Bellavance Beverage Toasts Largest Rooftop Solar Array in NH

A leading New Hampshire beer distributor, Bellavance Beverage Co., will soon be powered by 3,088 solar panels, the largest rooftop solar array in New Hampshire. The 1.16 MW system will offset more than 100% of the company’s annual electricity needs while cutting costs and carbon pollution. The family-run Bellavance Beverage Co. toasted the solar installation with a socially-distanced “Solar Oktoberfest” celebration, featuring traditional German fare along with tours of the 115,000 square-foot solar roof overlooking Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. The array is projected to generate 1,321,541 kWh of clean electricity annually – enough to offset 1.4 million pounds of CO2 emissions or brew 77,000 barrels of German beer every year.

Bellavance Beverage Co. President Joe Bellavance IV made some remarks, saying “Our decision to invest in solar was actually pretty straightforward. I was introduced to Dan and Revision through a project for the City of Nashua and that started the ball rolling. Lessons learned from previous generations put us in a position to be able to make the up-front investment. It fit with our commitment to reducing the footprint we leave behind for future generations. We spend a lot time preparing our kids for the future but often overlook the environment we are leaving them. The products we sell are largely agricultural – hops, barley – and depend on reliable water sources. We need the planet to be able to support those things for a long, long time.”

Mayor Joyce Craig, of the City of Manchester, also spoke briefly. Representatives from Senator Maggie Hassan and Congressman Chris Pappas’ offices read letters from the Senator and Congressman, respectively. State Senators Sharon Carson, Lou D’Allesandro, and Kevin Cavanaugh were all in attendance, as was State Representative Doug Thomas, Londonderry Town Councilor Deb Paul, and Londonderry Town Manager Kevin Smith.

Joe Bellavance concluded by saying “And lastly – the state of NH has been a wonderful place to grow-up, raise a family and run a business. If I recall correctly our project will increase NH’s overall solar production by 1.5% and to the extent we can help the State achieve some of its carbon and renewable energy targets, that’s a good thing. So really the project checked a lot of boxes for us and ultimately was an easy decision.”

Original Source: https://www.revisionenergy.com/blogs/bellavance-beverage-toasts-largest-rooftop-solar-array-in-nh/