UK DEVELOPMENTS IN THE USE OF THERMAL SCREENS FOR FUEL SAVING IN COMMERCIAL GREENHOUSES

Over 90% of the UK heated greenhouses are heated with oil.
The price of oil has continually risen by quite large amounts since the three-fold increases of 197¾.

Growers have responded and have succeeded in reducing fuel usage by surprisingly large amounts.

Table 1 – UK glasshouse fuel usage: 1972/3 – 1975/6

Litre x 106

	1972/3	197¾	1974/5	1975/6
Light	177	182	118	105
oils				(59% of 1972/73)
Heavy	400	373	336	302
oils				(75% of 1972/73)

It is concluded that these reductions have been made by:-

1. growing later crops

2. growing cooler crops

3. having mild winters

4. improving heating efficiency

These methods have been successful in enabling many greenhouse businesses to remain profitable.
However, the weather during the winter periods before this last one of 1976/77 has been milder than average and for one year after the fuel crisis the growers had a considerable fuel cost subsidy, so the full effects of even average winter conditions had not been felt.

Symposium on More Profitable Use of Energy in Protected Cultivation

B.R. Smith

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1978.76.41