SUNfarming Hybrid Center

(Editor Hinrich Neumann)
Translation/SUNfarming:
A demonstration plant of the German Energy Agency as well as the two German companies Bioltec Systems GmbH and Sunfarming GmbH will show how food cultivation, energy production and mobility can interact efficiently and sustainably.
The German Energy Agency (Dena) has launched an extraordinary pilot project in its Renewable Energy Solutions program (Dena RES program). In cooperation with the two German companies Bioltec Systems GmbH and Sunfarming GmbH, a training and demonstration center for the German Energy Agency (DMA) has been set up Renewable energy, energy use of waste and sustainable mobility in the Caribbean combined with intelligent control of the overall system.
As a hybrid center, the trend-setting facility combines several technologies: A combined heat and power plant supplies electricity and heat to a school on whose grounds the project was realized. The special feature of this plant is that it is operated with biodiesel. This fuel can be made, for example, from used cooking oil that exists on the island. In addition, this biodiesel will be used to operate specially converted vehicles used in Bahamas waste management.

Electricity for irrigation and vehicles
In addition, a greenhouse with a photovoltaic system was built. On the one hand grow food in it, on the other hand, the greenhouse produces not only the power required for their own drip irrigation, but can also feed into the home network or in the battery system for an emergency power supply. The battery system also serves as a charging station for e-bikes and e-motorcycles. An intelligent controller ensures that such a system can also work in off-grid regions.
The reference plant will produce a total of around 50,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and 80,000 kilowatt hours of heat from renewable energies annually, thus avoiding 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. It shows how food cultivation, energy production and mobility can interact efficiently and sustainably, and already serves as a visual aid for teaching environmental management.
Food and energy - the greenhouse and the transport vehicle converted from diesel to biodiesel (Source: Dena)
Original article in topagrar-online/German: