ELSWORTH, Maine, USA – Today, Precipice Coffee is announcing the successful installation of an 8Kwh solar array at their roastery and shop in Ellsworth, Maine. After nearly two years of roasting on the all-electric, ventless Bellwether Coffee Roaster – which reduces the carbon footprint from roasting by 87% when compared to traditional gas roasters – Precipice has now taken its commitment to environmental stewardship even further by installing solar panels to make the coffee roastery, cafe, and bakery operation entirely self-sustainable and powered by 100% clean energy.
“Acadia National Park holds a special place in our hearts, as it’s where my husband and I fell in love. After coming across the property in Ellsworth, we decided to take the leap and open our own roastery and shop, prioritizing mindfulness towards our local community, as well as the environment,” said Maggie Iannuzzi, co-founder of Precipice Coffee.
“After extensive research, we realized that conventional gas roasting methods do not align with our eco-conscious vision, so we were thrilled to find Bellwether’s electric roaster. Transitioning to solar power and becoming self-sustainable seemed like the natural next step, and we couldn’t be more excited now that the installation is complete.”
Having roasted nearly 22,000 pounds of sustainable coffee in under two years, Precipice Coffee opened its doors in July of 2021 as a micro-roastery
Expanded to selling coffee at local farmers’ markets, and later opened an online store with coffee subscriptions and serving dozens of wholesale customers throughout the state of Maine.
Traditional coffee roasting currently produces approximately 23 billion pounds of CO2 emissions annually. As a member of A Climate to Thrive’s (ACTT’s) Climate Reduction Commitment program, Precipice Coffee has received invaluable support in its journey towards net-zero emissions. SolarLogix, an ACTT partner based in Belfast, Maine, installed the rooftop solar system at the Iannuzzi’s downtown roasting facility.
“Precipice Coffee is a pioneer in the micro-roastery movement in Maine, and we’re excited to support a like-minded business in their pursuit of sustainable roasting practices,” said Grayson Caldwell, Senior Sustainability Manager at Bellwether Coffee.
“Bellwether’s mission is to enable everyone to sustainably source and cleanly roast exceptional coffee. Electric roasting is the future – as more roasteries adopt this technology and renewable energy sources become more widespread in the grids, the environmental benefits of electric roasting will only continue to grow.”
In addition to electric roasting, Precipice taps into Bellwether’s Green Coffee Marketplace which connects roasteries to farmers of ethically sourced green coffee beans and as a byproduct, supports farmer livelihoods and ensures retailers have access to fresh, high-quality coffee from all over the world.
