Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), a 100% farmer-owned hop supplier for the brewing industry, recently announced its latest solar panel installation, totaling 3,706 solar panels, the largest rooftop solar array in the state of Washington.
Based in Yakima, WA, known as the hop capital of the world, and surrounded by hop fields of local family farms, YCH has multiple facilities across the valley. The company has utilized these buildings to house its solar project, taking advantage of the longer days unique to the Pacific Northwest and the company's passion for sustainability.
YCH's solar array spans across six buildings, covering a total of 70,000 sq ft and producing 1,414,766kWh of electricity annually. YCH is able to capture 15% of its entire electrical demands and offset annual emissions by 1,000 metric tons, equivalent to providing 170 homes with electricity for a year.
YCH partnered with Ellensburg Solar to complete the installation of the solar array. Ellensburg Solar has been involved since the first solar panel was installed back in 2016.
To date, YCH has invested more than $2 million in renewable energy solutions as it works toward energy independence. Additionally, YCH teamed up with local energy suppliers Benton REA and Pacific Power & Light to conduct an energy management assessment. YCH will begin implementation of a 1.2 million-kwH energy savings uncovered during the assessment.
"At YCH, we aim to make more of an impact by making less of one," said Levi Wyatt, Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator at YCH. "Our operations utilize a significant amount of energy and we are committed to finding ways to lessen our dependency on fossil fuels and finite resources. We also believe in using our business to inspire and influence environmental solutions."