Sugarhouse effluent viability as a greenhouse heat source

Commodities

• Fruits: berries (strawberries)
• Vegetables: broccoli, greens (leafy)
• Additional Plants: ornamentals

Practices

• Education and Training: demonstration, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research
• Energy: bioenergy and biofuels, energy conservation/efficiency, energy use
• Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures

Maple producers with Steamaway evaporators generate large quantities of near-boiling water, and do this during the same period they are producing seedlings in a heated greenhouse. This project will explore the potential of using waste hot water to heat a hoop house. B.T.U. potential and system components will be researched to determine what size hoop house can be heated with a 10,000-gallon-per-year hot water output. After the system is constructed, the plant health, soil, and air temperatures will be monitored. Outreach will be through a farm web site, presentations, newsletters, and workshops.

The goal of this SARE project was to capture the waste heat of our wood-fired Steam away maple
syrup evaporator to heat a late-winter/early-spring hoophouse, to improve the energy and work
flow efficiency of our farm, and to document and to share our experience with others interested
in improving the efficiency of their farms. We looked at the volume and heating capacity of our
Steam away effluent, set up a collection and heating system, and monitored plant survival.