Siemens, Circle L Solar, and City Electric Supply Team Up to Bring Renewable Energy Sources to Local Business

Acre Distilling in Fort Worth is the first solar-powered distillery in Texas through the partnership and innovations of Circle L Solar, Siemens, and City Electric Supply (CES).

DALLAS, Dec. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The award-winning distillery, Acre Distilling Co., in Fort Worth, Texas, has received over 30 international awards since opening in 2015 for its magnificent spirits. Located in what used to be one part of the frontier west and built in the 1920s during the prohibition, owner Tony Formby recently set out to make the business stand out in ways other than its beverages. With the help of three companies, Circle L Solar, Siemens, and City Electric Supply (CES) Fort Worth branch, Acre Distilling is the first solar-powered distillery in the state of Texas and recently finished receiving an installation of eight co-branded EV car charging stations, the first of its kind.

"The solar power from our panels is used to power two buildings, the stills, and operations that make the spirits, including the lighting, air conditioning, and the tasting and barrel rooms," said Acre Distilling Co. Owner Tony Formby.

With a previous background in renewable energy as a former fellow at the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association (CCIA), Tony has always had a passion for the economic viability of using renewable energy in his businesses. Tony first worked with Circle L Solar, founded in 2016, to install solar panels in the distillery's parking lot. He later contacted the company to install a personal EV charger for his car in the same parking lot but then envisioned expanding EV charger use to customers.

"We began working with Tony and Acre Distilling around two and a half years ago," said David Lee, Chief Operating Officer of Circle L Solar. "We installed just shy of 400 solar panels that supply all the electricity usage for this entire facility."

"I wanted to do this to show other business owners what they can do with solar energy and stimulate discussion about using solar power commercially," said Tony. "The EV market is growing rapidly. Electric vehicles are coming, and there's going to be a need for charging stations everywhere."

Circle L Solar reached out to City Electric Supply (CES) Fort Worth to help supply material for the EV installations. For the EV Chargers, CES provided all the electrical materials, including wire, PVC fittings, couplings, elbows, and other miscellaneous materials.

"The branch told me about this project and wanted some extra guidance when doing something of this magnitude," said CES Regional Manager Phil McKinney. "I sat down with David and Shaun from Circle L Solar, and things took off organically from there."

CES decided to turn to long-time vendor partner Siemens to manufacture the EV chargers and to help facilitate the project between the three parties.

"City Electric Supply is one of our key suppliers in the North Texas area. They are one of our best distributors. We work closely with their sales team and management, and they do really well at supporting our customers and end users," said Rhett Hasserd, Sales Specialist at Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA.

Bringing on a well-known manufacturer into a project of this scale was essential. While the scheduling for the project was coming together, Circle L Solar and Siemens forged a co-branding deal together, thanks to CES.

"This is actually the first time co-branding has been done through a channel with Circle L Solar," explained Tracy Gentry, Channel Sales Engineer for Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA. "CES approached us about white labeling the chargers with Circle L Solar on them. Our chargers have Siemens on the front panel, and Circle L Solar had requested that their logo be put on the front panel as well."

"Co-branding these chargers with Circle L Solar allows us both to put our name out into the marketplace, and it solidifies the partnership between Siemens, City Electric Supply, and Circle L Solar," said Rhett.

Since these recent installations, Acre Distilling has not had upcharges on its electrical bills, saving the business money.

"I'm very pleased with how the entire project has evolved. The EV chargers have been very beneficial because my electricity cost hasn't gone up in the last two years," said Tony. "Now that I've got a surplus of electricity from my solar panels, I can actually sell it through the electric chargers to people that want to charge their cars. Plus, I'm gaining more customers from people using the EV chargers and coming in to see what Acre Distilling is about."

Acre Distilling Co. continues to make spirits and provide customers from all over with a unique experience when they visit the distillery. With some of these green elements being used for the first time, Tony and his team are looking forward to having continual help from Circle L Solar, Siemens, and CES Fort Worth.

"I felt comfortable allowing the install of these products, and I know they are going to continue to be supported by these groups," said Tony. "I know Circle L Solar, Siemens, and City Electric Supply are here to help me as we go forward. It's been a seamless, ideal situation for me, and we are excited for what's to come."

About City Electric Supply (CES) is a family-owned electrical wholesale distributor headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company was founded in 1951 by Tom Mackie in the United Kingdom and expanded to the United States in 1983. Today, CES employs more than 3,000 people in over 550 branches across the U.S.

CES is dedicated to providing personalized service and support for customers in the residential, commercial, and industrial marketplace. While CES is a large company, it prides itself on keeping its founding principle of empowering people to make local business decisions by providing customers with tailored services for all their electric supply needs.

Media Contact:
Emily Davis
Public Relations Specialist
City Electric Supply
[email protected] 

SOURCE City Electric Supply