Revolution Brewing Receives $30,000 Rebate as ComEd Launches New Energy Efficiency Offering Designed to Help Breweries, Wineries and Distillers with Rising Energy Costs

ComEd Launches New Pilot to Help Small-Mid Sized Microbreweries Enhance Efficiency & Lower Energy Costs

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ComEd today announced the launch of the ComEd Breweries Pilot, a new energy efficiency program designed to help breweries, distillers, and wineries reduce energy costs through free assessments with targeted, industry-specific solutions for energy-intensive operations. To mark the pilot’s launch, ComEd named Revolution Brewing, located in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, as the first participant. This announcement is the latest in Revolution’s ongoing clean-energy efforts. The Chicago-based brewery also received a Distributed Generation (DG) rebate of more than $30,000 to support the latest expansion of its rooftop solar array.

The ComEd Breweries Pilot focuses specifically on equipment and processes specific to brewing operations to discover ways to better manage energy use and save money on energy bills. The pilot takes a customer-centric approach to enrollment and delivery, focusing on the unique needs of producers across ComEd’s northern Illinois service territory, and is open to breweries, distilleries and wineries with a focus on those located in disadvantaged communities.

“As the cost of materials like aluminum and ingredients continue to rise, ComEd recognized an opportunity to help breweries manage increasing financial pressures and shifting consumer behavior through energy-efficiency solutions tailored to their energy‑intensive operations,” said Andy Plenge, vice president of strategy and energy policy for ComEd. “Breweries have long served as gathering places for their communities. Today, owners are becoming more creative and innovative in how they operate and attract customers, and we’re supporting those efforts by helping them reduce energy costs and meet growing demand for sustainable practices.”

Chicago, often dubbed the craft beer capital of the country, is home to a thriving brewery community. However, recent market headwinds, intensive energy needs, and customer demand for sustainability are changing the business. More and more, these businesses are looking for ways to reduce costs.

"The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild is proud to see Revolution Brewing leading the way as a participant in ComEd’s Breweries Pilot Program. Programs like this create meaningful opportunities for breweries across Illinois to better understand their energy usage, reduce operational costs, and continue building a more sustainable future for Illinois craft beer,” said Katie Carrier, director of the Illinois Craft Brewer’s Guild.

“Revolution is proud to brew only in the City of Chicago, and we continue to make long-term investments in our brewery to reduce our carbon footprint and improve our energy efficiency,” said Josh Deth, Revolution Brewing owner. “Tripling our rooftop solar array is a major step in our greater commitment to the environment, alongside other green initiatives like wastewater diversion and recycling.”

Revolution Brewing’s updated solar array is now 180 kilowatts, with the new system generating enough clean energy to offset about 20% of its usage— and electric bill. The system is expected to produce 158,547 kWh annually. Combined with the original solar panel installation, the total system will offset approximately 176 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the annual electricity use of just over 33 homes. The expansion makes the array one of the largest brewery solar installations in Illinois.

"When it comes to sustainability, Revolution Brewing is truly crushing it! And yes, that's a reference to their Sun Crusher beer, which not only tastes great but also promotes their solar-powered status. Cheers to that!" said Windfree Solar CEO Eric Heineman, whose company installed Revolution's new rooftop solar panels.

ComEd offers the DG Rebate to help offset out-of-pocket costs of installing a qualified renewable energy generating system and energy storage that is interconnected to the ComEd grid. A rebate requires the use of a smart inverter, which can communicate with ComEd to automatically support the smart grid when needed. Rebates of up to $300 per kilowatt (kW) of generating capacity are available for eligible distributed generation (DG) facilities. For more information visit comed.com/dgrebate and comed.com/solar.

ComEd’s Breweries Pilot is part of the award-winning ComEd Energy Efficiency (EE) Program. As energy costs continue to rise, the result of a rise in demand outpacing the development of new generation resources and power plant retirements, the EE program offers instant discounts, rebates, home and facility assessments, technical services and whole-building solutions designed to help customers save money and energy. Since its launch in 2008, the program has helped hundreds of thousands of customers save a total of more than $13 billion on their energy bills, while awarding more than $2.5 billion in incentives to help offset the cost of energy-efficiency improvements. For more information, visit ComEd.com/HomeSavings and ComEd.com/BizSavings.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company, serving almost 11 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4.2 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.