The large solar array on the roof of Fresh Roasted Coffee’s processing plant provides an excellent example of how the compelling economics of industrial-scale photovoltaic systems are accelerating their adoption by a surprisingly wide range of businesses.
In its first year of operation (October 2024-2025), the 753-kW grid-connected array has generated 864,676 kWh of clean electricity. It’s cut the company’s electric bills by over 80% while eliminating hundreds of tons of carbon emissions.
The solar system is the latest improvement to company’s Sunbury, Pa.-based facility, which was designed with sustainability in mind. Since it was difficult to find electrically heated coffee roasters large enough to produce the 2+ million pounds of coffee the company sells every year, they chose super-efficient gas-fired machines that capture and reuse 80% of the heat they produce.
The building’s upgraded HVAC system captures the heat that escapes from their recirculating roasters and uses it to help maintain comfortable temperatures throughout the facility during colder months. As a result, the facility’s heating system rarely needs to run much, even in the dead of winter.
Andrew Oakes, founder of Fresh Roasted Coffee, said that its investment in solar will produce significant annual savings, estimated at $200,000 annually. Much of that will be reinvested into better equipment, expanded offerings, and stronger employee benefits.
Oakes added that these and other green upgrades will help the company remain competitive, despite the challenges of tariffs, a slowing economy, and other economic stressors, while helping build a prosperous and sustainable future.
Stay tuned for an upcoming feature that provides additional details on Fresh Roasted Coffee’s solar system and how its investments in sustainability are contributing to its “double bottom line.”
