Regenerative Agriculture and Energy Efficiency

Regenerative agriculture is a way of farming that aims to restore and revitalize land to improve soil health and boost biodiversity. The ultimate goal of regenerative agriculture is to establish a sustainable and robust food system that nourishes a growing population while enhancing the land and communities that depend on it, sequestering carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing biodiversity.

In part 3 of Agrihub’s 6-part video series, Host Dan Cloutier, Director of Regenerative Agriculture, explores leveraging energy efficiency for profit and environmental goals. In this video, we look at improving energy efficiency in barns through a regenerative agricultural lens. Dan Cloutier goes over the importance of climate batteries and cogeneration in order to achieve net zero and other sustainability targets.

A traditional battery stores electricity, whereas a climate battery stores heat that can be used in a greenhouse. A climate battery greenhouse uses the earth’s thermal mass to heat and cool a greenhouse, similar to a conventional geothermal system. However, unlike regular geothermal systems, the climate battery greenhouse relies on fans to circulate heated air through corrugated pipes rather than complicated and costly heat pumps.

Cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power (CHP), is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat from a single fuel source. This is typically achieved by using a heat engine, such as a gas turbine or internal combustion engine, to generate electricity while capturing the waste heat from the engine to produce steam or hot water for heating. Cogeneration is considered a more efficient and sustainable method of energy production, as it can lead to significant energy savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional methods of electricity generation.

Here are the key topics covered in part three:

• The Denver Growhaus 0:24
• Typical building heating “load factor” 6:59
• The climate battery 10:37
• Architecture as a living organism 13:56
• Passive radiant heating and cooling systems 21:25
• How to incorporate your buildings to be net zero/energy efficient 23:10
• Barn cooling 29:01
• Ark no electricity cooling 31:23
• Agrihub hydrogen to diesel engine 36:40
• How a Cogen boiler works 38:09
• Conventional vs. Cogeneration 41:09

This post is sponsored by Agro Resilience Kit (ARK Ltd). Agro Resilience Kit (ARK Ltd) supports entrepreneurs, organizations, and communities with sustainable food & energy production systems. By closing the loop and leveraging agile frameworks, the company helps businesses grow organically and cultivate a consumer-first mindset. Offering a variety of solutions from Aquaponics systems to Concentrated Solar Boilers, ARK has a track record of successful projects putting forward sustainable practices. Find out more here.

Image provided by Julia Avamotive