“Sparhawk worked very effectively with contractors and their subs, consistently exercising balanced judgment and earning the respect of the sub-contractors in particular. This contributed to the positive energy environment of the overall project…the Sparhawk Group team approach helped us stay on schedule and meet the tight deadlines of our initial production.”

The Spencer Brewery at St. Joseph’s Abbey is a 35,356 ft² building located in Spencer, MA. The first Trappist brewery located in the United States, Spencer Brewery began construction in 2013. In addition to installing state of the art brewing equipment, the St. Joseph’s Abbey was committed to sustainable and energy efficient construction.

Sparhawk Group provided commissioning services including design review, construction phase reviews, and full functional testing of all HVAC, lighting, and controls equipment. As part of the commissioning process, Sparhawk Group conducted infrared thermography scans of the building envelope to identify thermal weaknesses in the building envelope.

The primary focus of the commissioning effort on this project was on:

• HVAC Systems
• HVAC Controls
• Lighting Controls
• Emergency Power Generation
• Building Envelope

From advanced building controls to storm water reclamation, the Spencer Brewery facility is poised to manufacture high-quality Trappist ale—and do it efficiently—for years to come.