A thermal canopy attached to the greenhouse
rafters descends at night, acting as insulation
for Edible Garden’s herb plantings, maintaining
temperatures at the plant level.

Thermal nighttime canopy, Four 4 MMBtu/hour
condensing boilers, Variable frequency drives
(VFDs) on pump motors

Herb and vegetable grower builds energy-efficient
greenhouse to expand regional distribution

Background

In 1973, Dave and Gerda Vande Vrede opened a small garden center on their family farm in Morris County. In the years that followed, their sons Ken, Mike, Steve and Dan experimented with a wider selection of flowers and vegetables. The family business continued to expand, under the name Naturally Beautiful Plants, with sales to garden centers, landscapers and supermarkets. To accommodate greater production, in 1997, the Vande Vrede family purchased a 116-acre farm in Belvidere and built a 45,000-square foot greenhouse.

With an increase in popularity for fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and cilantro, the greenhouse shifted to a hydroponic system. Using nutrient-laden water rather than soil,
the herbs could grow quickly, within a four-to-six week timeframe, all year round.

Energy costs quickly started to add up. Greenhouses are designed to allow as much light in as possible, but the design results in poor heat retention during colder months. Plus, hydroponic systems have high electricity costs due to their use of complex pumping and air-moderation systems.

Containing energy costs became an even greater priority when the family business merged with Terra Tech Corp., a California-based hydroponic agricultural technology company, and decided to scale up production. The new company, Edible Garden Corp., developed plans for a major expansion that included construction of an additional 214,000-square foot greenhouse on the Belvidere farm.

“As operators of a greenhouse, we knew we needed to make it as efficient as possible so that in the long term we can control as many costs as possible,” said Terra Tech CFO Mike James.

To afford the most energy-efficient equipment for their new greenhouse, Edible Garden turned to New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program™ (NJCEP) to apply for financial incentives provided through the Pay for Performance New Construction program.

As operators of a greenhouse, we knew we needed to make it as efficient as possible so that in the long term we can control as many costs as possible.

Mike James
Chief Financial Officer
Terra Tech

Edible Gardens Corp.
283 County Rd 519
Belvidere, NJ 07823

Solution

The NJCEP Pay for Performance program
incentivizes developers who take a
comprehensive, whole-building approach to
saving energy in new construction as well
as existing buildings. Incentives are directly
linked to reducing energy use by at least
15 percent below the state’s current energy
code.

Energy Squared, LLC, a participating
NJCEP Pay for Performance contractor,
was contacted by Edible Garden to
identify energy-efficiency upgrades.
Recommendations included installation
of four high-efficiency condensing boilers
to provide a total of 16 MMBtu per hour
in heating capacity. Additionally, variable
frequency drives on the greenhouse’s pump
motors circulate hot water from the boilers
throughout the greenhouse to maintain
optimal growing temperatures.

Energy-efficiency features also include a
thermal canopy attached to the greenhouse
rafters that descends at night, trapping heat
so that it remains around the plants. “From
ground to the canopy it’s 68 degrees; from
canopy to glass it’s 50 degrees; outside the
glass it’s 30 degrees or below,” James said.
“The canopy creates layers so we’re not
losing all that heat beyond the glass.”

NJCEP provided $315,673 in incentives to
lower the project cost to $404,332. Energy
Squared anticipates the project will save
Edible Garden 5,517 kWh in electricity
and 6,445 MMBtu of gas, resulting in an
estimated $56,845 in energy savings per
year. The project is expected to pay for itself in seven years.