Better Lighting, Bottom Line for DC Brau
DC Brau worked with the DCSEU to upgrade its lighting, delivering savings they can count on and a safer working environment for their staff.
“Being able to save that amount of money on an annual basis goes right to our bottom line, and that's money that we can count on in situations like this pandemic.”
When they opened their doors in 2011, DC Brau was the first production brewery to operate in the District since 1956. Over the past ten years, DC Brau has grown immensely, distributing their beers and hard seltzers in DC, Maryland, Virginia, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and sometimes Massachusetts, and producing up to 15,000 barrels a year. The company has implemented a number of sustainability measures, including sending its spent grain (about 14 tons per week) to be used as feed for livestock and ensuring waste cardboard and aluminum are all recycled. With a large, 50,000 square foot facility in northeast DC, keeping energy costs under control is also important. “Energy savings are very important to us,” said Jeff Hancock, DC Brau co-founder and brewmaster. “Brewing is a capital and equipment intensive operation. The power we use for most of our heavy equipment has to be three-phase electricity, and because of our large boilers, we had to get a larger diameter gas line.”
Having good, high quality lighting is also an important part of their operations at DC Brau. While they had upgraded from old and dim metal halide lighting to more efficient T8 fluorescent tube lighting several years ago, lighting ballasts on the fixtures were failing regulary, which meant Hancock was constantly on a scissor lift maintaining the lighting. “It's important to have proper lighting in the production facility because you are working with so many moving parts,” he said. “You have to be able to see what you're doing and if there's any kind of risk or something that could go wrong.” When DCSEU Account Manager Leigh Harrold approached the company with the offer to bring a DCSEU participating contractor, Greenscape Energy, and financial incentives to help them upgrade to more efficient LEDs, Hancock was keen on making the switch. And while they had only planned on upgrading lighting in the production area, Greenscape was able to upgrade nearly all the lighting in the entire facility. “We did a walkthrough and bulb count with Greenscape, who estimated it would take about five days to complete the upgrade,” Hancock said. “It only ended up taking two and a half days – it was a great experience.” The lighting upgrade is expected to save DC Brau more than $7,000 a year and countless hours on lighting maintenance. “Being able to save that amount of money on an annual basis goes right to our bottom line, and that's money that we can count on in situations like this pandemic.”
