Reducing energy consumption in farm buildings

A review was conducted on energy use in farming as part of the Ademe study ‘Rational use of energy in greenhousesand livestock buildings: the technical and economic situation and current and future scope for action’ entrusted to the IFIP- Pig Farming Institute, ITAVI and Livestock Farming Institute jointly with the Brittany and Pays de la Loire Chambers of Agriculture. In piggeries, the main energy users are heating and ventilation, accountingrespectively for 46% and 39% of the total energy consumed.Several lines of action are proposed to reduce energy consumption :- improvement of production tools : insulation, draughtproofing, banking, etc.,- optimisation of settings and good coordination of the heating-ventilation tandem,- plant maintenance and choice of energy-saving equipment,- energy recovery: heat exchangers and heat pumps,- use of renewable energy sources: biomass fuel, solar heating and biogas.