Harnessing Solar Energy for Broiler Chicken Production

University of Delaware Photovoltaic Poultry House Project


UD Poultry PV Project Timeline and Life Cycle

 

Poultry PV Project Timeline and Life Cycle

July 2006

Project cooperators committed

Oct. 2006

Allen Family Foods becomes involved

Dec. 2006

Contracts signed

Winter 2007

System installation and testing

April 2007

Ribbon cutting, system operational

 2007-present

Data collection to determine pay back period and system efficiency

  •  Energy use by the poultry house
  •  Electricity generated by the solar cells
  •  Electricity drawn from the utility
  •  Combined effects of the net metering and demand management systems

By 2012

Expected pay back for this project

2017

Projected replacement of inverters based on an expected lifetime of ten years

2027-2032

Projected replacement of solar panels based on an expected lifetime of 20-25 years

 

 

 

 

 

 



Robin Morgan, of UD's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Charles C. “Chick” Allen III, chief executive officer of Allen Family Foods and a UD alumnus, stand before a photovoltaic collector that will help provide energy for a poultry house near Laurel. Robin Morgan, of UD's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Charles C. “Chick” Allen III, chief executive officer of Allen Family Foods and a UD alumnus, stand before a photovoltaic collector that will help provide energy for a poultry house near Laurel.