Thermal water utilization in the Hungarian greenhouse practice

Abstract

This article focuses on the usage of geothermic energy in greenhouses, its energy-, economic efficiency- and sustainability-related questions. The most notable cost greenhouses produce during operation is the usage of heat energy, which is why when planning a system for this purpose, the energetic analysis of the solution to be used is one of the most important factors. The presented analyses suggest that of the energy resources currently available and usable, geothermic energy has the lowest unit cost. In the case of greenhouse heating, this method turned out to be the most cost-effective among all solutions using any of the energy resources. Regarding the environmental aspect, the CO2 emission rates of the various heating methods have been examined as well. Using the thermal water of the greenhouses before reinjection is an efficient way of energy utilization. Even though the firewood and pellet boilers look the most efficient forms for the first time, past experiences proved them to be the most expensive ones as well. Therefore, it can be stated that the utilization of geothermal energy is the best solution for greenhouse heating, from the perspectives of economic and environmental aspects as well. Based on the previous observations in terms of environmental and economic efficiency this paper aims to discover the opportunities for high-scale thermal utilization in Hungary in order to meet its future renewable targets.