Vegetable production based on waste heat in closed greenhouses considering economic usage and competitiveness of the European Union

The study investigates two professional fields; the questions of vegetable production in greenhouses, the necessary steam supply and heat regulations. The actuality of this investigation is provided by the planning of a combined cycle power plant of 2400 MW in Hungary. According to the plans the steam developing by generating electricity in the power plant can be used to intensify the vegetable production. In my current study I present the experiences and results gathered as member of the research and development team led by Mr. Dr. Sinórós-Szabó

POLICIES FOR AGRICULTURE IN POLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS; CONTRIBUTIONS TO A POLICY DIALOGUE

This volume contains background papers that contributed to discussions between Polish and Dutch agricultural policy makers, held in Warsaw (16-17 July, 2002) and in The Hague (26-27 September, 2002). These meetings took place in the context of the Utrecht Conference in which bilateral meetings on various policy issues are organised. The papers give insights in the agricultural and rural development in both countries and point at the main problems at stake. Further, the contributions discuss the past and present agricultural and rural policies and show to what extent these policies help(ed) to tackle the major problems of the agricultural sector and rural areas. Discussions took place on various issues such as farm retirement and direct payment schemes, competitiveness of the sector and the future developments of the Common Agricultural Policy in an enlarged European Union.Agricultural and Food Policy,

An economic and environmental analysis of greenhouse tomato production in Norway using a model-based technique

The growing global population levels and the resulting increasing demands for food has put a lot of pressure on the food production systems and made the agricultural sector highly energy-intensive. The intensification in global food production has led to the need to adapt production systems according to the local climatic conditions, making food production possible in areas where it was di cult before and also making the production process environmentally sustainable. One way to adapt food production systems is through protected cultivation techniques, such as greenhouses, that enable controlled indoor climate, crop protection from extreme climate conditions, pests and diseases and the possibility to extend production seasons for certain crops. Yet these techniques a ect the investments, economic performance, used resources and have certain environmental consequences. Norway, for instance, is one such region in which one of the biggest challenges associated with protected cultivation systems is the issue of low availability of natural light and heat, especially during the cold winter months. Production in such regions requires high levels of energy, yet some of these regions also have significant availability of renewable energy resources. The challenge of low light and heat can be overcome by bringing about changes in the production techniques, including greenhouse design elements, production seasons and energy sources. However, this also in turn raises the issue of environmental impact of greenhouse vegetable production in high latitude regions and especially from the use of renewable energy that is present in significant amounts in many regions with considerable greenhouse vegetable production. While there exist several studies on the di erent aspects of greenhouse vegetable production in various regions, and their resulting environmental effects, works related to the use of renewable energy sources, especially in high latitude regions such as Norway are limited. Moreover, studies regarding the environmental impact of greenhouse production of vegetables often show that there is a trade-off between the economic performance and the environmental impact. Local climate and light variability call for regionally adapted greenhouse production techniques. Moreover, the impact of a certain greenhouse design on the economic performance may not always be correlated to the environmental impact. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the impact of various production strategies on the economic potential, resource use and the environment in instances where the traditional fossil fuel is supplemented and/or replaced by energy from renewable resources. In the present work, an attempt has been made to provide a broad picture of greenhouse tomato production at high latitude regions as a result of adapting production strategies in line with the local climates in Norway, with a particular emphasis on renewable energy sources in order to evaluate the environmental impact of locally produced tomatoes that are also economically profitable. The study has been divided into three stages. In the first part, an economic evaluation of seasonal (mid-March to mid-October) greenhouse tomato production in southestern, southwestern, central and northern Norway was performed. In the second part, an economic evaluation and energy use of extended season (from 20th January to 20th November) and year-round production of greenhouse tomatoes in the selected locations in Norway was performed. Sets of plausible design elements, greenhouse climate management, different artificial lighting strategies were assessed to evaluate the impact of the greenhouse design on the Net Financial Return (NFR), energy use and CO2 emissions of the production process. In the third part, a life cycle impact assessment was conducted for a selected number of designs from the first two stages that yielded high NFR or was associated with low energy use in order to assess whether the designs that performed well economically are also environmentally sustainable. The study found clear region-dependent differences in the NFR, its underlying elements, energy use and the resulting environmental impact of different greenhouse designs with differing energy-saving and internal climate control equipment. Our results show that economic profitability can be combined with a low environmental impact under certain regions and production techniques. It was found that Kise (southeastern) was the most favorable location for seasonal greenhouse tomato production in Norway, while Orre (southwestern) was the most favorable location in terms of the economic performance and environmental impact during the extended and year-round production seasons. Moreover, our results show that night energy screens, electric heat pumps and light sources had the most impacts of the elements that were investigated on the NFR and the resulting environmental impact across the three production seasons and need to be considered while constructing greenhouses for tomato production in regions having similar climate as that of Norway. The results of this study provide interesting insights on works related to the greenhouse vegetable production and energy resources in high latitude regions with considerable supplies of renewable energy. The findings can enable local producers across Norway to design greenhouses keeping in mind the local climate, the economic profitability and the environmental sustainability and can help policymakers in devising policies that encourage local growers to adapt production strategies aimed at increasing local production that is both economically profitable and environmentally sustainable

Introduction and adoption of innovations in horticultural production systems

Horticultural production occurs in various production systems, dominated by greenhouse and open-field production. During the last decade, alternative production systems with more advanced technologies, such as LED lighting and artificial intelligence, have started to appear, e.g., plant factories with artificial lighting. This opens up new opportunities where increased attention from venture capitalists and investors highlights food-tech as an innovative field of interest. Technological development can also accelerate possibilities, mainly for firms producing in greenhouses, if they can adopt relevant knowledge and innovations from other production systems. Another aspect is the increased interest in start-up initiatives and businesses in urban settings, e.g., urban farming, vertical farming, aquaponics, or rooftop greenhouses, to mention a few models. In parallel, low-tech initiatives are developing, e.g., market gardening and small-scale artisan production, which can also be important niches for the sustainable production of vegetables. The innovative production systems often use alternative food networks and different business models, e.g., Community Supported Agriculture or Product Service Systems, often with shorter supply chains. These different initiatives are also associated with positive movements influencing society and increasing consumers’ awareness of sustainable food production. However, the fact that new actors are entering the market could also create tensions between urban and rural contexts due to the different backgrounds of business owners. This is further accelerated by the different conditions for the firms, e.g., depending on support and policies from the innovation system and society in general

Resource efficiency atlas : an international perspective on technologies and products with resource efficiency potential

Technical innovations can contribute significantly to increase resource efficiency. A selection of 21 examples for resource efficient technologies, products and strategies from the field shows the brochure Resource Efficiency Atlas, which was created in line with the same titled project. Overall the project team analysed several hundred technical solutions and strategies and assessed its possible contributions to increases in resource efficiency. The project was arranged co-operatively by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, the Trifolium-Beratungsgesellschaft mbH and the Institut für Arbeitswissenschaften und Technologiemanagement of the University Stuttgart. The examples from the brochure and further 70 examples can be seen on the project website www.ressourceneffizenzatlas.de

Resource efficiency atlas : an international perspective on technologies and products with resource efficiency potential

Technical innovations can contribute significantly to increase resource efficiency. A selection of 21 examples for resource efficient technologies, products and strategies from the field shows the brochure Resource Efficiency Atlas, which was created in line with the same titled project. Overall the project team analysed several hundred technical solutions and strategies and assessed its possible contributions to increases in resource efficiency. The project was arranged co-operatively by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, the Trifolium-Beratungsgesellschaft mbH and the Institut für Arbeitswissenschaften und Technologiemanagement of the University Stuttgart. The examples from the brochure and further 70 examples can be seen on the project website www.ressourceneffizenzatlas.de

Vertical Farming- is a Sustainable and Efficient Method for Food Production

The goal of this thesis is to evaluate the concept of vertical farming methods as sustainable for effective food production and analyse the case of AeroFarms, a leading vertical farming company. In this research, vertical farming's future as a viable food production strategy is investigated. This thesis aims to examine the pros and cons of vertical farming as a possible answer to critical agricultural and environmental problems. This study gives insights into the broader implications of vertical farming by investigating AeroFarms' innovative methods and their influence on sustainability, resource efficiency, and local food production. The study aims to understand the effects of vertical farming on sustainable food production, efficiency, and profitability. To analyze the benefits, limitations, and opportunities connected with vertical farming and its implementation in the AeroFarms business model, the analysis employs a combination of literature research, value chain analysis, business canvas model, and SWOT analysis. Finally, this study looks at the environmental impact of each agricultural method, taking into consideration factors like pesticide use, soil deterioration, and carbon emissions. It explores how the regulated environment and pesticide-free methods of Aero Farms lead to a lower environmental effect when compared to traditional farming. The study also assesses the potential benefits of vertical farming in terms of water conservation, soil deterioration reduction, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction

Energy efficient Nordic greenhouse:case:University of Oulu botanical gardens

Abstract. The human population has grown sevenfold over the past two century, proportionately the food demand increased and the land for cultivation is shrinking. According to the United Nations (UN), the present size of the world population is more than 7.6 billion, and it estimates that this number will exceed 13 billion during the current century, which is a considerable challenge for tackling the future food security for all. In the scarcity of land, to meet the food demand of this enormous population, a contemporary agricultural arrangement is needed. By contrast, to conserve the environment, the use of land and fossil fuel should be limited. In continuation of this, to meet the future food demands, ‘greenhouse farming’ can be a suitable alternative, notably, in the region where the environmental conditions are not entirely favourable for year-round production. Greenhouses are widely used to provide a suitable environment in cultivation around the world. Generally, a high amount of energy input is needed to make a favourable condition for the plants’ growth. Moreover, the energy consumption profile is much complex when the site location is in a cold climate. For this reason, an energy-efficient greenhouse is not as simple as anyone guess, whereas various factors, including ventilation, covering material, orientation, lighting system and also energy input are considered as the key elements to ensure energy-efficient environment. In order to overcome the crisis, photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion systems could be considered as the most promising systems to aggregate electricity in a carbon-free environment. However, the PV generation blended with Economic, environmental and sustainability aspects. This study aims to evaluate all the aspects that can hinder greenhouse efficiency in the Nordic region. For this purpose, a grid-connected solar PV system chosen for two different scenarios. It has observed that every scenario have an adequate individual reason for their feasibility. For the first scenario, it was found that it can produce 10459.00 kWh electricity with a power rating 127.80 kWp, while second can generates 109771.50 kWh with a power rating 141.30 kWp. It also observed that the PV array could meet 25.25% to 26.51% of annual demand of the University of Oulu Botanical Gardens. Moreover, payback time found equal for both scenario, while in their lifetime they can can reduce 846.85 tonnes to 889.15 tonnes of carbon emission to the atmosphere

Biogas Utilization Opportunities in Ostrobothnia Region : findings from the project

This final report summarizes the key results of the "Biogas Utilization Opportunities in Ostrobothnia Region" project, which was conducted from March 2020 - September 2022 by the University of Vaasa. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, replacing fossil fuels with renewable fuels, and reducing waste play a key role in the EU's climate recycling targets. Biogas has a vital role to play in achieving these goals. However, the utilization of biogas in Finland is still limited, and it can be stated that the biogas market and the infrastructure enabling the market operation are still developing. The overall goal of this project was to build new knowledge and create favorable conditions for biogas business and biogas use to grow through techno-economic studies, measurements, and common operation models. Screening of real-driving emissions of a biogas-fueled city bus and the well-to-wheels analysis showed that up to 90 % greenhouse gas emission savings could be achieved by switching from liquid fossil fuel to biomethane. In addition to the biogas use as a traffic fuel, we investigated the possibilities of industrial operators and the local energy sector to switch to renewable biogas in their operations. To make biogas a realistic alternative for them and other potential new end-users – such as heavy transport and the maritime sector – the production and supply of liquefied biomethane, in particular, needs to be increased. Investments in local biogas liquefaction and a regional biogas pipeline could be the next major step in promoting biogas use in Ostrobothnia. The greenhouse industry could contribute with biomass waste material to biogas production. Biogas could in return also be employed in combined heat and power applications in greenhouse operations. Nonetheless, the greenhouse industry is already utilizing a lot of other bioenergy in heating. Carbon dioxide capture at biogas production plants is technically possible, and appears to be or become implemented at several sites in Europe. In the project, three biogas scenarios were created for Ostrobothnia, based on the findings from literature, interviews, and workshops as well as the project’s own calculations. The future direction of biogas solutions in Ostrobothnia is still unclear due to legislative issues, investment costs, and lack of knowledge. With sufficient support, the biogas sector can be expected to grow considerably.fi=vertaisarvioimaton|en=nonPeerReviewed