In the world of the capitalist economy of the United States business' are in business to make a finished good and sell that product to the consumer for a profit. The solutions to produce more product or larger yields of product have left the world landscape beaten and bruised from the abuse. We have an obligation to future generations to leave our planet in the same condition it is in or preferably a lot better shape so they will be able to provide for their families. Big and small business are realizing that their impact on or surroundings has to change but find it difficult to adjust. Green technology is becoming more readily available and many companies are doing very well incorporating it into their business models. Sustainable business models are taking hold and showing us how we are able to make a profit and lessen the environmental impact on our society at the same time.

One of the companies in Northern California that is using a sustainability program is Sierra Nevada Brewery Company located in the small town of Chico, Ca. Nestled up to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains this mix of college kids, retirees, and agricultural workers have a strong communal sense of their impact on their surroundings. Ken Grossman, the founder of SNBC started the business in a garage with some other Chico State College students.. From the beginning Ken has always used the best quality ingredients to brew an awesome tasting line of products all the while thinking of how he can lessen his impact on the environment. Today at their current location of 1075 E. 20^th Street you are able to get a sense of how this is accomplished by taking tours of the brewery. The entire operation produces 80% of the electricity it consumes during peak hours and during non-peak sells back that extra electricity to the power grid. They are able to produce so much electricity by two methods. One method they use are the pivoting solar panels they have installed on top of the parking structure and 80% of the building on their campus. SNBC currently has 9976 panels in operation making them one of the largest private owned solar arrays in United States. The pivoting panels maximize the amount of sun's energy because they track it as it moves across the sky.

The second method used is their 4 hydrogen fuel cell generators. The generators are powered by the methane gas from their on-site waste water treatment facility. The generators alone by them self produce 1.2 megawatts of power not to include the heat they give off which is used heat the brewery. By using solar panels and generators they produce a whopping 2.7 megawatts of renewable electricity. I do not know if this stems from a moral obligation to fix the environment for the future generations or an obligation to the current but this is a great example of a company that has created a benchmark for others to follow and improve upon. A combination of renewable energy and recycling has won the company awards in the state of California and beyond.

Recycling is a part of part of every aspect of the business from the grains and water that go into the beginning of the production cycle all the way down to the composting of waste from the restaurant. Ken's company was able to make a profit last year by selling some of their byproduct instead of paying to have it shoved in a hole in the ground. It is estimated that for the year of 2008 it would have cost the company $2.5 million to dispose of the their waste in the land fill. Buy recycling they were able to make a profit around $800,000. Spent grains and hops are reused by being sold to the surrounding ranchers as feed for their cattle. The cattle latter are bought from the farmers and eaten in the on-site restaurant at the brewery. Don't worry there is no alcohol in the grain feed to the cattle so the cows are just happy in California because of the weather. Also they recycle the waste water from production through a state-of-the-art on-site water recycling plant that allows them to re-use 3 ¾ barrels of the 5 ½ barrels of water used in the brewing process. The recaptured water is used to irrigate their hop field located beside their parking structure. All the employees of the company are encouraged to conserve water anywhere they can.

All of the sustainable development encouraged by Sierra Nevada Brewery are aimed at making the most productive use of the earth's natural resources. By maximizing their sustainable yield SNBC has become a leader in the forefront environmental economically responsible companies.

-Reggie