COOLER SAVINGS AT LOVEDAY MUSHROOM FARMS
During the cold Manitoba winters, Burton Loveday, President of Loveday Mushroom Farms, used to run two air-cooled chillers to satisfy the cooling requirements in his mushroom growing rooms. However, they were using a lot of energy and driving up his energy bills.
Loveday worked with their refrigeration contractor and Efficiency Manitoba team members to find an energy-efficient solution. They looked at ways to capitalize on the colder outdoor air temperatures during the winter months and use the cold air from outside instead of the chillers to cool process water. Together, they recognized that Loveday could use a new dry fluid cooler instead of the chillers when outdoor temperatures were lower than -4°C. Plus, they were able to apply for an incentive through Efficiency Manitoba!
Energy loggers were installed on the chillers and dry cooler to help verify the savings. Loveday’s electricity bill decreased, and the verified energy savings were even better than expected.
CULTIVATING SAVINGS
- Efficiency Manitoba incentive: $44,300
- Annual electric energy savings: 295,417 kWh
- Annual energy bill and maintenance savings: $13,000
- The amount of time it’ll take for this project to pay for itself after the incentive is applied: 4 years
BIG SAVINGS, ONE HAPPY CUSTOMER
“Mushroom farming is by nature recycling or taking waste products or byproducts of agriculture and turning it into a food product. So being more energy efficient is just a natural follow through of that process.”
Burton Loveday, President of Loveday Mushroom Farms
WHAT’S NEXT?
Loveday Mushroom Farms is looking at expanding their operations in Springfield, including the installation of another dry cooler. They’re continuing to work with us to find ways to save energy and are investigating other relevant Efficiency Manitoba programs.
ABOUT LOVEDAY MUSHROOM FARMS
Since 1932, Loveday Mushroom Farms has been harvesting a variety of mushrooms in Winnipeg and Springfield. They are a fourth-generation family-owned farm with one million square feet of planted space, six million pounds of mushrooms harvested annually, and a focus on continuous improvement.