Use of alternative energy sources in protected agriculture

1982 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Pasternak ◽  
E. Rappeport

Low temperature energy sources for protected cropping include geothermal waters, waste heat from Industry, and trapped sunshine; application depends on the recovery of heat from circulating warmed water, either via the soil in which the plants are growing or via the air in the greenhouse. Soil warming pipes and ‘water-curtain’ systems of space-heating have shown promise, but heat storage, either for short periods or longer, remains a problem common to all such schemes.

The United Kingdom grows a little more than one half of its food and it is shown that agriculture uses 4 % of national energy to make this unprocessed food available at the farm gate. Small though this may be, it is absolutely vital to British agriculture, for present levels of productivity are highly dependent on its use, principally through the media of mechanization and fertilizers. The prospects for the United Kingdom’s indigenous energy supplies are examined and it is shown that while self-sufficiency seems assured in the 1980s, before the turn of the century we may once again be competing in world markets for scarce and expensive fossil fuels. The prospects for making better use of existing and alternative energy sources in agriculture are discussed. It is shown that conservation measures may be practised in relation to existing energy sources in respect of powered machines, cultivations, drying of crops and glasshouse heating and that there are also possibilities in respect of fertilizers. New and under-used sources considered include solar energy by direct and photosynthetic means (energy crops), crop residues, animal wastes, wind power, industrial waste heat, and geothermal energy, and some examples are given of their application to agricultural systems. Some of these new and under-used sources of energy appear to offer some prospects of supplementing present sources but their future will be critically dependent on the availability and cost of energy from these more conventional sources.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 885-904
Author(s):  
M.E. Frai

Subject. The article discusses limited sources of energy nowadays and an ongoing survey of new ones. I focus on fuel and energy complexes worldwide and in Russia. Objectives. The study is to analyze the future use of alternative energy sources in the fuel and energy complex nationwide and worldwide. I review the existing energy sources of the fuel and energy complex in the global and regional markets, specifically the alternative ones. Methods. The study relies upon methods of statistics, analysis and systems approach. Results. The article demonstrates that the fuel and energy complex strongly depends on the current situation in the energy resource market, which is difficult to forecast. If we continue relying on traditional energy resources, we get exposed to some risks affecting the sustainable development of the economy. Russia should diversify the power engineering sector by developing alternative energy sources. The article sets forth the economic rationale for alternative sources and key steps Russia shall make. Conclusions and Relevance. Considering the current situation in the energy balance, alternative energy is what any advanced society seeks for, being supported by manufacturers, governmental institutions, and researchers, though low profitability and high infrastructure costs impede its development. In Russia, these challenges are even more palpable. However, even now Russia is able to find alternative energy solutions. In addition to advantages of alternative energy, which is globally proclaimed, they will also help Russia diversify and update the economic system.


2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-486
Author(s):  
Andrius Plepys ◽  
Jean-Philippe Boutin ◽  
Giulia Gervasoni ◽  
Robert Hlep ◽  
Kristin Seyboth ◽  
...  

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