Articles
EVALUATION OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY INDICATORS IN BELGIAN GREENHOUSE HORTICULTURE
In the last few years the greenhouse sector of the northern regions has to compete more and more with the developing horticultural sector of the southern regions whose production is less energy-dependent.
This has his repercussions on the cost efficiency of the horticultural holdings.
Moreover, environmental pollution caused by the use of fossil fuel becomes a topical matter.
This drives the horticultural sector to a more efficient use of energy.
The objective of the research is the evaluation of energy efficiency indicators in the Belgian greenhouse horticultural sector.
Three different energy efficiency indicators were chosen.
First the evolution of the physical energy efficiency is examined: this means the primary energy consumption per unit of horticultural product.
This is followed by an evaluation of the economical energy efficiency: the ratio of energy costs and production value.
Finally, the energy efficiency is expressed as the environmental efficiency of the energy: the emission of CO2 per m2.
For this purpose the energy consumption, the energy costs, the physical production and the production value of the Belgian greenhouse horticulture between 1980–1996 was calculated.
This period was characterized by a number of energy crises where the increasing energy prices forced the horticulturists to take energy-saving measures.