Completed: March 2017

Type: Greenhouse

Location: Ontario, Canada

Waldan Gardens is a greenhouse in Leamington, Ontario, Canada that operates a 330,000 sq ft. growing facility. It produces flowers year round for both Candadian and American markets. Due to their growth, they were experiencing high electric rates, experiencing unstable and unreliable power from their local utility, and felt the utility could not support the extra load. The facility is located in a residential area where noise levels were a serious concern.

Martin Energy proposed two One(1) Mwe Martin Energy CHP packages utilizing Siemens reciprocating engines. The units were External stand alone packages with “low noise” sound attenuated enclosures. the System was configured for Island mode for utility Independence when required. Martin Energy Engineers coordinated all of the Controls for the new and existing stand-by generator system for seamless remote operation with full automation and remote monitoring. As part of the CHP package’s are integrated heat recovery system that recycle’s the waste heat produced by the engines as a by product of the electrical generation and creates hot water which is used to heat the greenhouses maximizing system efficiency.

Martin Energy installed these systems on time and within budget. Noise level breakout is very low (75dBA @ 3ft). Waldan is experiencing $125,000+ savings per year, much higher quality power than previously had with the utility supply alone. Utilizing the heat is also displacing Natural gas previously used to heat the greenhouses in boilers. No complaints or issues have been reported from nearby residential properties. The reduced thermal load by using the heat recovery system greatly enhanced the cost savings – which were better than our client expected. The financial project payback was less than three years as well. Project was given a tax credit via the Canadian Clean Power Act.

CHP technology converts gas into both electricity and heat in a single process at the point of use. The technology works by generating electricity on-site and recovering the majority of the heat created in the process. Its high efficiency contrasts with conventional power stations where heat is lost into the atmosphere through power station cooling towers, and further losses occur when transmitting the electricity along many miles of electrical distribution cables to customers.

By using the CHP to generate electricity the greenhouse site can use the heat generated for its hot water/chilled water requirements, while creating substantial energy and carbon savings.