The Scoop – ENVS News, Wins & Happenings

Last Monday, Ean Lantzy (ENVS class of ’26), supervised by Physics Professor Beth Ellen Clark Josephs, joined the ENVS Aquaponics Research Team, to present his design proposal to install a solar photovoltaic array to power the Aquaponics System located in the Center for Natural Sciences (CNS). The solar array would be located on the CNS green roof, have a capacity of 4.1 KW, and be capable of delivering 5009 kWh per year. The electricity generated would be used to power the water circulation pumps, aerators, heaters, and UV lights of each of the three aquaponics systems. These systems work by circulating water, that contains dissolved fish waste from fish tanks to hydroponic grow beds, where the enriched water fertilizes plants, and returns clean water back to the fish tanks. The PV array system will include a battery storage facility with a charge controller/inverter and data loggers to monitor energy production and consumption. Connecting the PV/battery system to the aquaponics system includes an integrated switchgear (a logic switch) such that, in the event of a drained battery, the building electrical supply will automatically be routed to the Aquaponics lab. The total cost of the system is approximately $12,000. With an annual cost savings of $900, the system will pay for itself in less than 13 years, for a return on the investment of about 7.7%. The educational value of the system, however, is priceless.