000. The maximum loan can cover up to 75 percent of the total project cost, but it can’t exceed $25 million.

• Finally, the loan guarantee is for 80 percent of the total loan amount.

• Grant-loan combinations are available.

“There’s a lot of money available in the program and we’re pretty excited to see where it goes,” Vanderbrook said. “It’s really geared toward rural and agricultural entities. There’s a lot of opportunity here.”

Those seeking more information can visit https://greensparksolar.com/reap/  or https://greensparksolar.com/2023/03/08/solar-for-agriculture-and-rural-small-businesses/.

And for more information about what solar could look like at your brewery, please reach out to Matt Vanderbrook, GreenSpark director of commercial origination, at matt.vanderbrook@greensparksolar.com or 585.265.2384.