A Minneapolis brewery will be the first in the state to offset more than 100 percent of its energy with solar power.

Insight Brewing won't have solar panels on its roof or anything, but it has signed a 25-year contract with Innovated Power Systems (IPS Solar) to offset 120 percent of the brewery's energy needs in 2017, an email news release says.

The brewery will start getting some of its power from a community solar garden in Carver County this week, and by this summer Insight will be offsetting all of its energy using the solar array, Ilan Klages-Mundt, co-founder of Insight Brewing, said at a press event Monday night.

Breweries use a ton of energy – they have to boil a lot of water to make beer, and that's one of the most energy intensive processes out there. That's one reason Insight is excited to be going renewable, noting it not only makes environmental sense, but also business sense.

"At a time when it seems our new government will soon be taking a step back in energy and environmental policies, it feels like there is no better time to move forward with this initiative so that we as a community, state, country and world don't lose the positive momentum we currently have towards curbing global warming and creating a greener, more sustainable future," Insight said in a statement.

Insight is encouraging other brewers to consider doing the same. And many in Minnesota and across the country have taken steps to reduce their impact on the environment by finding more sustainable ways to do business, such as using less water, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using less energy or clean energy, and investing in new technologies.

For a look at what other breweries are doing to go green, check out this list by The Growler. And if you're interested in learning more about solar power, IPS Solar is hosting a happy hour and information session at Surly Brewing in Minneapolis on Feb. 22. For more information on that, click here.