Aquaponics, energy efficiency, and an ecosystem approach to food production

Charlie Price

PhD involving integrated fish/vegetable farming - System Group, D.Little, IoA

UVI, RELU, Eduardo Pantella, Thermotec Ecosystems Ltd

Able Project putting theory into practice.

Princess Anne, Harrogate & schools. Interest developing on many levels. BBC2 Future of food

Expanding portfolio, commercial and research support, our niche firmly established.

• We are a social enterprise operating on a not for profit basis, linked to the Institute of Aquaculture

• We aim to be financially sustainable, contributing to,rather that drawing from, resources.

• Starting with the ABLE project prototype systems in 2007, two years later we now have over 20 projects world wide from Dorset to Afghanistan

• Our model involves providing commercial products andservices, feeding back profits into research, development,grants and scholarships .

So what are we now?

So what is going on globally?

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So why do we find ourselves in this global predicament?

• In 2000 there were 10 times more people on earth than just 300 years ago.

• Predicted to reach 9 billion by 2050.

• Thus we would need to produce 50% more food andenergy by 2030 to meet our growing demands.

• Over extraction of groundwater common place.

• Ultimately we have been using our resourcesunsustainably for far too long.

Our constraints are clear

• Finite resources

• Urban expansion

• Increasing population

• Food security

• Land Use conflicts

• We need to produce more food per unit area, withless water, less energy and less external inputs.

The solutions are equally clear..

• Energy efficiency (getting more from less, valuing waste)

• Local production (decreasing transport emissions)

• Integrated production (multi use, diverse outputs) andcollocating businesses (consciously)

• Enhancing education (enabling a growing generation)

• Sustainability (economically, socially& environmentally)

So what is aquaponics ?• Aquaponics involves the integration of aquaculture and

hydroponics.

• Aquaponics provides a 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.

fish bacteria

plants

• Waste products utilised as resources in an ecosystems approach

• Low input, high output

• Continuous or in batch harvesting depending on market demand.

• Crops can be also be planted and cropped on demand due to the fast production cycles

• Important to maintain balance in biomass.

Harvesting – driven by demand

Hydroponic plant growth

• High value, fast growing crops.

• Either complete of partial reuse of nutrients

• Studies have shown 3-18 times greaterproduction than with the same crops in soil.

• Fish are feed either a complete pelleted diet

Feeding – from low input to no input

• Feeding rate based on desired growth rates and plant surface area.

• Or feed with worms and off-cuts as supplementary feed

• An ecosystem approach to food production.

• As much an ethos as a technique.

In summary...

• As energy is never lost it’s just converted from one form to another, thus it’s not only about minimising energy use, but also managing this conversion.

Some case studies...

The ABLE projectClimate controlled greenhouses in Wakefield

• Able project was set up to provide an outdoor educational facility for youth offenders, and community service “participants”.

• Existing Aquaculture system growing tilapia, sturgeon, carp andcatfish.

• 30 acres of willow coppice which is feeding a biomass 60kwbiomass boiler.

• Also classrooms, outdoor vegetableallotments, beehives and an orchard.

• And now 3 aquaponics greenhouses.

CAD modelling

Construction

Commissioning and training

From design to operation

How the system operates..

• An in depth appraisal of the system

• Exploring the implications of different materials and production processes

• An exciting tool to validate our “green” credentials and the implications of production.

Life cycle assessment

• Used to inform material choices and lower impacts

University of the Virgin Islands• Run continuously for

over 5 years

• 3 times basil production when compared to field crops (18x for Okra)

• 5 tonne tilapia production

S & S Aqua Farm

• North Plains, Missouri and modified North Carolina State

• Growbeds utilised as fluidised bed reactors.

• Modular system design.

• 45-70 lbs of vegetable crops per 1lb of tilapia

Scope of our current work.. nationally

Aquaponics UK “customers”

Aquaponics UK Research partner organisationsAquaponics UK “customers”

Scope of our current work.. internationally

So where does aquaponics fit ?

• Domestically.

• Educationally

• Commercial systems.

• Larger Scale decoupled systems.

• Community based resources.

Thank you