Mark Vender
A new hybrid geothermal and solar energy system promises to dramatically reduce emissions and energy costs for many Australian poultry farms.
The University of Melbourne is teaming up with geothermal companies Ground Source Systems and Fourth Element Energy to create a hybrid geothermal and solar HVAC system specifically for the poultry industry.
The project, funded through a $318,000 ARENA grant, will demonstrate how the energy demands of poultry sheds can be coordinated with onsite renewable energy production. The goal is to show both economic and environmental benefits to farmers to further support the uptake of the technology across the industry.
The system includes a ground-source (geothermal) heat pump system and full-scale PV system with gas back-up, which can supply the HVAC needs of poultry farms. The first stage of the project will see a demonstration, full-scale hybrid system installed and optimised for efficiency at the commercial poultry farm Bargo in Yanderra, New South Wales, this year.
University of Melbourne Professor Guillermo Narsilio (pictured) says the project team has identified 827 poultry farms across Australia that meet the conditions needed to transition to hybrid geothermal and solar energy.
“Australia is in an ideal position to lead the development of this technology and reap the benefits in several intensive farming sectors,” says Prof. Narsilio.
“We have world-class engineering expertise, ideal solar conditions, and the space to install geothermal systems. If we can achieve 15 to 20 per cent market uptake in the Australian poultry industry, it would reduce at least one tenth, or 160,000 tonnes of the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
More details about the project are available at the University of Melbourne website.
Image: Peter Casamento
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