Putting high-voltage infrastructure in place for a hydroponic cucumber growers’ large greenhouse expansion.
Neven Produce specializes in growing cucumbers with hydroponics all year. Their indoor operation was already substantial, which we learned when installing a generator years ago and performing regular maintenance on it.
A relationship was already in place between our companies. In 2020, owner James Neven approached us as the electrical contractor for a new 10-acre greenhouse construction project.
The main focus of the project was getting the high-voltage infrastructure in place for the initial 10 acres of new greenhouses, with 5 acres of that lighted. There are new phases planned for up to 20 acres of lighted greenhouses, so the infrastructure was put in place to allow for this expansion.
All design, costing and construction was done in-house by the Cornell Feenstra team. The infrastructure powers all the greenhouse electrical loads including the high-intensity-discharge (HID) lighting and high-watt fixtures that are heavy on electrical load.
A 4,000 amp, 600-volt service to power growing lights for sun-loving English cucumbers.
Infrastructure was sized so that it can handle four times the initial build — up to 20 acres of greenhouses.
Although COVID caused material shortages, the project was still finished before the fall planting with no extra cost to the client.
There are few companies capable of high-voltage work and Cornell Feenstra provided us with a turnkey option. Our objective was to have a well-functioning design, a quality job and on budget, and Feenstra clearly met all of these goals. Our project is operational and running as planned. We also have peace of mind that we have a quality product and a partner who will serve us well for maintenance and for any future projects. We would be very happy to work with Feenstra Electric again.
Neven Produce is a family-owned and -run business that continues to thrive. This significant expansion and its future phases will help cement Neven as one of the top cucumber growers in Ontario. We look forward to seeing their continued growth!
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