Energy efficiency in agriculture

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Energy efficiency in agriculture refers to reducing the amount of energy required to provide agricultural products and services. The European Commission has policies related to energy efficiency, including in agriculture. The European Union has established measures to promote energy efficiency, including setting targets for energy savings, and requiring energy audits and management plans for large companies. The AGREE project conducted studies on energy efficiency in different agricultural production systems and proposed measures for improvement. The results of the project were summarized in reports that highlighted the opportunities and drawbacks for energy efficiency in agriculture in different European countries. Improving energy efficiency in agriculture contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. [1]

Contents

European Commission definitions

Energy in general

European Commission definitions of energy efficiency, [2] are given below:

According to article 2(d) of the Regulation (EC) No1099/2008 on energy statistics:

Energy in agriculture

European Union policies

European Commission requirements regarding energy use across the EU (Directive 2012/27/EU) establish a common framework of measures for the promotion of energy efficiency within the European Union to:

The directive also:

Provides for the establishment of indicative national energy efficiency targets for 2020Key measures with implications for the agricultural sector:

In the framework of the AGREE project [3], studies on the energy efficiency of specific agricultural production systems of different types (arable crops, agro-forest, greenhouses, and animal husbandry) were executed in 2012-13 in Europe based on existing data from six countries and were combined in one report. [5]

Energy efficiency measures were proposed for each agricultural system and presented in an overview report. [6] A synthesis and summary report on drivers and stakeholders of energy efficiency in agriculture, and potential of energy saving hours was produced.

The most directly effective measures were taken into account in reporting their effect on energy consumption per unit of product in certain case studies in all seven countries taking into account trade-offs regarding GHG emissions and final farm cost. The results are presented in a report named Economic and environmental analysis of energy efficiency measures in agriculture – Case Studies and trade-offs. [7]

An intensive stakeholder process, by organising national stakeholders meetings in six countries, revealed the opportunities and drawbacks for a future energy efficient agriculture in Europe. The results of this process are presented for six countries at special reports, one for each country (Finland, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal). The results of all reports are summarized in a synthesis report on transnational value of national stakeholders meetings.

The integration of the perspectives of representatives of different EU regions to achieve a future energy efficient agriculture in Europe, an output of a European transnational stakeholder meeting, is summarized in the Agenda for transnational collaboration. [8] This represents the shared views on how to improve energy efficiency in European agriculture.

2013 perspective

According to the work done in AGREE, suggestions were given on the definition of energy efficiency in agriculture

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References

  1. Makarski, Julie; Brouwers, Melissa C. (2014-08-15). "The AGREE Enterprise: a decade of advancing clinical practice guidelines". Implementation Science. 9 (1): 103. doi: 10.1186/s13012-014-0103-2 . ISSN   1748-5908. PMC   4148001 . PMID   25123781.
  2. Directive 2006/32/EC
  3. Directive 2006/32/EC
  4. Energy Efficiency in Agriculture (AGREE), project, FP7-KBBE-2011-5-289139, http://www.agree.aua.gr Archived 2013-11-01 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "State of the Art on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
  6. "Energy Saving Measures in Agriculture" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016.
  7. "Economic and Environmental Analysis of Energy Efficiency Measures in Agriculture" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 November 2013.
  8. "D4.5 Agenda for Transnational Co-operation on energy efficiency in agriculture" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 November 2016.