Biomass has always been used for heating systems. But now your greenhouse heating system can have very smart and efficient systems in areas where energy costs are high.

Waste and other biomass sources are frequently used by industrial plants, utilities and public institutions such as schools and hospitals to generate power and heat, whether used onsite or plugged into the grid. From brick kilns to blacksmith studios to paint plants, it is being realized by a unique mix of consumers.

Grower Direct Farms in Connecticut has switched out its oil burners for a biomass boiler system.
PHOTO: GROWER DIRECT FARMS Grower Direct Farms in Connecticut has switched out its oil burners for a biomass boiler system. PHOTO: GROWER DIRECT FARMS

How biomass can help food production?

A great solution for economics in many biomass projects is the consideration of organic food or value added products. However many regions have energy restrictions to maintain the greenhouse temperature requirements for best vegetables, fruits or flowers and cheapest heating systems and feedstock are required to make the business viable. The truth is that biomass heating systems are cheapest way to heat greenhosues and produce organic food in temperate areas or high altitudes. Depending on heating requirements calculated in a given surface of greenhouse and potential different design and materials considered

A second consideration is that biomass projects (any biomass business) can always consider  biomass availability for heating and food production. It is very frequent we see projects where heat is not possible to be used or where projects would love to see a potential income source from the heat produced instead of just adding more power from it. Of course the scenario assumed here is a situation in which power tariff is not so high. Well, there is an opportunity to bring a sister company and invove it in the project to produce some food and value added products so the main biomass project would be possible to increase reveanues from heating greenhouses.

Biomass boiler of 380kw for greenhouses. Photo: IMAGETEC

What is a technology and design for greenhouse heating with biomass?

First issue is to have biomass available or land to grow some biomass. Depending on scale issues and location several possible alternatives can meet the requirements. So it is possible to consider both woody biomass raw material or herbaceous biomass (grasses or other energy crops)

A small acreage unit can feed the biomass required combining not only dedicated p`lantations but forestry or agro-waste streams. A biomass cost around 40 U$D/ODT (oven dried ton) is easy to get in most locations if you grow your biomass or get a combined system with wastes and crops.

We let you here some nice videos to get an idea about it. Contact us if need further information or our technical support.

Producing biochar and heat

there are some technologies to consider that allow us to produce biochar and heat at the same time. Biochar can give us great alternative uses with compost blends and excellent organic fertilizer we can use in the greenhouse, in our own biomass plantations or to export out of our farm (neighbords or even other regions). Heat is precious for warming the greenhouse but biochar will boost also our yields.