KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Arcadia Ales brewery near the Kalamazoo River is already a state-of-the-art facility for using a number of environmentally-sound processes in the manufacture of its beer.
It’s about to get even greener.
Tim Surprise, the owner of the brewery, is working with Consumers Energy and a Kalamazoo-based solar energy firm to cover the roof of their plant on East Michigan Avenue with solar cells.
They estimate the 536 panels will generate enough electricity to provide about 25 percent of the energy required to run the brewery and tavern.
The panels will be manufactured in Saginaw and installed by Helios Solar of Kalamazoo, according to a news release from the microbrewery.