Bending the Arc references a quote by Rev. Dr. King who said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” This digital newsletter from the CSA Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation office showcases the work of changemakers, opportunities to learn, and opportunities for you to help “bend the arc” toward justice. Full contents of the newsletter are published on this page.
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Harvesting Heat
January 15, 2026
A D.C. apartment complex has found a creative way to save more energy and is able to heat residents’ showers with waste heat from a brewery downstairs.
The Bridge District is a newer neighborhood in Washington D.C. that was designed to be as sustainable as possible. For example, when someone takes a shower at the apartment complex, the water is heated by a brewery downstairs.
Atlas Brew Works, a solar-powered brewery that serves craft beers, moved into the building in November. At most breweries, the heat that’s generated from the brewing process would be vented outside. But in the new building, any hot water that the brewery doesn’t reuse is sent into a heat exchanger, which transfers heat to the hot water loop for the apartments. (The water itself never mixes; tenants are not showering in brewery water.)
When the brewery is operating at full capacity and the complex’s 757 apartments are fully occupied, around 60% to 70% of the heat for the apartments’ hot water can come from the brewery. The complex is also designed to be able to harvest heat from other businesses. A small grocery store that will soon open can share waste heat from its refrigerators, for example.
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