Renewable Energy Sources and Energy-efficient HVAC Systems in the Potato Industry
In an increasingly competitive market, potato storage owners and processors look for ways to cut operating costs without sacrificing the output levels, quality, and manufacturing efficiency of their value chain-delivered final goods. Today’s energy price volatility has a detrimental impact on consistent earnings.
Investments in energy efficiency, such as the acquisition of energy-efficient equipment and the adoption of plant-wide energy efficiency policies, can frequently address the difficulty of maintaining good product quality while concurrently lowering production costs.
Since increases in energy efficiency frequently result in lower emissions of greenhouse gases and other significant air pollutants, energy efficiency is a crucial part of a business’s overall environmental strategy. In the current potato business environment, energy efficiency investments are therefore a wise course of action.
In many potato storages and processing facilities, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems utilize a large amount of electricity (10% to 25% of total electricity use). Furthermore, it is calculated that HVAC systems require about 5% of the natural gas used by the facility overall.
The greatest opportunities for energy efficiency exist at the design stage for HVAC systems in new industrial facilities. By sizing equipment properly and designing energy efficiency into a new facility, potato storage owners and processors can minimize the energy consumption and operational costs of HVAC systems from the outset. This practice often saves money in the long run, as it is generally cheaper to install energy-efficient HVAC equipment at building construction than it is to upgrade an existing building with an energy-efficient HVAC system later on, especially if those upgrades lead to production downtime.
An energy monitoring and control system supports the efficient operation of HVAC systems by monitoring, controlling, and tracking system energy consumption. Such systems continuously manage and optimize HVAC system energy consumption while also providing building engineers and energy managers with a valuable diagnostic tool for tracking energy consumption and identifying potential HVAC system problems.
As the world is becoming increasingly conscious of the need to reduce the carbon footprint and transition towards sustainable practices, the combination of renewable energy sources and energy-efficient HVAC systems has emerged as a powerful duo in the fight against climate change.
These alternative energy sources as well as more energy-efficient technology are becoming more prominent in the HVAC industry.
For example, customers who install geothermal heat pumps can save up to 70% on heating costs and up to 50% on cooling costs.
Photovoltaic cells absorb the sun’s rays and convert them into electricity through solar panels. The energy is captured in batteries or sold back to the grid (where allowed). This can supply power to a building’s HVAC system.
Geothermal energy is heat that radiates from the rocks and fluids underneath the Earth’s crust. By digging tunnels and creating wells in the ground, steam, and hot water can be used to drive turbines connected to electricity generators.
A geothermal system consists of an indoor handling unit and pipes that are buried in the ground. These pipes (Earth loops) connect from a pump to a re-injection well that provides steam. Since the temperature in the Earth’s crust is constant, it provides free energy.
In winter, the fluid that circulates through the system’s earth loop is carried indoors. The indoor unit then transforms this heat to a higher temperature and releases it into the building, acting as a heater.
In summer, the geothermal system absorbs heat from the building and transfers it through the earth loop/pump to the re-injection well.
It’s important to note that geothermal systems do not need as frequent maintenance as most HVAC systems might. Once installed, the earth loop can last for generations. However, filter changes and coil cleaning can help improve system efficiency and longevity.
You can read the rest of this article in your complimentary e-copy of Issue 4 of Potato Business Dossier 2023, which you can access by clicking here.