Jackson Hole is known for its open spaces and wild places. The natural beauty that surrounds our valley is breathtaking and we don’t ever forget it. At Roadhouse, we strive to be the best stewards we can of our dramatic landscape, vowing to help keep our air, water, land and wildlife safe.
Our most recent sustainability project was the installation of a 24.64 kW DC grid-tied rooftop solar energy system. For our system, we dedicated 1500 sq ft of roof space to hold 77 LG 320 Watt PV modules, 39 SolarEdge optimizers, and 1 SolarEdge inverter … with room to expand. We worked hand in hand with Creative Energies, a local team of mountain west solar experts to design and install the system and it is now up and running!
In order to finance the project we participated in both Federal and Regional renewable energy programs. First, we applied through the USDA for a Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grant. REAP Grants are for small businesses located in eligible rural areas working on renewable energy projects including wind, solar, geothermal, etc. We qualified for and were granted a USDA assistance grant to cover 25% of our solar project installation costs. Second, we were the recipient of a 0% interest energy efficiency business loan to cover the remaining 75% of the project cost through Energy Conservation Works. Energy Conservation Works is a joint powers board that works in partnership with the Town of Jackson, Teton County, Lower Valley Energy and a wide spectrum of organizations to implement and advocate for energy conservation and emissions reduction in Jackson Hole. Both of these groups were instrumental in making this project a reality at Roadhouse.
In addition to the solar energy we produce on-site, we continue to research and implement new ways to reduce our footprint:
- We share kegs
- We recapture and recycle the steam we produce
- We donate our spent grain to Mead Ranch, a local family-owned farm that produces grass-fed beef
- We have a nitrogen generator onsite which pulls nitrogen from the air for our use rather than purchasing tanks
- We have a louver system that allows the Jackson Hole winter air to keep our beer cooler at temperature rather than using electricity
- We have a CIP system which allows chemicals to be recycled instead of dumping them down the drain after a single use
- We source our bulk grain and hops locally to minimize our carbon footprint
We promise to keep working every day to bring you the best beer we can with the lowest impact possible. Cheers!
