CULTIVATION TIPS FUNGICLIMA
By Jan Gielen, FungiClima Climate & Energy Specialist
FungiClima@outlook.com Picture: FungiClima
Energy saving options electricity
Based on a small-scale practical trial per- formed by DLV Plant at five mushroom farms in 2016, average electricity con- sumption of 644 kWh per 100 m2 of gro- wing surface area was noted for each cropping cycle. The cooling unit accounted for 477 kWh, the fans for 116 kWh and lighting for 52 kWh. This presents three areas where savings can be made on electricity consumption: cooling, fans and lighting.
Lighting
As an indication, lighting is responsible for approx. 10% of the electricity used on an average mushroom farm. Despite fluores- cent lighting accounting for just a limited part of the total electricity consumption, a more than 50% saving can be made (com- pared with standard fluorescent lighting) by switching to LED lighting. Do this first in the work corridor, and then in the growing rooms when the old fluorescent lighting needs replacing. With LED lighting too, make sure it is not switched on unnecessarily.
Fans
As an indication, fans account for approx. 20% of the electricity used on an average mushroom farm. Apart from using a
frequency controller, there are limited ways to reduce the energy use of fans. The possibilities are mainly ensuring that air flow resistance is limited by replacing soi- led filters in time, and eventually checking whether the cooling coil is soiled. The general advice is to replace the coarse filter every 4-6 months and the fine filters every 1.5-2 years. A more accurate method is to plan the maintenance intervals by measu- ring the pressure differences.
Cooling
As an indication, a cooling system is res- ponsible for approx. 70% of the electricity used on an average mushroom farm. It is important to use an energy efficient coo- ling system for cooling, which means good controllability and a high COP factor. A distinction can be made between indirect glycol-based cooling systems and direct refrigerant-based cooling systems. When replacing a cooling system, take into account that synthetic refrigerants are being phased out in favour of natural refri- gerants. Direct cooling systems are gene- rally more energy efficient but are also more complex and expensive to purchase. The controllability of these systems has improved considerably over time. Indirect cooling systems offer good controllability,
use standard equipment and are not as expensive. It’s important that the conden- sers can release heat properly to ensure high efficiency from the cooling system. This can sometimes be a problem with air- cooled condensers on hot summer days and can result in malfunctions, insufficient cooling capacity and high electricity consumption.
A (partially) water-cooled condenser is often more efficient and releases the heat to water. An important consideration is that this warm water (maximum +/- 40-45 ºC) is reused, e.g. for heating during mechanical dehumidification. On average, approximately 40% (in summer) of the heat produced by the condenser can be used for heating during mechanical dehu- midification. It is therefore worthwhile using a cooling system with partial heat recovery on the condensers. Depending on the season or cooling demand, the temperature of the cooling water or the evaporator can be adjusted within a limited bandwidth to save energy. In some cases, this can be set auto matically based on the cooling demand from the growing rooms. Here too, regular (obligatory) maintenance is an important condition for high efficiency.
32 MUSHROOM BUSINESS
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