Exploring Opportunities for Greenhouses at Landfills · • Greenhouses are a large and expanding...

Exploring Opportunities for

Greenhouses at Landfills

David Specca

Assistant Director

Rutgers EcoComplex

Rutgers EcoComplex – Clean Technology

Innovation Center and Business Accelerator

46,000 ft2 greenhouse facility at the

Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex

Nursery

and Main

Greenhouse

Movable

Hydroponic

Benches

Sustainable Hydroponic Crop Production Systems

NJ Greenhouse Industry - Snapshot

• $406 Million/year in revenue for Nursery, Greenhouse, Floriculture

and Sod (approximately 50% of this was greenhouse production

• 702 farms with 36.8 million square feet (844 ac) of production (up

21.5% from 2007 Census).

• Greenhouse yields are usually 10 – 20x outdoor production levels.

• With growing concern over food safety issues, greenhouse

production has come to the forefront for salad greens consumption

Data from 2012 Census of Agriculture

Gutter connected, ridge and furrow, or

Dutch Venlo ranges

Free standing Quonset or

Gothic Arch

Why Should a Landfill Consider Greenhouses?

• Boost a landfill’s public image

• Local, small business economic engine

• Green Job Creation

• Revenue from otherwise flared landfill gas and waste heat

from electricity production

• Relatively small footprint for amount of energy used,

– Minimum of 100,000 BTU/square foot/ year

• On-site use of LFGTE electricity

• Environmentally friendly business operation

• Can be relocated

Why Should Greenhouses Consider a Landfill?

• Significant saving in energy costs (heat and/or electric) – the

greenhouse’s second highest production cost, next to labor

• Ability to produce and market year-round, locally grown

produce – this is a big market trend!

• Making food production more sustainable through reduced

water, fertilizer and energy use

• Ability to grow pesticide free and organic produce – another

big market trend!

• Easy access to huge consumer markets, from DC to Boston

• Generally good truck and highway access

• Potentially lower land costs

• Potential to utilize compost and secondary treated waste

water

Other Existing Landfill/Greenhouse Operations

• Rock Solid Produce LLC, Five Oaks Landfill in Taylorsville, IL.

• NT Greens, Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority, Troy, PA.

• Springfield Sanitary Landfill in Greene County, MS.

• Crossroads Greenhouse, South Side Landfill, Indianapolis, IN

- 6.5 acres

• H2Gro Greenhouses, Seneca Landfill, Buffalo, NY – 20 acres

• Village Farms International, Vancouver Landfill, British

Columbia ~ 20 acres http://villagefarms.com/clean-energy

Brief Economics

• Greenhouse Capital costs will vary widely depending on the

size, type of greenhouse and amount of equipment and

automation.

• Commercial size facilities will cost from $600,000 to $2M per

acre (43,560 square feet) if built with non-union labor.

Prevailing wage rates will increase costs by 50%.

• They are usually financed for 7 to 15 years.

• Most vegetable greenhouses will have an annual gross

income of approximately $500,000 to $800,000 per acre.

• In the EcoComplex greenhouse, landfill gas displaced natural

gas use for a savings of over $100,000 per year in heating

costs.

Landfill Gas Fired Boiler

• Direct use of Landfill Gas has

presented many challenges -

need to work with experienced

contractors

• Minimal gas cleanup needed

as compared to other uses

• Floor-based hot water radiant

heating can efficiently use

water in the 80 – 120 F range

• Most boilers have dual-fuel

capability

Co Generation –

Heat and Electricity

•Many smaller generation systems

can be modified to recover heat

making them much more energy

efficient, 60-70% vs. 25%

•Biogas is well suited for Co-gen

applications especially on farms and

rural businesses with a large

heating demand

•State and Federal incentives may

be available to help with equipment

costs

•Good LFG clean-up is essential

Sustainable Greenhouse Production

Ebb and Flood Benches with

Rutgers Limited Cluster Tomatoes

Tomatoes in Perlite Bags

Olive Creek Farms

Boston (Bibb) Lettuce in Raft System

Seaburst Farms – Hydroponic Herbs

“Olive Creek” Label

Four Seasons Orchids

EcoWalls – Vertical Garden Displays

TerraCycle Inc. – Vermicompost

Aquaculture Hydroponics+ =

Aquaponics

Tilapia

Other Potential Ag-based Businesses

Vertical Farming – Indoor Stacked System

http://aerofarms.com/AeroFarms LLC, 212 Rome Street, Newark, NJ 07105

Vertical Farm “Plant Factory”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/aerofarms-newark-kale_us_5717d500e4b0479c59d6d2ae

Emerging Opportunities

• Recirculating Aquaculture

• Agri-Tourism

• Food Processing

• Hay drying and pelleting during the summer

• *Industrial Hemp

• *Medicinal and Recreational Marijuana

Pitfalls and Disadvantages

• Uncertainty surrounding the awarding of an LFG, electric, or

co-gen heat contract through a bidding process.

• Will require a 7 to 15 year supply agreement from the landfill

• Ability to guarantee the delivery of LFG, electricity or heat

may be considered too risky for the landfill – greenhouse must

have a backup heating fuel and emergency power source

• Need a shade free and level site to build greenhouse on

• Private business activity on public property

• Additional vehicle traffic with 24 hour access requirements

• Dust, litter and odors

Conclusions

• Greenhouses are a large and expanding part of NJ

Agriculture’s income because of increased demand for

sustainable, locally grown, high-quality produce.

• Landfills often have clean energy resources that greenhouses

can use in a very concentrated way. Thus allowing the

greenhouse business to be a year-round source for local,

sustainable, and safe produce and promote local economic

development and job creation

• Getting the right agreements in place is critical to the success

of the collaborative effort. Partnering with the LFGTE

company may be the best way to accomplish this.

• There is the potential both parties to benefit greatly;

economically, environmentally, and socially.

Thank You !For More Info Contact; Dave Specca, specca@njaes.rutgers.edu

609-499-3600 x4226