yakima chief csryakima chief csr

We are pleased to announce that we have completed our latest solar panel installation, which has made us the company with the largest rooftop solar array in Washington!

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to experience longer days with ample sunshine, making it not only the ideal climate for growing hops, but also harnessing the sun's powerful rays. We have utilized our large production facilities as an opportunity to create a source of renewable energy and do our part in protecting the environment from global climate change.

Our solar array spans across six buildings, covering a total of 70,000 square feet with 3,706 solar panels and producing 1,414,766 kwh of electricity annually. We are able to capture 15% of our entire electricity demands and offset our annual emissions by 1,000 Metric tons, equivalent to providing 170 homes with electricity for one year.

“At YCH, we aim to make more of an impact by making less of one,” said Levi Wyatt, Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator at YCH. “Our operations utilize a significant amount of energy and we are committed to finding ways to lessen our dependency on fossil fuels and finite resources. We also believe in using our business to inspire and influence environmental solutions.”

For this project, we partnered with Ellensburg Solar to complete the installation of our solar array, who have been involved since the first panel was installed back in 2016.

To date, we have invested more than 2 million dollars in renewable energy solutions as we work towards energy independence. Additionally, we have teamed up with local energy suppliers Benton REA and Pacific Power & Light to conduct an energy management assessment. We are excited to begin the implementation of a 1.2 million kwh energy savings uncovered during the assessment.

To learn more about our sustainability initiatives check out our Corporate Social Responsibility plan.