Energy efficiency studies show how greenhouses, dairy farms can increase use of renewable energy sources
The Colorado Department of Agriculture partnered with the Colorado Energy Office and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to study ways of improving energy efficiency in agricultural settings.
Led by NREL’s Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis, the two studies explored how to use anaerobic digestion and solar energy as alternatives to conventional energy production.
“As we deal with the intensifying effects of human caused climate change, it’s important we look for new ways to reduce the cost of energy in food systems, reduce emissions, increase food production in areas with little or no access to grid electricity, and increase food resilience and security,” said Liz Weber, JISEA project manager and analyst at NREL.
“These two studies offer insights into how to use emerging research for power generation and energy storage on farms and in greenhouses to increase sustainability and the use of renewable energy,” she said.
The first study looked at how greenhouses can improve energy efficiency in controlled environment agriculture, which tends to be extremely energy intensive. Right now, most of this energy demand is served by fossil fuels.
Greenhouses are critical to ensuring agricultural successes in arid, arctic and urban locations because they allow for precise control over water and nutrient cycles, shelter crops from adverse weather conditions and pests, and maximize crop productivity. Finding ways to increase reliance on sustainable and renewable energy will ensure more stable, reliable and resilient energy sources for greenhouses.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution for greenhouses, but the appropriate combination of technical and non-technical heat and power generation could improve the sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change and evolving industry,” said Gail Mosey, the lead researcher in the study from NREL.
The second study focused on how anaerobic digestion, which occurs when specific types of microorganisms break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas, can power agricultural operations.
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