Why Focus on Brewery Energy Efficiency?
Energy is a major cost driver in brewery operations. And it’s not just electricity — breweries consume significant amounts of natural gas, steam, water, and compressed air. Optimizing energy consumption with smart tools allows breweries to lower utility bills, boost production efficiency, and meet ESG and sustainability goals.
Where Are the Biggest Energy Savings Hiding?
Understanding your actual energy costs starts with breaking down consumption by individual systems. Based on U.S. brewery data, the following areas offer the highest savings potential:
Tank cooling and cold storage
These systems account for up to 40% of total energy use — with about 31% for tank cooling and 9% for walk-in coolers.
Savings potential: up to $32,000 per year, or 20–43%, depending on the setup.
Compressed air systems (compressors)
Although they make up only about 7–8% of total consumption, these systems are often highly inefficient.
Savings potential: over $22,000 per year, with up to 60% savings through leak prevention and smart controls.
Heating and domestic hot water
Typically around 6% of energy costs, but still an area where 20%+ savings are possible through better scheduling and regulation.
Where Are the Biggest Energy Savings Hiding?
Understanding your actual energy costs starts with breaking down consumption by individual systems. For a midsize U.S. craft brewery producing around 10,000 barrels per year, the following areas offer the highest savings potential:
Tank cooling and cold storage
These systems account for up to 40% of total energy use — with about 31% for tank cooling and 9% for walk-in coolers.
Savings potential: up to $32,000 per year, or 20–43%, depending on the setup.
Compressed air systems (compressors)
Although they make up only about 7–8% of total consumption, these systems are often highly inefficient.
Savings potential: over $22,000 per year, with up to 60% savings through leak prevention and smart controls.
Heating and domestic hot water
Typically around 6% of energy costs, but still an area where 20%+ savings are possible through better scheduling and regulation.
Savings potential: around $5,000–$7,000 per year for a 10,000 bbl brewery.
How to Start with Energy Optimization
-
Collect your data
Start with what's available: utility bills, meter readings, or estimated values based on equipment types. -
Break down energy use by technology
A total consumption number isn't enough — you need to know where energy is being used. -
Evaluate savings opportunities
Focus on high-consumption areas with poor regulation or outdated control systems. -
Implement quick-win improvements
Cooling optimization or compressor upgrades often offer the fastest ROI. -
Track results continuously
Only regular tracking versus your baseline will tell you what’s actually working.
How to Start with Energy Optimization
-
Collect your data
Start with what's available: utility bills, meter readings, or estimated values based on equipment types. -
Break down energy use by technology
A total consumption number isn't enough — you need to know where energy is being used. -
Evaluate savings opportunities
Focus on high-consumption areas with poor regulation or outdated control systems. -
Implement quick-win improvements
Cooling optimization or compressor upgrades often offer the fastest ROI. -
Track results continuously
Only regular tracking versus your baseline will tell you what’s actually working.
Examples of Specific Energy-Saving Measures in Breweries
Based on real energy consumption analysis, breweries can implement targeted measures with measurable impact on both costs and operational efficiency. The most common and effective measures include:
-
Controlling temperature hysteresis in response to electricity market prices (e.g. SPOT) and using cold storage for energy accumulation
-
Microgrid energy control – integrated management of consumption, storage, and on-site generation
-
Optimization of compressed air production and compressor operation – including reduction of non-productive consumption (e.g. leak detection and repair), load-based compressor control, and waste heat recovery from compressors for domestic hot water or space heating
-
Adjustments to operational modes and technologies – such as switching from continuous to batch operation or aligning production with off-peak energy periods
These measures often offer quick payback and can frequently be implemented without major investments – sometimes simply by fine-tuning existing systems.
How FLOWBOX Can Help Your Brewery
FLOWBOX provides a modular energy management platform tailored for manufacturing environments like breweries. It helps you monitor, analyze, and optimize your entire energy system:
-
Real-time monitoring of electricity, gas, heat, water, etc.
-
Identification of key energy consumers and savings potential
-
Optimization of major processes – cooling, compressed air, heating, packaging
-
Microgrid control – manage self-generation and energy storage efficiently
-
Automated data analysis to uncover hidden losses
-
OEE module to track equipment efficiency
-
Operational monitoring and fault prevention
-
Energy forecasting for smarter purchasing and contracting
Start small and scale up – FLOWBOX lets you begin with one system and expand over time.
No On-Site Measurement? You Can Still Estimate
Even without your own meters, you can get a rough idea of where to start. FLOWBOX offers a free downloadable breakdown of a 15,000 hl brewery. It lets you benchmark your energy use and identify high-impact areas for improvement.
Rising energy prices are becoming a serious challenge for breweries across the United States. One of the most effective ways to reduce operational costs and improve sustainability is through systematic energy optimization. Real-world data shows that a brewery producing over 8,500 barrels per year can save up to $55,000 annually by optimizing just its core energy-consuming processes.