Using alternative energy in the food and beverage industry

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Aug. 26, 2015 — In the August issue of Water Technology, Vincent Paolucci and Al Colanero of WeiserMazars discuss how solar power and water recycling can help the food and beverage industry increase efficiency and profits.

Several well-known brands such as Campbell’s Soup, Mars, US Foods and Del Monte Foods use solar panels on their buildings, and water recycling also offers opportunities for savings. Rainwater collection can also reduce costs.

Climate change and water scarcity is a global concern that also affects food and beverage manufacturers, write Paolucci and Colanero. Analyzation and review of conservation strategies should be done to ensure systems perform properly. Facilities can reuse water multiple times before it is discharged, even in their own landscape irrigation.

Governments often offer businesses and individuals energy credits when they meet certain requirements such as:

• Generates electricity to heat or cool (or provides hot water for use in) a structure or to provide solar process heat
• Uses solar energy to illuminate the inside of a structure with fiber-optic distributed sunlight
• Produces, distributes or uses energy derived from a geothermal deposit
• Is a qualified fuel cell property or qualified microturbine property
• Combines the heat and power systems (cogenerated power) and captures the heat that would otherwise be wasted in traditional power generation and also produces less nitrogen oxide (a greenhouse gas) than most conventional systems
• Provides wind energy
• Uses the ground or groundwater as a thermal energy source to heat or cool a structure

Read the entire article here.