Maker's Mark's 560-panel solar array powering bourbon production in Loretto, Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Maker’s Mark is now powering part of its Loretto, Kentucky, operations through the sun’s energy, thanks to 560 solar panels.

The ground-mounted solar panel system, which the distiller installed through a partnership with Kentucky Utilities Co., will help provide electricity for security, lighting, offices and barrel elevators at the rickhouse along State Route 52. Rickhouses store bourbon barrels for aging.

Maker’s Mark Managing Director Rob Samuels said sustainability has been part of the business since its earliest days.

“Being a thoughtful steward of our community and our environment has been a pillar of Maker’s Mark since my grandparents first started making our bourbon in Kentucky more than 60 years ago,” said Samuels, an eighth-generation distiller.

“The ability of this solar array to offset our energy use is a tangible example of our ever-increasing focus on environmental stewardship, and we’re thrilled to see this meaningful effort come to life with our partners at KU,” he said in a news release.

Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman said the Maker’s Mark project is a sign of things to come.

“This solar array is part of a trend that I think you will see a great deal more of this coming year as more and more businesses and utility companies seek to include renewable energy as part of their energy portfolios,” Goodman said.

KU said it constructed the array with its partner Solar Alliance. The panels are expected to produce 268,000 kilowatt-hours per year, enough to power 25 homes.

A 25-year agreement between KU and Maker’s Mark allows the utility to build, own and maintain the array, with the company paying a monthly fee and earning bill credits for the energy the system produces.

The solar panels are part of a larger effort by the distiller to be more sustainable. Maker's Mark has installed electric car charging stations and has taken steps to protect white oak trees, which are critical to bourbon production.