Features
Operations & Management
Craft brewery installs wireless controls to optimize warehouse temperatures
March 27, 2017 by InsideIQ Building Automation Alliance
Mar. 27, 2017 – The Allagash Brewing Company says it is optimizing temperature control with wireless controllers installed by Maine Controls at its warehouse in Portland, Maine.
The controllers provide the craft brewer with precise temperature control as well as the ability to send alerts and alarms, track energy use over time, and integrate the temperature controls with other systems for more effective facility management.
Temperature control is critical for quality brewing but Allagash, a craft brewer specializing in Belgian-inspired beers, still relied on simple thermostats at its remote warehouse where beer is stored while awaiting shipment. The brewery decided to replace the thermostats with advanced controllers that could integrate with its other environmental systems and provide improved monitoring and control of warehouse temperatures.
Because the Allagash warehouse has large rooms and ceiling heights of up to 40 feet, it wasn’t practical or cost-effective to run wires through the building. So Maine Controls, a provider of energy management systems, relied on integrated wireless room controllers to bridge the gap between standalone sensors and intelligent building management systems.
“We installed the controllers, which are open, interoperable, and fully support standard BAS protocols, in both the refrigerated and warm rooms,” said Craig Kirby, general manager, Maine Controls. “The controllers monitor the air conditioning equipment and are integrated into Allagash’s enterprise network controller, which provides integrated control, supervision, and network management solutions for a variety of types of controllers in the Allagash facilities.”
“InsideIQ members like Maine Controls approach every customer challenge with the objective of finding the best solution that will provide value and ROI, both now and in the future,” said Leroy Walden, president of the InsideIQ Building Automation Alliance and vice president of Atlanta-based McKenney’s Inc. “Our members understand the latest building technologies and apply them to create smart, integrated buildings that support facility users to achieve their goals, from saving energy, to improving productivity, to brewing the best craft beer.”
