America's Beer Distributors

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O&W, Inc., a beer distributor in Ypsilanti, Michigan, rang in 2010 with new energy efficient lighting.  In early 2008, the company began a two-year replacement project to replace ¾ of the lights in its 100,000 square-feet warehouse with energy efficient light fixtures and bulbs.  This past December, Mark Faulkner, who oversees all building and vehicle maintenance at O & W, finished installing the last of the 160 new lights in the main warehouse, drive thru and beer room.

The project started in 2008 as O&W began replacing old metal halide light bulbs with new T5 fluorescent tubes as the old ones burnt out.  The new lights use 60% less energy and do not generate any heat.  Approximately 10 lights were replaced in the keg room and 40 lights were replaced in the main beer room.

“As 2009 rolled on, Grosse Electric of Ann Arbor contacted us with the news that DTE Energy was giving a tax credit for the upgrade to the T5 fixtures and bulbs,” said Faulkner. “This put some steam under the project and we completed the installation of the remaining 110 light fixtures in order to make it by the December 15th tax credit deadline.”

Another major change that visitors to O&W, Inc.’s warehouse will notice is the absence of light switches.

“In addition to the light installation, 10 motion detectors were installed throughout the warehouse. These were also on a DTE tax credit program to help conserve energy by only turning on the light you need,” said Faulkner.  “The lights in the warehouse now go on and the sensors detect people moving through – it almost looks like a movie set! This will greatly conserve energy as the lights only turn on as people travel through the area. In the beer room especially, it is a great benefit to only have sections lit instead of all 40,000 square feet at once.”

The old Metal Halide light fixtures that were replaced were donated to the Sharehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a non-profit Christian Montessori School resale shop.  They will be used to give much-needed light to their showrooms.

For more information about O&W, Inc. a local beer distributor since 1933, visit their page on Facebook or visit http://www.onwbeer.com/.

If you are a distributor who has undertaken a sustainability project, please visit NBWA’s distributor responsibility Web site –www.DistributorResponsibility.com – and share your story by submitting your initiative.