2. • 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
3. • 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
4. ScenicValley 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
SmallWindTurbines for
Homes, Farms,
Businesses, Public
Facilities and Investors
6. • 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.
7. • 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
8. 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
10. 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)
11. 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
12. 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.
13. • 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
14. • 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
15. 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
16.
17. 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
21. • 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
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35. 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
36. • 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
37. Creating a Year Round Season
Spinach Harvested on January 15th
Ripe Gold Medal Heirlooms on November 4th
Fall Bearing Blackberries on November 14th
39. • 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
40. 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)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
7/15/2011 8/15/2011 9/15/2011 10/15/2011
Averagemarketablelbsperplant
SVF Weekly Determinate Tomato Harvest (2011)
SVF High Tunnels
Total = 19.5 lbs per
plant
41. 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
