Lighting | HVAC | Grow Lights

An international plant importer and retail nursery, this farm operates from two locations. Some of the equipment had not been upgraded in over 35 years. With lighting, HVAC and water pumps representing the farm’s largest electrical draw, its management team recognized the need to make improvements that would lower annual operating costs, increase productivity, and ensure the farm’s sustainability and longevity, but needed help with funding and identifying the right solutions.

Energy Resources developed a customized solution to help them achieve their goals. The Energy Resources team installed advanced grow lights at one location, new LED light fixtures throughout the warehouse, an HVAC system featuring a dual enthalpy economizer to use outdoor air for free cooling and a variable-frequency drive (VFD) for the water pump to provide better control of water distribution systems and reduce energy use by 50 percent.

To finance the projects, Energy Resources facilitated a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant and two interest-free loans through the utility program. With anticipated annual savings of over $100,000 the project had less than a 4-year payback.