Beer made on the premises is not the only specialty created from scratch at Pleasure House Brewery. The menu also features a cell phone charging amenity powered by wind and solar energy captured on the brewery roof.
Stop by Tim O’Brien’s business on Pleasure House Road on the way home from work. Grab a cold Cameron’s British Pub Ale or other brew, relax, charge your phone and get a fun charge too out of seeing the brewery’s homemade “Turbinator” at work.
Pleasure House Brewing just received its LRNow Pearl Business certificate from Molly Riley, Pearl Business coordinator. Like other Pearl Businesses, LRNow’s newest business helps protect the environment by, for example, conserving water, reducing waste and saving energy.
As for energy, it is the only Pearl Business that can boast of conserving energy with a homemade cell phone charger for its customers. Or, for that matter maybe the only business in town!
“People can’t believe we made it,” Tim said.
The power station that charges several phones started out as a joke with his friend, Lee Padgett, a retired engineer, always up for a project, Tim said.
“We didn’t spend a whole lot of money on it,” he continued. “I guess it cost all of $125 but it works!”
The construction wood came from pallets that initially carried grains for the brewery. He purchased the solar panels for $10 a piece on eBay.
The housing for the wind turbine on the roof out back also is built from pallet wood. The turbine was fashioned from sheet metal. A small motor that cost around $5 and a spare motorcycle battery belonging to Lee, a motorcycle fancier, make up the basic machinery.
An extension cord leads from the roof to the charging station in the brewery’s back bar. The station is encased in a box made of pallets too.
Regular customer Allen Wharton often visits the brewery for a beer and as usual, that day was charging his phone on the charging pad in the box. “It works fine,” he said, ‘I’ve used it several times.”
Although Allen lays his phone on the charging pad, there also are several cords for various phones and all-purpose USB cords too, so several phones can be charged at once.
“The solar and wind power basically keep the battery topped off at all times,” Tim said.
Tim grew up with parents who were always reminding the kids with caveats like turn the lights off when you leave the room or close the door when you go outside.
As Tim recalled, “’You’re heating up the whole town!’ “they would say.”
Tim, who often rides his e-bike to work, believes that conservation is all about making good sense.
“I like the idea of wind and solar power, he said. “If you can make it cost effective and help the environment, it makes sense to me.”
The brewery charging station also makes sense as a unique way of speaking out for the environment.