David Mercier grows broiler chickens in Saint-Roch-Ouest, 40 minutes out of Montreal. After installing ESA-1000s to reduce his heating costs, he was quickly surprised by the facts that it helped in so many other ways on his farm.
David Mercier who owns the Mercier & Beaudry family farm since 2010 relies on innovation to improve his productivity. “I am often in the office, meeting people. I needed to be able to easily control my heat exchangers remotely, he says. I was already using Intelia’s Nano environment controller and the ESA-1000s are the only ones that can connect to my system.”
When it was time to install his heat exchangers, the grower had to choose between two strategies. “I could have decided to maintain the same conditions and reduce my heating costs. The other option was to increase ventilation to improve overall farming conditions, without necessarily saving energy. I chose the second option and I don’t regret it at all,” he says.
Installed on the farm since fall of 2019, his 12 ESA-1000 heat exchangers have proven themselves more than once. David Mercier not only observed a decrease in condemnations, but he also noted that the litter was noticeably drier at the end of the flock, thanks to better ventilation. He also noticed at the start of each flock that his birds are more lively, thanks to the lower CO2 levels.
Mercier & Beaudry Farm chicken barns were built in 1982 and 1988. Their humidity levels are not always easy to control. The ESA-1000s helped a lot in that matter. After a second winter using his heat exchangers, David Mercier claims that he succeeded in maintaining satisfying conditions throughout the cold season. “The air was much drier than before,” he said.
A much appreciated financial assistance
Having access to grants has been an important factor in the producer’s decision making process. Thanks to the Québec Energy Transition program, which encourages the reduction of CO2 emissions, he saved two-thirds of the project costs. “The ESA team handled everything. They filled out the papers, sent the requests and did all the necessary follow-ups,” emphasizes the producer.
Reliable, simple and efficient technology: that’s all David Mercier needed. He ended up with a high performance system that exceeded his expectations. He can therefore say “mission accomplished”.
He won’t hesitate to install ESA-1000s in his new chicken barn. “When I’ll be ready, ESA may receive a phone call from me! “
