Gaining your edge
Energy Edge is an initiative of Greenhouse Canada magazine aimed at turning what is a liability for most growers – fluctuating energy costs – into a competitive advantage. With energy accounting for as much as 40 per cent of the operating costs of many greenhouse operations, small and steady improvements on this front can move the needle in a big way on the bottom line. Energy Edge will look at new technologies, innovative projects, case studies of growers finding their own Energy Edge.
You can read about it in each issue of Greenhouse Canada, but we’ve also created this dedicated microsite. Here you can find regular news items on the subject, new technology and products, video, and in-depth archives on the subject.
We’ll also produce a bi-weekly enewsletter to keep you up to speed on what we’re covering. It is free to all Greenhouse Canada digital subscribers. You can sign up for it here.
If you want to add to the conversation, please drop us a line and let us know about your project, technology, services, or concerns at energyedge@annexweb.com.
You can read about it in each issue of Greenhouse Canada, but we’ve also created this dedicated microsite. Here you can find regular news items on the subject, new technology and products, video, and in-depth archives on the subject.
We’ll also produce a bi-weekly enewsletter to keep you up to speed on what we’re covering. It is free to all Greenhouse Canada digital subscribers. You can sign up for it here.
If you want to add to the conversation, please drop us a line and let us know about your project, technology, services, or concerns at energyedge@annexweb.com.
Green power for greenhouses in BC
Friday, 17 August 2012-
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GreenScene Agritek's horse barns (courtesy GreenScene's Facebook page).
One of two renewable energy projects in BC being funded by the Governments of BC and Canada will provide green power to greenhouses.
GreenScene AgriTek Inc. in Chiliwack has received funding of $146,600 to expand the use of its recently-built ‘used horse-bedding reclaiming and recycling’ plant in Ladner. The byproduct created at the facility is used as animal bedding at surrounding farms, but the company wants to reclaim the wood component of the bedding to produce a quality biofuel that can be used in greenhouse boilers and for electricity co-generation.
The press release states that “Initially, the target market for their biofuel will be greenhouse operations in the Metro Vancouver/Fraser Valley area. These facilities could save significantly on their annual heating costs.”
The investment of the two projects totals $289,175, and the funding comes from the Canada-B.C. Agri-Innovation Program. These investments are being provided under Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial agreement. The Canada-B.C. Agri-Innovation Program supports projects that lead to innovation and enhanced profitability and competitiveness, both on-farm and throughout the rest of the supply chain.
The other funding recipient is Diacarbon Energy Inc. They have received $142,575 to convert agricultural wastes such as anaerobic digestate, poultry litter and spent mushroom substrate into biocoal. Using an innovative process, they will also research the use of this biocoal as an industrial fuel and energy source.
Diacarbon Energy's goal is to create a new or additional revenue stream for farmers where previously, they may have incurred disposal costs. They aim to develop a cleaner-burning fuel helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Currently, agricultural waste can be utilized in low-value applications such as fertilizer, but there is a limit to the amount that can be applied. Conversion of this waste into marketable biofuels will mean that the waste can be sold.
