Save energy costs in potato storage with a CO2 extractor

The skyrocketing energy prices in 2022 are a huge challenge for potato growers. After all, ensuring good storage conditions in storage areas with the aid of fans and cooling installations costs a lot of electricity. As a result, the margins of growers are under considerable pressure. What can you do to save energy?

Fans consume a lot of electricity. In addition, if they run for a long time, they can deteriorate the storage conditions in the potato storage, according to Adrian Briddon, Technical Manager at Restrain.

Adrian Briddon:
 

"Internal ventilation mixes the air in the storage into a homogeneous mass. If the CO₂ level then becomes too high, growers have to ventilate their warehouse for a long time to drive off enough carbon dioxide. However, this also leads to fluctuations in temperature and humidity."

"Those changing conditions can lead to weight loss and poorer baking colors in potatoes. To then straighten the temperature again, the cooling installation must be switched on. This again consumes a lot of electricity. Luckily, there is a smarter way."

Lower the CO₂ level and keep other conditions the same

After Restrain discussed the energy challenges with growers, they developed a solution: an energy-efficient CO₂ extractor that only switches itself on when the carbon dioxide level in your store gets too high.

Adrian Briddon:
 

"The extractor extracts the excess CO₂ without affecting the other conditions in the storage facility. The grower places the extractor low to the floor, where the CO₂ level is highest. The exhaust exits through a hole in the wall. This can often simply be done via the existing nebulization port where CIPC used to be injected."

According to Briddon, the biggest difference between the extractor and ordinary fans is that the hatches of the shed can remain closed.

Adrian Briddon:

"In February 2021, growers had to deal with outside temperatures of -18 to +18 degrees Celsius. At such times, it was impossible for them to ventilate their sheds without drastically deteriorating storage conditions. This led to very high levels of carbon dioxide in sheds, which is bad for baking colors. The CO₂ extractor prevents this."

Vent Timers vs CO₂ Extractor

Some growers work with timers on their fans to save energy by purifying the air in the storage of CO₂. According to Briddon, this is not ideal.

Adrian Briddon:
 

"Every time growers air out their warehouse unnecessarily, this is at the expense of moist air in the storage. That can lead to additional weight loss. To minimize these losses, ventilation must be smart and energy-efficient. That is why Restrain’s CO₂ extractor only kicks in if the CO₂ value ​​gets too high."

Saving energy pays off within a month

Adrian Briddon:
 

"The payback period of a CO₂ extractor is extremely short at current prices. In a first case study with the Restrain CO₂ extractor in Finland, growers reduced the use of the main fans by fifty hours in one month."

"In the UK, in a storage facility containing 1,000 tons of potatoes, two CO₂ extractors replaced fifty percent of the energy consumption of an 86 kilowatt main fan for carbon dioxide control."

"The cooling of 111 kilowatts also needed to run an hour and a half less per day. With these energy savings and current energy prices, growers can earn back a CO₂ extractor within two weeks to a month!"