Solar Poultry

Laurel, Delaware – It’s certainly not unusual to see science and agriculture working together on the farm. Farming is one of our most innovative industries by necessity. Farmers and ranchers are constantly under pressure to grow more while spending less. 
The same goes for the Heartland’s poultry producers.
 
Entrepreneurs like Chick Allen didn’t need a lot of convincing before he let researchers put up a slew of solar panels on his Delaware chicken farm. 
 
"That solar resource – you know, the scale is amazing," says Allen.  "One unique thing about Delaware is that we’re a very, very small state. It really is a place where you can get something done quickly." 

His became the nation’s first commercial solar powered poultry house in a region known as the birthplace of the broiler industry.
It was time to give the technology a try, he says.

 "We’ve seen about a 30% increase in power costs in the past few years. It adds to the cost of growing chickens and it adds to the competitive aspect of agribusiness in total."

"Independent contract growers, if they can lower their electric costs –  if the industry can experience lower costs to produce chickens, it will just help the whole process."

 Selling the idea of solar to more poultry producers could be a bit of a challenge. But with rising energy and food costs and the growing public concern about the environment, solar could well be agriculture’s coming attraction.

Chris Sherring, whose company WorldWater & Power built the Allen Family Foods’ solar system, says it’s designed to generate enough power to operate three poultry houses, each holding about 25-thousand chickens. The sun powers lights, evaporative coolers, feed and watering systems, and vent fans. On cloudy days, solar-charged batteries kick in to supplement direct sunlight for up to eight hours.  When necessary, Allen can fire up a generator or re-connect to the power company.

Dr. Robin Morgan of the University of Delaware, another partner on the project, says one of the system’s best assets is its simplicity. "Any one individual can figure out how to use the batteries, versus the solar panels, versus buying off the grid, so that the electric rates are minimal all the time."

It’s already saving him money, but the project on Chick Allen’s farm is still experimental. Researchers will study it carefully for three full years.

Sherring is confident. "We know it’s going to work. The question is, how well is it going to work? And I don’t mean technically. I mean how well is it going to work economically?"

That’s often the biggest question with new technology. This prototype cost about $500,000, although much of it was repaid through state and federal grants and green energy credits.  
And there’s a reason why the University of Delaware wanted to test the system on a working farm. Morgan says, "What we’re about is trying to find out how long it would take a grower, on a farm like this, to recoup the investment. What is the payback time?"

Some involved with the project believe the actual payback time may turn out to be five years or less. After that – Chick Allen can turn the tables and sell the power he generates back to the power company.

The Delmarva region (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) leads the nation in poultry production at more than 500-million birds per year. That equals about 10% of the nation’s output. 

Sherring says the whole industry could eventually benefit from the Delaware experiment. "This industry is going to remain viable, and you’re still going to be able to get your chickens in the local supermarket at a price that is attractive to you."

Chick Allen adds that the poultry industry, in fact, anxiously awaits the results of his solar experiment. "I’ve had a lot of my peers from Mississippi and Arkansas, you know, call from Georgia, and from California, and ask about the project – how’s it going, what have we learned? How well is it going to be competitive with commercial power? That’s what we have to find out. We have to weigh that."