Post on 08-May-2015
transcript
Integrating Renewable Energy into Your Sustainable Farm
• Scenic Valley Farms
• Scenic Valley Green Energy
• Wind Energy
• Solar Energy
• Solar Thermal Overview
• SVF Solar Thermal Design
• Temperature Data Loggers
• Economics
• Payback/ROI
Overview
• Designs and manages high tunnels, climate control systems, and solar thermal heating technology
• Five high tunnels in Minnesota and Wisconsin
• Produces organically certified tomatoes, peppers, blackberries, raspberries, herbs, and leafy green produce
• Decades of agriculture and engineering experience
Scenic Valley Farms
Scenic Valley Green Energy • Solid, long-term investment
• Generate income from electricity
• Promote sustainability by reducing C02 emissions
• Gain energy independence and protection from volatile electricity prices
• Offset tax liabilities
Affordable, Clean Energy from Small Wind Turbines for Homes, Farms, Businesses, Public Facilities and Investors
Sustainable High Tunnel Agriculture + Renewable Energy (SHARE-d) High Tunnels
• Joint venture high tunnel greenhouses
• Environmentally and financially sustainable
• Provides reliable supply of locally grown, organic produce
• Excess produce sold on the open market
• Harvest fruits and vegetables at optimum ripeness and flavor
• Increases yields and extends the growing season
• Merges the technologies to earn a rapid return on investment
Sustainable Agriculture. Clean Energy.
• Hybrid of open field and greenhouse production
• Non-permanent structures • Less expensive than
greenhouses • Crops planted in ground to
ensure superior taste • Create 12 month growing
season • Constructed with steel hoops,
covered with heat retaining, light dispersing, anti-drip plastic
• Plastic efficiently rolled up and down to manage air flow
• Drip irrigation optimizes water and natural fertilizer inputs.
• Versatile in size and shape • Incentives available at Federal
and State levels
High Tunnel Agriculture
Environmental Management System (EMS)
• Inexpensive climate control system for high tunnels
• User monitors and controls the climate from touch screen PLC, laptop, or Smartphone
• Ventilation, irrigation, and heating are monitored and controlled on-site or remotely
• SVF awarded $100,000 USDA Small Business Innovation Research Grant
• Testing at SVF high tunnels in both Minnesota and Wisconsin
• Expected operational date: March 2011
• Potential SBIR Phase II Commercialization Grant in 2013
EMS Layout
Small Wind Energy
Overview • Turbines of 100 kW or less
in size • Generates electricity for
SHARE farms • Creates income from excess
electricity • Solid, long-term investment • Investors receive federal,
state, and utility grants • Offsets investors’ tax
liabilities • Eliminates operational C02
emissions
Incentives • Federal Investment Tax
Credit or Grant (30%) • USDA Rural Energy for
America Program (25%) • Accelerated Depreciation
(30% for 30% tax bracket) • Wisconsin Small
Renewable Energy System Grant (25%)
• Electric Utility Grants (varies)
• Sale of excess electricity (≤ 40 kW)
Small Wind Energy Systems: A Valuable, Widely-Available Resource
Installed cost of
$2-$3/Watt is 1/3 to 1/2 that of solar technologies
Require less wind to operate than utility-scale wind energy applications
Wind Class Designations
•Areas designated class 3 or greater are suitable for most utility-scale wind turbine applications • Whereas class 2 areas are marginal for utility-scale applications but may be suitable for rural applications
• Class 1 areas are generally not suitable, although a few locations (e.g., exposed hilltops not shown on the maps) with adequate wind resource for wind turbine applications may exist
• The degree of certainty with which the wind power class can be specified depends on three factors:
•the abundance and quality of wind data; •the complexity of the terrain •and the geographical variability of the resource.
• A single 30 kW wind turbine displaces the CO2 produced by 5 cars
• A total of 50 turbines of 65 MW each:
– Offset the CO2 emissions released by 10,000 cars
– Power 7,000 homes
– Displace 60,000 tones of CO2 annually
Environmental Impacts
• Web based e-commerce (operational on SVF website)
• Provides up to date information on fresh produce for sale
• Orders processed by credit card, check, or money order
• Buyers communicate order notes to producer
• Joint venture members given priority access to produce
• Designed for wholesale buyers, restaurants, grocer co-ops
• Open to registered users who complete a profile
Online Produce Market
Solar Thermal Heating
• Solar panels collect heated air • Fans circulate heated air below
ground • Warms soil and air temperatures • Extends growing season to allow
for additional crops and harvests • Reduces propane fuel usage and
greenhouse gas emissions
• Qualifies for 30 percent Federal Investment Tax Credit • Reduces active
income tax liability
Solar Thermal HT Components
Heat Sink • 29’x95’x4’ hole • 2” rigid insulation • 25 dump truck
loads of sand
Heat exchanger • 3600’ of 4” drain
tile (perforated-open system, non perforated-closed system)
• Inline FanTek blower fans – thermostatically controlled - upper and low limit
• Distribution boxes (manifolds)
Solar collectors • Black plastic on
high tunnel floor
• Flat plate collectors – for closed system
Site Preparation and Excavation
Lay drain tile, cover with sand, install distribution boxes and fans, finish high tunnel
Solar Thermal Produce
• Three 30’x96’ high tunnels in Readsown, WI
• HT1 - conventional with single layer
• HT2 - solar thermal (ST) with double layer
• HT3 - conventional with double layer
• Used temp data logger to record temps every 30 minutes, 24/7
• Research Nov 2011 to present
• Temp data logger in soil, inside tunnel, outside
• Periodic reading of logger data
• Soil data logger in HT2 failed in May 2011
High Tunnel Temperature Research
Data Logger Conclusions
• Double poly layer raises night time air temps ≈ 7 F
• Solar thermal with double layer raises night time air temps ≈ 20 F
• Solar thermal soil temp reached 55F by March 15th
• Tomato Planting Schedule
• Outside May 23
• Conventional HT April 10 - some heat
• Solar Thermal HT March 15 – some heat
• Final Tomato Harvest Dates
• Outside Sept 23
• Conventional HT Oct 23 – some heat
• Solar Thermal HT Nov 24 – some heat
• Boost fruit and vegetable yields up to 400% compared to field grown produce
• Steady, reliable supply of organic produce • Purchase produce at wholesale distributor rates • Harvest and deliver fruits and vegetables at
optimum ripeness and flavor • Create a year round growing environment • Meet consumer demand on either end of the
production curve when competition is lower and prices are higher
• Produce higher percentage of grade A fruit and vegetables
• Meet the increasing demand for locally grown produce
• Grow healthier, safer produce with less risk of contamination
• Cost effectively expand the scale of organic farming • Shorten shipping distances = lower freight costs • Create new regional produce
SHARE-d Economic Benefits
Creating a Year Round Season
Spinach Harvested on January 15th
Ripe Gold Medal Heirlooms on November 4th
Fall Bearing Blackberries on November 14th
Improves Produce Quality
Tomatoes planted at same time in spring
High Tunnel Grown Outdoor Grown
• Shorter distance to market cuts fuel usage
• Solar power reduces carbon emissions
• Drip irrigation conserves water • Natural compost replenishes the soil
• Organic mulching reduces erosion
• Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers eliminated
• Crops protected from climate and weather extremes
• Disease, pest, and insect control inputs reduced
• Respond to water shortages in other regions of the country
SHARE-d Environmental Benefits
Boosting Produce Yields
• Yields typically 200-300% higher in high tunnels
• Our organic determinate tomato yields in 2011 = 20+ lbs per plant in solar thermal HT
• Established goal of 25-30 lbs/plant in 2012
SVF high tunnels outperformed yields at University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center (SWROC)
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7/15/2011 8/15/2011 9/15/2011 10/15/2011
Ave
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lbs
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SVF Weekly Determinate Tomato Harvest (2011)
SVF High Tunnels
Total = 19.5 lbs per plant
Economics
HT0- Single layer no automation
HT1 –Single layer
HT3 – Double layer
HT2- Solar Thermal
High tunnel (30’x96’) , not including installation
$8500 $8000 $8500
Irrigation and controller, trellis, fertigation tank
$1200 $1400 $1400
Plants and seeds, tomatoes, spinach
$400 $400 $400
End walls, side boards, door hardware, screws
$800 $800 $800
Motorized rollup sides w/thermostat
$0 $900 $900
Heater w/thermostat $0 $350 $350
Ventilation & Circulation w/thermostat
$0 $650 $650
Plastic mulch $300 $300 $300
Total Expenses (not including labor) $11200 $12800 $13300 $35000
Income* $20000(est) $28000 $36380 $45811
Pricing *Tomato=
$2.25/# Spinach= $6.00/#
Cash Flow Handouts Support HT2 & HT3
Income
Estimated Return on Investment
Contact Us
Craig Gundacker (612) 961-3871
cegundacker@scenicvalleyfarms.com
Erik Gundacker (563) 650-3654
gun@usinternet.com
www.scenicvalleyfarms.com