Green building choices for a new brewpub
A brewpub runs hot kettles and cold tanks under one roof, in a country where the sun is also a heat source. The choices you make before the fit-out decide your energy and water bills for years. Here is where to look.
Decide early or pay later
Green building is mostly a question of order. Insulating a roof before the tanks go in is simple. Insulating it afterwards means working around vessels and pipework. Make these decisions in the design stage, alongside the layout of the kitchen, brewhouse and bar. Our guide on building a project timeline for a brewpub shows where design decisions sit against the lease and the fit-out.
If you are renting, you control less. You can still choose what you fit inside the walls. You can also negotiate roof or wall works with the landlord before you sign.
The roof and the walls
In most of India the roof takes the heat. A brewpub on the top floor or in a single-storey shed has a cooling load that starts at the ceiling. Options are insulation under the roof sheet, a reflective cool-roof coating, a false ceiling with insulation above it and, for new buildings, a thermally better roof construction. Each cuts the heat that your glycol chiller and air conditioning have to remove.
Walls facing west take the afternoon sun. Shade them with a projecting canopy, trees or a service wall. Keep the cold room and the fermentation hall on the cooler side of the building, away from the kitchen and the boiler.
Heat and hot water
A brewpub needs a lot of hot water: for mashing, for cleaning and for the kitchen. Solar water heaters can pre-heat the water that feeds the brewhouse. In sunny cities they cover a good part of the temperature rise before the kettle takes over. A heat recovery loop can capture warmth from the boil or from refrigeration condensers and send it to a hot liquor tank. Our guide on solar power for an Indian brewery covers the power side and how to size it.
Insulate the hot liquor tank and every hot pipe. A bare steam or hot water line wastes energy and heats the room you are paying to cool.
Cooling that fits the load
Cooling is usually the largest electricity user in a brewpub, so buying a right-sized chiller is a green choice and a cost choice. Oversize it and it cycles on and off. Undersize it and tanks drift in summer. Work out the load from your tank sizes, the fermentation heat and the room temperature. Then specify the chiller and glycol pipework to match. Put the condenser where it gets airflow and shade. A condenser in a hot, closed plant room loses a lot of efficiency.
Water and drainage
Brewing uses several litres of water for every litre of beer. Plan for water saving from the start: efficient spray balls and hose triggers, a way to reuse final rinse water for first rinses and a water meter on the brewhouse line so you can see what you use. Rainwater harvesting for non-brewing uses such as washing floors can reduce what you draw from the municipal line or a borewell. Our guide on getting groundwater permission for a brewery borewell covers the permission side.
Get the floor right in the brewhouse. It needs a fall towards the drains, commonly around 1 in 50, a resin or tiled finish that tolerates caustic and hot water and drains with traps that can be cleaned. Wet floors that never drain are a hygiene problem and a slip hazard.
Light, air and materials
Daylight in the dining area and a bright, cool brewhouse cut the lighting bill. Use LED lighting with zoned switches. Ventilate the kitchen with a hood and make-up air so it does not draw hot air through the cold room. Choose finishes that clean easily and last: stainless steel work surfaces, sealed floors and low-emission paints. Keep carbon dioxide safety in mind in the cellar: good ventilation is a safety need before it is a green one.
If you want a formal rating, India has green building rating systems such as IGBC and GRIHA. They need documentation and a fee, so decide whether a certificate adds value to your brand before you start.
Weigh the cost of each choice
Not every green choice pays back. Insulation, a right-sized chiller and LED lighting usually do. Solar water heating often does. A certificate or a green wall mostly does not. For each option, estimate the extra cost, the annual saving on your own power and water bills and the years to pay back. Choose those that pay back within a few years and stage the rest. Our guide on fire safety NOC and building approvals reminds you that every change must also pass approvals.
As a first step, list five choices above that suit your site. Ask your architect or contractor for the added cost of each. The numbers will tell you where to start.
Common questions
What is the biggest green saving in a brewpub?
Usually cooling. A right-sized chiller, insulated tanks and a shaded roof cut the biggest electricity load. Solar pre-heating for hot water is a strong second.
Do I need a green building certificate?
No. Ratings such as IGBC and GRIHA are optional and carry costs. Decide whether the certificate helps your brand before you start the paperwork.
How can a rented brewpub be green?
Choose efficient equipment, LED lighting, insulation and water saving fittings that you can move or fit inside. Negotiate roof or wall works with the landlord before you sign.
What floor does a brewhouse need?
A sealed floor that tolerates caustic and hot water, with a fall towards drains. A fall of around 1 in 50 is common. Ask your contractor for the specification.
