The Boat Yard, LLC is pioneering the development of electrified sea farming equipment, offering sustainable solutions that help shellfish and seaweed farmers reduce their reliance on fossil fuels while enhancing productivity. Supported by a USDA Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant, The Boat Yard’s work focuses on the design, deployment, and testing of solar and battery-powered farming tools essential to aquaculture operations.
Key innovations include solar- and battery-powered oyster tumblers, water pumps, refrigeration systems, and hauling equipment—designed to meet the energy-intensive demands of sea farms without contributing to carbon emissions. By integrating renewable energy sources like onboard solar panels with advanced battery storage and cloud monitoring, these systems offer consistent, off-grid operation tailored to the needs of small- and mid-scale aquaculture businesses. The solar-powered tumblers ensure efficient oyster cleaning and sorting, while battery-powered water pumps and haulers streamline critical tasks in a quiet and sustainable manner.
Refrigeration systems powered by solar and battery arrays play a crucial role in preserving shellfish quality, allowing farmers to store harvested products directly on-site without the need for diesel generators. These innovations are designed to be modular and easily deployable, offering flexibility and scalability for various farm sizes and configurations.
The Boat Yard’s hands-on collaboration with farmers has enabled continuous design refinement and testing, ensuring that the equipment is practical, efficient, and built to withstand harsh marine conditions. This presentation will showcase the progress made, highlighting the performance of these renewable-powered systems and their potential to reduce costs and emissions while supporting resilient, sustainable aquaculture practices.