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Cost Difference Between Aqauponics and Hydroponics w/o Selling Fish
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Assumptions
Aquaponics
HydroponicsNotes
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Capacity toggleTo achieve the same net income as a hydroponic system, an aquaponic system must achieve a % of yield that is sold that is higher by however much more its operating costs are than a hydroponic system's.
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% of yield that is sold81.9%80.0%
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Revenue assumptions
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Total greens yield (lbs / year)2,000,0002,000,000
Based on Aerofarms' projection for Newark Facility
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Revenue / lb greens yield ($$ / lb)6.406.40
Assumes 50% retail markup on packaged salad sold $3.99 / 5 oz.
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Total revenue ($$ / year)10,483,20010,240,000
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Cost of Goods Sold assumptionsAdditional labor is for feeding fish and equipment cleaning and maintenance.
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Additional aquaculture labor ($$ / year)55,0000
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Fish feed or nutrient cost ($$ / lb greens yield)$0.06$0.02
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Total fish feed or hydroponic nutrient cost ($$ / year)129,18833,279
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Overhead cost assumptions
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Ground s.f. devoted to aquaculture or nutrient reservoirs (s.f.)8,1577,136Hydroponic facilities require nutrient reservoirs while aquaponic facilities require fish tanks and additional take for biofiltration. The different space requirements for these two requirements are reflected here.
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Ground s.f. devoted to growing (s.f.)31,16131,161
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Ground s.f. devoted to post-harvest processing (s.f.)31,16131,161
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Facility ground s.f. (s.f.)70,47969,459
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Rent ($$ / s.f.)1010
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This number covers all additional opearting expensives, including raw materials, labor, utilities, and overhead - that is common to both hydroponic and aquaponic farms. Gotham Greens projected a "greater than 15% EBITDA margin" in their analysis for their first farm, and so we use a 15% EBITDA margin as our benchmark to get to $8 million: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/-/media/Files/Publications/Research/Environmental/Gotham-Greens-Sustainable-Urban-CEA.pdf
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All non-variable costs (costs that similar in AP vs. HP)8,000,0008,000,000
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Includes utiilities, growing medium, seeds, packaging, merchandising, delivery, labor, and additional farm supplies
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Net Income$$as % of revenue
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Aquaponics
HydroponicsAquaponicsHydroponics
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Revenue10,483,20010,240,000100.0%100.0%
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Cost of goods sold
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Aquaculture labor55,00000.5%0.0%
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Fish feed or nutrient cost129,18833,2791.2%0.3%
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Overhead costs
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Rent704,791694,5906.7%6.8%
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Total variable costs888,979727,8698.5%7.1%
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Non-variable costs8,000,0008,000,00076.3%78.1%
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Total operating costs8,888,9798,727,86984.8%85.2%
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EBITDA Margin1,594,2211,512,13115%15%
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