Wicklow Wolf becomes the first Irish solar powered craft brewery

Sustainability with every sup

Wicklow Wolf has become the first solar-powered craft brewery in operation in Ireland. With the successful installation of over 120Kw of solar panels, covering the entirety of its 17,000 sq ft Newtownmountkennedy brewery roof, this massive step aims to reduce Wicklow Wolf's carbon footprint; producing 107,000kWh per year, these panels will result in a 30% reduction in electricity usage and save approximately 30 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. With the help of Solar Panel providers, Asatine, this step on their sustainability journey is the latest in a range of commitments, such as planting 2,500 Native Irish Trees, using a state-of-the-art water system and becoming members of Repak, to help Wicklow Wolf continue creating beers as sustainably as possible.

Co-founder of Wicklow Wolf, Quincey Fennelly is delighted with this progress and determined to keep the brand at the forefront of sustainability; “Since opening in 2018, the brewery has been committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity. This step in the right direction is a great leap forward for us on this journey. Sustainability is at our core, so to be making a positive impact and setting an example of what can be achieved is very important to us here”.

Fellow founder, Simon Lynch echoed these sentiments saying, “The average fully grown tree can offset 21 kg of CO2 per year, so 30 tonnes of CO2 reduction is the equivalent of having 1,428 adult trees planted in terms of carbon offset. We have worked tirelessly to get to this point and while it hasn’t been without its challenges, the benefits to both the business and our community are clear."

The brewery is now the proud sponsor and official partner of the annual EcoTrail Wicklow, Ireland’s largest trail running event. Taking place this year on the 24th of September 2022, the run offers the option of four distances (19k, 30k, 46k or 80k) following trails that run through some of Wicklow’s most scenic locations including Bray Seafront, Bray Head and the Sugarloaf Mountain to name a few.  Wicklow Wolf and EcoTrail share the core belief of protecting natural environments and have been working closely together on everything from clean-ups in the Wicklow mountains to planting trees and even training runs with Wicklow Wolf’s very own running club.

Wicklow Wolf has also continued its Locavore Project into 2022. Epitomising the brand's core philosophy of provenance and pride, the project champions the terroir of Wicklow by creating four new experimental beers for each season of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. In 2020 they successfully released a carbon-neutral Locavore beer, with the support of  Clara Carbon, and are striving to become fully carbon neutral, not just for one beer, but for every beer they produce.

For more information about these initiatives and others visit the Wicklow Wolf website. 

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