Sustainable Engineering Solutions

Virginia fish farm adapts green technology for water heating system

Relevance: Virginia’s food producers and processors continue to be impacted by increased energy costs. The average kilowatt-hour cost for electricity on Virginia’s Eastern Shore is 150 percent more than the average kilowatt-hour cost for electricity in the rest of the state.

Our response: An energy audit was conducted for Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Technology, a fish farm in Quinby, Va. MAAT used Information from this audit in its application to the state for a rebate to purchase and install a 67-kW solar heating system to reduce its use of propane for water heating.

The results: With our assistance, the fish farm manager completed the application forms and requested a review, and the farm was approved for a rebate from Virginia’s Department of Mines and Minerals for a solar energy and heating unit equivalent to 67 kW. As a result, the fish farm was reimbursed for the design, purchase, and installation of a 67-kW solar-panel water heating system that cost about $67,000 (about $1 per kilowatt). Weather information and operational data will be recorded to evaluate performance of the system and will be available to share with other companies. This is the first successful attempt by an aquaculture facility in Virginia to use this large a solar water heating system in green energy technology. Information from this project can be used to encourage other agricultural businesses to use green energy technology.

Extension specialist: Robert Lane