Under Control - 2019 - 17

structure materials from the warm side
to the cool side.
Install retractable energy curtains.
The curtains shade the crop on sunny
days in the spring and summer and keep
heat in the greenhouse at night during
the winter. " Installing energy curtains
isn't going to be profitable in every
situation, " Lindberg states. If you start
growing in March, you're probably not
going to need one. " If you're growing
in the winter to get plants to market in
March, they are very cost effective. "
Install more energy efficient lamps.
LED lamps continue to improve and
lamps with a photosynthetic photon
efficacy (μmol×J-1
) of greater than
two are available. Make sure to ask
about that efficacy number prior to
purchasing lamps.
Install in-floor heat to increase
substrate temperature and to decrease
air temperature. " You can lower your air
temperature and increase your substrate
temperature if you have root zone
heating, " Lindberg says.
Use environmental control systems.
They're more responsive and growers
don't have to manually alter the
environment several times a day.
For growers who want to consider
solar, consider getting an energy audit
to assess your system. " That's where
you want to start, " says Charles Gould,
MSU agricultural bioenergy and energy
conservation educator.
Most public utilities and electric
cooperatives offer free energy audits,
but they are not the type 2 audits such
as the ones offered through MSU's
Michigan Farm Energy Program
(MFEP). The MFEP has energy
auditors trained in agriculture and
floriculture. " They are familiar with
[our] business and how you grow
plants, " Gould says.
The American Society of Heating,
Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning
Engineers defines three levels of energy
audits - types 1, 2 and 3 - with the
larger numbers having greater detail
and accuracy.
Type 2 audits are required to
participate in the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)
Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP) and the USDA Rural
Development's Rural Energy for
America Program (REAP).
EQIP provides funding up to 75% of
the cost of eligible projects that increase
energy efficiency. REAP provides grants
up to 25% of the total eligible project cost
and loan guarantees for up to 75% of the
total eligible project cost to purchase or
install renewable energy systems or make
energy efficiency improvements.
The Database of State Incentives for
Renewables and Efficiency at www.
dsireusa.org provides a list of renewable
energy incentives and policies that can
be filtered by location, technology and
sector. " Now is a good time to get into a
renewable energy, " Gould says. v
Dean Peterson is a freelance writer based
in St. Johns, Michigan. He can be reached
at dpeterson060@gmail.com.
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Under Control - 2019

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