Greenhouse Energy Conservation Strategies and Alternative Fuels

Greenhouse Energy Conservation Strategies and Alternative Fuels

Summary

Program outcomes include increasing the knowledge based of educator, increase the number of educators providing workshops or including content on greenhouse energy efficiency in programming.

The long-term goal is for growers to increase the use of energy efficient equipment and structures and to adopt energy efficient growing practices.

We intend to develop presentation materials, articles and factsheets on greenhouse energy conservation and alternative fuels for heating greenhouses.

Two workshops are to be held to present materials the curriculum materials and provide in-service training for extension agents, vocational agriculture teachers and other educators.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1) PowerPoint presentations with speaker notes for topics related to greenhouse energy use.

2) Extension bulletins:
– Thermal/Shade Curtains,
– Greenhouse Energy Conservation Strategies,
– Plant Production Methods that Reduce Energy Use.

3) Greenhouse Energy Model – Excel spreadsheet

4) Make curriculum materials available on the WI EERE web site.

5) Resource list of additional information.

6) Three “Train the Trainer” workshops with 25+ educators attending.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1) PowerPoint presentations have been developed for:
– Thermal/Shade Curtains,
– Greenhouse Energy Conservation Strategies,
– Plant Production Methods that Reduce Energy Use,
– Speaker note to be written yet.

2) Extension bulletins:
– Rough draft written on use of bio-energy for greenhouses with two case studies,
– Rough draft for Thermal Curtains,

3) Greenhouse Energy Model – Excel spreadsheet:
– Model developed but output reports need to be developed.

4) Make curriculum materials available on the WI EERE web site:
– Have not started.

5) Resource list of additional information:
– Collecting list of articles, bulletins and web sites (on going).

6) Three “Train the Trainer” workshops with 25+ educators attending:
– First training workshop planned for July 1, 2009 in conjunction with the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Article: “Reducing energy use for greenhouse heating”, Greenhouse Management & production Magazine, August 2008.

Article discussed ten key areas where greenhouse energy use could be reduced. Circulation 21,000.

Collaborators: