ArBru Solar Brewery in Mallorytown, Ont. is the first solar-powered brewpub in Canada, a distinction that has come with a fair amount of growing pain but also made it a magnet for business.

Entering its third year of operations in July, the small business that produces a variety of lagers and ales operates off the grid, powered by an array of dozens of solar panels and batteries that hold excess electricity. The brewery runs almost entirely on electricity, with the beer brewing equipment, refrigeration, lights and some cooking appliances powered by the sun.

“That’s the big holy grail moment for us, where we’re like, ‘Hey, we’re actually brewing the beer literally with solar,’ ” Phil Audet, president and owner of ArBru, told Sustainable Biz Canada in an interview.

The founder of a residential solar installation company named Ontario Solar Experts, he is applying his experience to merge his passions in renewable energy and craft beer.

Though going all-solar has not come without its challenges, such as inconvenient power limitations in the past, Audet said it all pays off with the attention and marketing ArBru gains as a one-of-a-kind business.

Solar-powered suds

Audet, who worked as a photovoltaic technician and studied sustainable energy engineering in Europe, formed Ontario Solar Experts in 2011. But once the Ontario government pulled an incentive program for solar energy, he moved on to brewing.

A self-proclaimed science geek drawn to innovation and challenge, the brewpub is where Audet can put himself to the test by running a business year-round on solar power — a difficult feat.

An array of 72 solar panels is located approximately 100 feet away from the brewery, which also charge 16 batteries. Clear of shading and obstruction, the panels are adjustable to increase efficiency.

His knowledge in solar power has been invaluable in making his ambition come to life. “My background in solar helped me make this work . . . I wouldn’t have known how to do (this), had I not had the previous experience with batteries and solar equipment.”

ArBru was first equipped with 10 kilowatts of solar generation capacity and 40 kilowatt-hours of batteries. The energy generation was recently tripled to 30 kilowatts of capacity, and the energy storage doubled to 80 kilowatt-hours.

“We’ve been able to store more power on the good days so that we can coast through bad days with more confidence and safety without worrying about losing power,” Audet said. In its first two years, ArBru had to use a gas-powered generator on rare occasions, but today it's no longer needed.

The upgraded solar set-up was given its first major test just last week, when a major ice storm that took down power in some areas blanketed Mallorytown. The larger batteries “came very in handy” as power was conserved ahead of time, ensuring there were fewer challenges.

A real ‘differentiator’ in the craft beer market

Other than an engineering puzzle, ArBru’s solar infrastructure also presents some economic conundrums. Audet admits it would be cheaper to run on the grid, and the payback period for the solar equipment is not short. The business also has to offer its beverages at a slight premium compared to its peers because it operates at a smaller volume and runs on solar power, he added.

But the costs are being offset with the novelty of the brewpub. ArBru is gaining more press coverage than a typical brewery, Audet said, which has increased sales. Customers have gravitated to its taps because of the emphasis on sustainability.

ArBru offers a private tour of the solar panels, batteries and the sustainable brewing process so guests can see the energy-generating equipment. Concluding the tour is a tasting of four kinds of beer.

“We spent a lot of money to do this, but we think it’s going to be beneficial for our business because it’s a differentiator in the market.”

Though not without its struggles, ArBru is showing that renewable energy can run a modern, viable business, Audet said.

“Renewable energy can do things that people said it couldn’t.”