Costs & ROI
Climate Battery Cost Breakdown ($5.60/sq ft)
~$5.60* per square foot of heated space
includes excavation, tubing, and fans
excludes labor and electrical work
Let’s get it out of the way. You’re curious as to how much it actually costs to install a climate battery. Based on past projects, we’ve estimated that it takes around $5.60* / square foot of greenhouse space to install one of these. For sure, that’s a significant investment (read below to see why we think it’s worth it), perhaps comparable to the cost of your structure.
Check out pie chart to the side to see how the $5/square foot breaks down. Through consulting and our kits, we can give you a good idea of the types of costs in your project. Since we use climate batteries too, we’re always looking to make our designs more cost-effective.
* Price per square foot of $5.58 based on material prices in February 2022 for a 30x96 greenhouse. Represents an increase from previous pricing taken November 2021 of $5.17 due to continued inflation pressures and piping cost increases.
Climate Battery Operational Cost
vs. Conventional Greenhouse Heating
$0.32 / hour for climate battery*
$2.14 / hour for propane heater*
While operating, a climate battery is only running fans and is therefore very cost-effective. These fans not only extract heat stored in the ground, they move and distribute it throughout the greenhouse, doing double duty.
* Assumes 2.7kW fan draw for typical Atmos 30x96 design. Assumes comparable 110k BTU propane heater burning ~1.2 gallons of propane per hour at $1.70 per gallon and a utility cost of $0.12 per kWh.
Labor and Maintenance Comparison
Labor Reduction
How much does labor cost on your farm? If it’s like ours, it’s probably your #1 cost. A climate battery can save lots of time every day through the winter months by enabling you to grow without the use of row covers that need to be removed and re-applied daily.
Climate Battery Maintenance
Climate battery are designed to have few moving parts and long-lasting components. The only moving pieces are the fans. We spec out greenhouse-grade fans that are designed to last a long time, but if one fails, it’s quite literally a “drop-in” replacement.
Payback Period: 5 - 11 years*
How quickly your investment in a climate battery will pay off is a tricky question. How much do you spend (or anticipate spending) on fossil fuels? What are you growing? What type of climate are you in?
Payback Period in Years by Application
Annual Operating Cost (Climate Battery vs Propane)
*Payback Explanation
A payback period for a climate battery is hard to calculate since every farm is different in its climate and crops.
Based on our own overwintering of subtropicals and greens in a temperate south-central PA climate, we imagined various scenarios based on the aforementioned installation and operational costs, and we calculated the simple payback period. Labor reduction, in the form of reduced use of row covers or other cold protection measures, was not factored in since the payback was based on replacing a propane heater.
Payback Period = Cost difference of Climate Battery Install / Savings Per Year from Climate Battery
We imagined the following usage scenarios reflected in the graph above:
Minimal Winter Heating - This is primarily for the three season grower who is looking to get a jump start on the growing season. For heating through the coldest (and least sunny) months, the payoff takes longer. Examples would include early summer vegetable production like tomatoes and other solanaceous crop without an accompanying winter crop.
Primarily Winter Production - This is for the grower producing greens throughout the winter and early spring who provides some minimal heat to keep the crops growing steadily through the winter season. Because of the need to run the system more intensively over the winter (especially at night), the payback period shortens.
Four Season Production - This is the most costly option in annual operational costs but produces the fastest payback. This makes use of the zone-extension capabilities of the climate battery, allowing you to more easily overwinter more tender plants while also allowing you to benefit from shoulder season sunlight and get a jump start on the main growing season. An example would be growing long season solanaceous crops like tomatoes, then switching over to greens in the fall for continued harvest over the winter.
Note: Payback period is based on November 2021 estimated install costs for a climate battery. These reflect a significant increase in material prices, leading to an increase in the payback period.