Feb042010
Build a power plant, so you can make money from a greenhouse
Filed under Alternative energy by david brooks at 11:49 am
A proposal is being floated for a 30-megawatt wood-burning power plant in Hopkinton - which is fine. The interesting part is that it would also build 20 acres of greenhouses and pump CO2 and excess heat there, to boost growth of whatever the business plan calls for (maybe cut flowers, which make big profit on a per-plant basis, but I’d prefer out-of-season vegetables and fruits). Here’s the Concord Monitor story. This quote is interesting:
The project’s real profit would come from what leaves the greenhouse, not the power plant, Rosen said. As an example, Rosen said, 1 million pounds of organic tomatoes could be grown each year. “We would never do the project for the electricity,” he said. “You can produce an amazing amount of stuff out of greenhouses today.”
February 5th, 2010 at 11:46 am
I'm a big fan of co-generation. Use the waste heat from electricity generation for low grade purposes. This is the first time I've heard of using waste C02. Bottom line it won't sequester CO2 since most of what is being grown will quickly decompose but it is a great idea.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
The power-from-landfill project that UNH has at the massive Rochester dump includes the idea of building a greenhouse to use the CO2 generated from burning the methane, to boost growth, as I've mentioned in a couple of stories. They haven't done it yet, but that would be neat.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Now that you mention it I remember you writing about the Rochester project. Didn't you get stuck at the dump? Hope they make it happen.
February 5th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Yes, we got stuck in the snow on top, in a big old 4wd truck. We had to be pulled out by one of the front-loaders.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Interesting post.I'm in the process of using solar to heat my greenhouse so I can start my plants for sale earlier it may take me two seasons to get it right, but i'll get her done. I'm adding cut flowers so it will be interesting.