Aquaponics and Renewable Energy

Aquaponics and Renewable energyCharlie Price•Social enterprise operating on a not for profit basis.• Providing components and complete systems to the emerging aquaponics industry• The profits from which provide research and development funding.• Starting with the two ABLE project prototype systems, we now have a further 4 projects planned for 2009/2010 in cities across the midlands.•Also international interest from projects from Kenya, SA, Rwanda, Portugal and Afghanistan.What is aquaponics ?• Aquaponics involves the integration of aquaculture and hydroponics.•Aquaponics provides is low input, high output system with highvalue crops ranging from fish, prawns, herbs and salad crops.• There are three main cycles taking place. Water – recirculated and topped up with rainwater harvesting Wastes – fish wastes-nitrates-plants, offcuts-worms-fish  Heat – heating gains in the day and heat losses at night • Minimising Costs and Maximising Outputs How aquaponics works....• Fish are cultured as in any aquaculture system (and at the similar densities)• Dissolved wastes provide a nutrient source for plants grown hydroponically.plants• Waste products utilised as resources in an ecosystems approachbacteriafish• Low input, high outputHow aquaponics works....Solids removal – a game of two halves Media Fil ed Grow BedsSolid settlement tanksMechanical and biological filtration provided by Separate filtration after the fish to remove the growing media into which crops are solids.planted.Generally three stages, solid removal, fine Usually with beds filled with expanded clay balls solids removal and degassing or gravel.Then once solids removed and degassed water Constraints being scaling up due to cost weight ready for hydroponic component for nitrogen issuesstrippingIdeal for small to medium systems or as a Either deep water circulation (DWC) and componentfloating rafts or nutrient film technique (NFT)How aquaponics works....Hydroponics – DWC (deep water circulation)• Plants grown on floating rafts.•Aeration required • rafts floated down channels for harvestingHow aquaponics works....Hydroponics – NFT (nutrient film technique)• Plants grown in gulley's with a constant film of water passed over the roots.•Cheap and easy to set up•Aquaponics requires adapting conventional hydroponic NFTsystem to account for biological loadingsHow aquaponics works....Harvesting – driven by demand• Continuous or in batch harvesting depending on market demand.• Important to maintain balance in biomass.• Crops can be also be planted and cropped on demand due to the fast production cyclesHow aquaponics works....Feeding – from low input to no input •Fish are feed either a complete pellet diet or with worms and off-cuts as supplementary feed•Or feed with worms and off-cuts as supplementary feed• Feeding rates based on desired growth rates and plant surface areaA case study Renewable Energy & AquaponicsDocument Outline

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