TECHNICAL COLUMN
Energy efficiency in the sustainable hatchery Energy is an important cost factor in the hatchery. Using energy-efficient incubators and HVAC systems can greatly reduce your operational costs. Then again, the benefits are more than just financial: a smaller ecological footprint also creates a more sustainable image for your hatchery. In this article, we consider different ways for hatcheries to achieve the goal of energy conservation and become a more sustainable business.
Incubation with focus on energy conservation
By Pieterjan Bulteel, Product Specialist HVAC and Automation, Petersime
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The pulsator fan motor’s electricity consumption takes up a large part of an incubator’s total energy use. When purchasing incubators, it is therefore important to look for equipment that features an energy-efficient pulsator motor. While a high pulsator speed is needed in the beginning and final phase of the incubation process for optimal heating and cooling, the same high speed is not required during the less critical stag-
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es of incubation. This is where Petersime’s Eco-Drive™ technology makes the difference, by automatically and safely reducing the pulsator speed during that part of the process. Thanks to the third power proportion between pulsator speed and pulsator power, reducing the pulsator speed by 20% saves up to 50% of the pulsator’s electricity consumption (see figure on page 31). The benefit of Eco-Drive™ is evident: a positive impact on the incubator’s energy use, and thus on the hatchery’s total energy costs.
