Climate-Friendly Beer Brewing Using Solar Energy and a Heat Pump
With “RenewBrew,” researchers are developing an innovative energy system designed to make the brewing process more climate-friendly
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How can beer be brewed in a more climate-friendly way in the future? This is the question being addressed by the innovative research project “RenewBrew,” which was launched earlier this year at the Energy – Mobility – Processes Research Center at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HsH). The goal is to develop a sustainable energy system that will generate the steam required for the Brewing process largely without the use of fossil fuels.
At the heart of the project is the development of a system comprising high-temperature heat pumps, thermal storage units, photovoltaics, and concentrating solar thermal technology, in which sunlight is concentrated using special mirrors to generate high temperatures. Together, these technologies enable the production of steam at temperatures well above 100 degrees Celsius—a key component of the brewing process.
A Nearly Self-Sufficient and Greenhouse Gas-Free Heat Supply
A scientific test facility is currently being built at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Based on this, a demonstrator will then be developed for the Norderney brewery and installed there. The technology developed could be used in the future not only in breweries but also in numerous other industrial sectors where process heat and steam have so far been generated primarily using natural gas. By using solar thermal energy for heat generation and photovoltaics to power the high-temperature heat pumps, the prospect of a nearly completely self-sufficient and greenhouse gas-free heat supply is opening up. In addition to applications in the brewing industry, the technology holds great potential for numerous other industrial sectors where process heat and steam have so far been generated primarily using natural gas. Thus, the project not only contributes to climate protection but also addresses the economic challenges faced by smaller, energy-intensive businesses. In the long term, companies could reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and lower production costs.
Research project runs through the end of 2028
The research project runs from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028, and is funded with a total of 1,088,153.29 euros. Funding is provided by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) and the Joint Science Conference (GWK) as part of the “Research at HAW” program.
The project leader is Prof. Dr. Lutz Meyer from Faculty II at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He is working on the project together with colleagues from the Research Center. “The integration of solar thermal energy and high-temperature heat pumps opens up new synergies and enables significant efficiency gains. We are pleased to now investigate and realize this potential for a specific application. Practical solutions have been lacking, particularly for the decarbonization of process heat generation in small capacity ranges. With this project, we aim to make a sustainable contribution to the industrial heat transition,” said Meyer.
In addition to the Norderneyer Brauhaus and its managing director, Tobias Pape, the company Jaske & Wolf Verfahrenstechnik, led by Wolfgang Jaske, is playing a key role in the project’s implementation as another external project partner. As an internal university partner, Prof. Dr. Nadja Kiehne from Faculty IV at HsH (Economics) is actively involved in the project and leads the economic analysis.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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