Energy efficiency in agriculture and horticulture

• Avoid opening doors and windows when the heating is on because the thermostat will sense a change in temperature and fire more heat.
• Ensure temperature controls match the requirements of the environment. This means you should review them seasonally, based on the weather and with daylight savings.
• Clean the glass in greenhouses regularly to maintain optimum light and heat transfer from the sun.
• During the night, a reduced temperature of 10°C is sufficient for most buildings.
• MYTH: Boilers don’t need to be on for the whole year because you won’t use heating the whole year. TRUTH: Keep it running only hot water and save 5%.

• Accounts for 4% of bills across this sector and you could reduce it by up to 50% with simple steps. The first step is to have a switch-off policy. Involve your staff in the best ways to achieve this as they will appreciate being consulted and could help you come up with creative ideas.
• Use simple light switch stickers so everyone feels confident that they are turning off the right light! The Carbon Trust website has printable posters and labels you can use.
• Keep windows, skylights and light fittings clean as basic maintenance could reduce costs by 15%.
• MYTH: Starting fluorescent lights wastes more energy than having them permanently on.

Accounts for 14% of energy bills in this sector, so try to take advantage of natural ventilation and free cooling with doors and windows when it’s warm outside and halve costs. Make sure you don’t do it in such a way that it poses a risk to your business or staff.
Make sure air ducts and inlets are clean and smooth. It’s a simple measure but it can increase efficiency by 20% and improve fan motor life.
MYTH: Switching off an extractor fan will not save costs. TRUTH: It might use little energy at minimum levels but it increases the need for heat by around 5%

• Don’t overcool! Each degree can account for 2-4% of refrigeration costs. Up to 20% of the energy used for refrigeration could be cut with little or no cost.
• Don’t overcrowd refrigerators and keep them away from heat sources.
• Put reminders on chiller doors to encourage employees to keep them shut.
• Defrost regularly, check door seals are in place and keep condensers free of dust.
• Clean condensers to avoid a 20% increase in consumption.

• Check your building for damp once a year before winter and look for issues like faulty gutters or split downpipes.
• Reduce heat loss via delivery doors and docking bays by keeping them shut as much as possible.
• 25% of a building’s heat escapes through the roof, so carry out regular checks for moisture and rodents which could damage insulation and make holes, causing the heat loss.

• Use switches or thermostats that allow you a finer control of heating based on time, the day of the week or even the season. A smart thermostat can even allow you to control heating remotely via your smartphone.
• Is your thermostat affected by its location? Moving it could incur a small cost but it will mean it’s more accurate if not affected by radiator heat or placed in a draughty place.
• Maintain boilers and pipe work. Having your gas boiler serviced annually and the oil boiler serviced twice a year could save you 10% on heating costs.

• Make sure you review the performance of your ventilation and air circulation systems. If you’re not getting the desired results, there might be a fault with certain parts that you could easily replace. A system that is well maintained every year could lead to a 60% increase in efficiency.
• Check the energy efficiency rating on your fans and buy the highest rating when they need to be replaced.

• Use timers to match working hours and/or occupancy of the space so your lights are automated and there’s no risk of forgetting to switch off when you clock out.
• Replace conventional bulbs with energy-saving Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL bulbs) – they last 8x longer and use 80% less energy. What’s more, LEDs could give you 30,000-50,000 hours of extra use.

• If you can insert a 1p coin on its side between a window or door and its frame, fit draught strips.

• Install self-closing doors or strip curtains to minimise cooled air loss.
• When buying new equipment, go for higher efficiency overall rather than low cost upfront.

• Consider investing in radiant heating solutions which bounce back heat in spaces with high ceilings and high ventilation.
• Insulate to save on heating costs. You could get a payback in the first few months by insulating pipes, boilers and tanks.
• Upgrade your heating controls. For example, using a compensator which works based on external weather to regulate the temperature and reduce energy use, or an optimum start controller which optimises heating based on the time it takes to reach the desired temperature. These two devices could give you a return on investment in about 2 years.
• Invest in thermal screens to reduce heat loss from greenhouses by up to 30%.

• Consider fitting variable speed drives to match the speed at which your equipment is running to situations and processes (more on the Carbon Trust website).
• Investing in interlocked control via time switches and sensors means ventilation is automatically turned off when specific equipment is turned off. Depending on what you use, this could be a great improvement in energy efficiency.

• Better insulation increases the value of the buildings as well as lowering costs, so consider upgrading windows, doors and insulation alongside other refurbishments. Did you know that insulating pipework can reduce energy loss by 70%?
• If you have a large surface area, becoming a renewable energy generator could be a viable additional source of income by selling the extra energy back to the grid.

• Occupancy sensors in toilets or less-frequently used areas can save between 30% and 50% on lighting costs, while daylight sensors turn lights off when there is enough natural daylight.