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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.
