<b>2011 Profit Quest:</b> Better heating efficiency saves growers thousands

Ron Sportel, owner of Sportel Greenhouses, is replacing old atmospheric unit heaters and boilers with new condensing unit heaters and condensing boilers.(Photo courtesy of Sportel Greenhouses)Heating fuel can be a major expense for greenhouse operators, especially in northern states like Michigan. Ron Sportel, owner of Sportel Greenhouses in Kalamazoo, Mich., is replacing some of his old natural-gas-burning unit heaters and boilers with high-efficiency, condensing heaters and boilers.

Sportel has installed Modine Effinity 93 condensing unit heaters in a 20,000-square-foot area.

“I have unit heaters in all of the ranges,” Sportel said. “This particular range that has the new unit heaters is split into three zones. We also have heated concrete floors in this range because we do propagation in there.”

“The new heaters definitely don’t run as often as the other ones did,” he said.

Sportel is also replacing his old atmospheric boilers with new Patterson-Kelley Mach condensing boilers. He has replaced three of four boilers he operates and plans to finish the replacement this year. Sportel said since starting the replacement, he has seen his natural gas bill go down every year.

One of the consequences of installing the condensing boilers has been the need to add a heater to his boiler room, which also contains his fertilizer injectors and pumps for his flood floor tanks.

“I originally had the atmospheric boilers in this room and there was enough heat coming off the boilers to keep the room warm,” he said. “With the condensing boilers there is no heat coming off them and I nearly froze some of the equipment in this room.”

For more: Sportel Greenhouses LLC, (269) 342-1257.

Specifics:
Name: Sportel Greenhouses LLC.
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Founded: 1978 by Ron Sportel.
Products: Finished bedding plants, hanging baskets and potted plants. The company is also a rooting station for Proven Winners.
Production space: 350,000 square feet of greenhouse space; 55,000 square feet of outdoor production.

Quotable:
“I do my best to see what is going to make the operation more efficient whether that is related to labor, utilities and everything else. I have to be able to justify the return on investment.”
– Ron Sportel