In today’s energy conscious world, customers are often preoccupied with projected energy costs associated with running new equipment. Rightly so, but it is the ‘hidden costs’ associated with capital equipment and its installation that, often, are not apparent until the project is underway.
At EmTech Hatchery Systems we not only focus on the energy efficiencies of our equipment but also on the hidden costs that our customers can be confronted with when planning a new hatchery.
Below are a few examples of potential costs that are not always apparent during negotiations or even at the onset of installation:
Installation costs:
In common with all major incubator manufactures, EmTech’s incubators are supplied in flat-pack form for on-site assembly.
The only major difference, compared with other manufacturers, is that EmTech setter trolleys are shipped as a pre-built, aluminium-welded construction, fully tested and quality controlled. Yes, our shipping costs are marginally higher, but the labour-saving cost associated with building a substantial number of trolleys on-site can be highly significant. The example below shows how many days labour can be saved for a typical hatchery construction.
Capital Equipment:
Many incubator manufacturers use a pneumatic turning system but EmTech are fully committed to their system which incorporates individual 24 VDC electrical actuators and guaranteeing a 43° to 45° turn angle for every single trolley – even on uneven floors. Being IP66 rated, it is safe and can be high-pressure washed without fear of water ingress.
When compared with a pneumatic (compressed air) turning system, not only are there the benefits mentioned above, but there are substantial savings to be made on the associated capital equipment costs that, again, are not always apparent at the outset.
Hot-Water Heating:
EmTech firmly believes it has the best thermally insulated cabinet on the market and it is the foundation of the much heralded >EmTech Effect<. Electric heating is employed for the first 6.25 hours of the incubation process and yes, electric is more expensive than gas, but it can be shown that the typical yearly additional costs are only $1,200.
Compare this to the cost of installing Hot Water Heating System that you will have to purchase Run and Standby boilers for, and, in addition, a water treatment plant and pipework to distribute hot water to the incubators.
This article was inspired after talking with several hatchery owners (not EmTech customers) who had expressed concern that their initial budget was being substantially exceeded by a string of unexpected costs that were not made clear during their negotiations. As you can see from the summary below, there can be substantial ‘hidden costs’ that are often only exposed well after the contract has been signed.
