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Large US greenhouse switching to wood chip boilers

Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville, North Carolina has received funding from Chevrolet to convert its heating system to wood chip boilers from natural gas. It’s one of 16 carbon reduction projects across America – from biomass to wind turbines – Chevy is funding with $40 million.

The 162-acre facility also has a roof and pond system that collects and stores 3 million gallons of water in 25 acres of retention ponds. The greenhouse air is constantly exchanged and cooled during the summer months with a unique open-roof greenhouse design (75 per cent of the greenhouse is cooled using this passive “MX” style ventilation system).

Metrolina is also using a federal grant and loan from the Obama administration to build the four wood-boiler units. They will require 36,000 tons of waste wood annually.

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