Greenhouses' energy use reviewed
Finnish greenhouse cultivators typically use various kinds of energy: electricity for lighting, wood chips for heating, and oil burners as a backup heat source. Light fuel oil is the most common single source of energy.
According to data compiled by the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Tike), the total annual energy consumption of Finland’s commercial greenhouses increased slightly over the period 2006-2008 to reach an annual level of almost 1.8 million megawatt hours (MWh) in 2008.Consumption of both fuel oil and coal declined, but electricity consumption increased by more than 7 percent to 476,044 MWh. The use of energy supplied through district heating schemes meanwhile rose by about a fifth to 132,843 MWh. Although the total use of wood energy declined slightly, more fuel chips were utilised. The share of locally produced peat-based fuels rose substantially, overtaking coal and anthracite.
Energy consumption levels in Finland’s commercial greenhouses are surveyed by Tike every two years.
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