Energy Technologies in Sustainable Agriculture

1. Introduction. Basic concepts: work, energy, power, energy conversions. Energy inputs – outputs in agriculture. Review on energy needs and use of energy in agriculture. The carbon footprint of agriculture.

2. Agriculture as an energy consumer: energy use in agriculture (land preparation, cultivation, irrigation Harvesting), in livestock, in storage and preservation of fresh farm products

3. Forms of energy: conventional energy sources (fossil fuels), impacts on the environment. Clean - renewable energy resources: wind energy

4. Forms of energy: clean - renewable energy resources: solar radiation, photovoltaic (PV) power technology, solar thermal applications

5. Forms of energy: clean - renewable energy resources: hydropower, wave and tidal power, geothermal energy, geothermal energy systems for agricultural purposes

6. Bioenergy: biomass and biofuels, solid, liquid biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol), biogas, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation of biofuels (starch, sugar, oil, lignocellulosic)

7. Agriculture as an energy producer. Biomass sources: energy crops (sugar beet, sorghum, maize, wheat, barley, artichoke, kenaf, sunflower, michanthos, oilseed rape, eucalyptus, etc.), aquaculture (microalgae, reeds )

8. Agriculture as an energy producer. Biomass sources: residual biomass (agricultural and forestry residues, animal wastes, agro-industrial wastes and residues)

9. Biomass processing techniques. Biomass conversion technologies: thermochemical conversion (combustion, torrefaction, pyrolysis, liquefaction, and gasification), biochemical conversion (anaerobic digestion, fermentation, acid and enzymatic hydrolysis)

10. Energy crops: design a pilot energy crop by the means of contemporary agricultural practices, implementation and management, complete cost analysis, assessment of environmental impacts

11. Cogeneration system: a combined Heat and Power system (CHP) for agricultural purposes

12. Greenhouses: active and passive greenhouse heating cooling system biomass burners, solar thermal systems, heat pumps, etc, energy efficient greenhouses (energy saving systems, smart agriculture tools)

13. Energy systems for livestock facilities

Tutorial exercises

• Exercises of solar potential calculation and solar panel efficiency estimation

• Exercises of wind potential

• Experiment of an energy crop design

• A case study analysis of energy systems used in a greenhouse construction

• Experimental design of an energy system for a livestock farm

• A case study analysis of energy systems used in livestock facilities