Hi everyone,
I used to be registered here as Institute of Aquaculture (University of Stirling Scotland)
anyway i've been up to lots since i was last on and wanted to clue you all up on developements over here in the UK.
I spent some time over on the UVI systems, having done lots of recirc aquaculture work in SE Asia and Europe, anyway came back to the UK to finish my PhD, and set up a renewable energy consultancy and supply company (to help finance writing up once funding ended) anyway about 6 months ago we were approached through the Institute of Aquaculture and my company, to develop an energy efficient aquaponics greenhouse based system for a project down in Yorkshire.
After lots of design ideas, we can up with the idea of a heating and cooling/heat recovery system based around using air to water heat pumps. We effectively extract heat during the day when the greenhouse is to hot, store the heating in the water of the system, then extract it at night to warm the space. (its slightly more complicated than that due to VCDs and ventilation/ducting system being linked with a BMS system and operated based on temperature differentials.
Anyway, we designed, specified and are in the process of building two of these scaled down systems (6m x 9m) with a further 3-5 planned at 20x30m once the concept if proofed and the operation tweaked and optimised.
Having worked on tropical systems where heating isnt an issue, the requirements of UK based systems requiring year round production, was a nice oportunity to think laterally but seriously about the reprocussions of energy use. We have carried out a series of complex cliamtic modelling exercises extrapolating the implications of the annual temperatures and their diurnal fluctations, and think this is the way forward. The start up costs are obviously higher as we've insulated the system well (insulated slab, and 50mm "kingspan" type insulation around all tanks, meaning that we can accurately predict the heatlosses as we're maintaining constant inside temperatures. We also use triple glazed polycarbonate glazing, and locally grown timber framing, plus a thrid control greenhouse is being built running from biomass (woodchip) produced onsite over 30 acres of coppiced willow)
Anyway we plan to produce tilapia and mixed salad and herb crops as well as playing with flowers (echinacea and sacrificial marigolds) and some fruit (strawberries, melons, tomatoes etc)
We'll tap of solids and use either for coppice fertilisation and/or for biogas experiments. We're also integrating rainwater harvesting to top up any system losses and wormeries for composting off cut wastes and providing supplementary feeding.
The greenhouses have now been built, and i'm off down there again in 10days to get the underground pipe work in and pressure tested, before they pour the screed floor, and we start building in the tanks, filter and DWC etc
i'll post some pics asap so you know its real and happening, but just wanted to clue you all up.
The grand plan is that through the Institurte of Aquaculture, i am setting up a standalone not for profit organisation, that supplies these systems to schools and projects across the UK, subsidised through government funding and corporate sponsorship. We've had a great responce so far and i'm goning to make this one happen.
The ABLE project thats having the first two systems, is a groundbreaking project using aquaculture and aquaponics to rehabilitate youth offenders, drug addicts, community service particpants and eduactioanlly problematic kids. Anyway its a great project and aquaponics has a strong future within it, Princess Anne is coming to look round the systems in Jan 09
ok well thats a huge first post, but wanted to put the concept out there
i welcome any comments, and if anyone knows schools of community projects in the UK that you think this would be appropriate for then please let me of them know
kind regards to all fellow enthusiasts
charlie
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File comment: a simple CAD drawing of the system, will post pics soon Aquaponics Greenhouse.jpg [ 9.87 KiB | Viewed 12124 times ] |
... heating and cooling issues seem to be the bane, in one way or the other, for most of us....
