EAG working on WAB brewery PACE project

Ferndale’s Woodward Avenue Brewers (WAB) is looking to create a new brewery and distillery in another building it owns in Ferndale and signed a contract with The Energy Alliance Group of Michigan and some of its alliance partners to begin work on the project.

EAG of Michigan, S3 Architecture and Medora Building Company are starting work to design, build and secure Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for the brewery/distillery, which will be considered new construction, not a renovation, since the building is basically a shell at this point.

Because of that, EAG will calculate baseline and proposed energy consumption and equipment expenses for the site, based on building code minimums and common construction and equipment standards. PACE energy savings would be calculated on building envelope upgrades and more energy efficient equipment and technologies.

“This will be our first project that is considered new construction, and it will be interesting to calculate savings from baseline standards rather than prior baseline operational energy expenses, which just aren’t available in this case,” said Scott Ringlein, CEO of The Energy Alliance Group of Michigan. WAB property owners and EAG will agree upon the baseline assumptions before the project moves forward.

WAB will provide existing facility operation utility statements, as available, that will be used to develop project assumptions, a 20-year life cycle cost and financial analysis model, calculate annual operational costs and energy savings, prepare equipment selection and operational expense calculations, determine applicable incentives and tax credits, and identify and secure PACE financing for the project.

WAB also is considering adding renewable energy features to this building, located on Saratoga Street, including geothermal heating and solar electricity generation. Because of that, the project may quality for some tax and or utility incentives or credits.

As required by the Michigan PACE statute, 100% of the differential costs associated with the adoption of the energy efficiency technologies selected will be paid through the resulting energy savings. In addition, the project will be cash flow positive over the term of the PACE financing and the energy savings will be guaranteed over the term of the PACE financing based on the on energy efficiency improvement performance calculations and on operational assumptions.

Because the project is considered new construction, a variety of energy efficiency technologies qualify for PACE financing. Those that will be considered for the project include:

• Coolers, Freezers & Ice Machines;
• HVAC Systems;
  

  A rendering of the proposed brewery/distillery.

• Interior Shades;
• Cooler Blankets;
• Charging Stations;
• Vending Machines;
• Process Equipment;
• Compressed Air Systems;
• Interior/ Exterior Lighting;
• Hot Water Heating Systems;
• Renewables (Geothermal/Solar)
• Hi-Speed Interior/Exterior Doors;
• Controls (Lighting/HVAC/Shades);
• Video Systems (Security/Telecasting);
• Electric Vehicles (Van/Hi-lo/Car/Truck);
• Laundry Facilities (Washers/Dryers/Water Management);
• Interior/Exterior Water Conservation Equipment/Systems;
• Building Envelope (Roof/Insulation/Water Management/Windows/Doors/Siding/Shades);
• Kitchen Equip. (Ovens/Refrigerators/ Freezers/Coolers/Dishwashers/Water Conservation.

Woodward Avenue Brewers opened its Woodward Avenue brewery and restaurant in 1997 and was one of the first craft breweries in the Metro Detroit area.