2018 Conference

Individual Paper Presentation

To develop a local food economy in a climate such as northwest Pennsylvania, it is necessary to explore season extension through the use of energy-intensive greenhouses.  With support from Constellation Energy, we were able to design and construct a small-scale demonstration greenhouse that models an energy efficient design and energy production from biomass and solar energy.  The roof of the greenhouse is composed of translucent, pink, luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) panels, a novel photovoltaic technology that can generate electricity while also increasing the amount of photosynthetically active light reaching the plants below. Students and faculty can monitor the energy production of the panels through a real-time energy-monitoring dashboard and develop production practices and goals that fit within this energy budget. Pelletized switchgrass, a native perennial locally cultivated on waste-land unsuitable for food production, fuels a pellet stove to provide space heating in the greenhouse. Research indicates this fuel actually stores significant carbon in its extensive root systems. By combining our LSCs, monitoring, and heating systems with an energy-efficient building design, we hope to demonstrate a new tool for food production that operates on underutilized energy sources in a completely carbon neutral manner.