A U.S. brewery has found the ultimate way to hareness the energy of the Sun God - by brewing beer.

Stone Brewing annouced the upcoming installation of a 360.7kW AC (404.6 kW DC) Photovoltaic Solar System on the roof of its new brewing facility in the Escondido Research & Technology Center (ERTC). The $3.2 million dollar system will supply the brewery with a significant portion of its total electrical power—up to an anticipated 54%. According to Stone Brewing’s general contractor Hamann Construction, the system could be installed and generating electricity by February 2008, and would number in the top 12% of solar systems in the State.

“We’re excited to continue to participate in the move towards sustainable design,” says Stone Brewing CEO Greg Koch. “This system, together with other conservation initiatives at our brewery and restaurant, will help minimize our impact on the environment.”

From the beginning of the innovative brewing facility’s construction, the design and construction team knew that integrated solar power was ultimately a goal. Finding the right solar vendor for the project, however, had proven elusive. Enter San Diego County’s Borrego Solar Systems, Inc. “We have designed a system utilizing the most efficient and advanced Solar technology commercially available today, the Sanyo HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer) technology,” says Aaron Hall, CEO of Borrego Solar. “The Stone Brewing facility is simply magnificent and we are thrilled to partner with a company who has such a strong reputation for community responsibility and involvement.” Although a solar power component was not included in the building’s initial construction, both the brewery’s ownership and the developer and builder of the facility, JRMC Real Estate owner James McCann, had the foresight to spend additional money upfront to upgrade the load-bearing structure of the entire roof, thus enabling the future installation of a solar power system. “This was an extremely important and forward-looking decision on their part,” adds Hall. Additionally, solar carports are planned for a portion of the brewery and restaurant’s parking area, further maximizing the solar collecting ability of the property.

“The park was named the Escondido Research & Technology Center,” explains Koch. “Developer Jamie McCann had the vision to create a business park that was much more than a gathering of business buildings covered in glass.” McCann wooed Stone Brewing into moving from its previous home in San Marcos with the idea of making the brewery and its newly opened Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens a centerpiece of artful design. Additionally, Stone Brewing will soon have a new next-door neighbor in the ERTC: Palomar Pomerado Hospital (PPH). Currently planned for opening in 2011, the state-of-the-art facility will also incorporate a high level of sustainable design. “We are thrilled to be a future neighbor to our friends at Stone Brewing” says PPH Director of Facilities Planning & Development Michael Shanahan. “Stone Brewing’s incorporation of solar energy, numerous sustainable design elements, and energy and water conservation all align with the goals of Palomar Pomerado Health…not to mention it’s a short walk to the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens which has already become one of our favorite restaurants in the County!”