Spatiotemporal assessment of the cumulative exergy demand of agricultural greenhouse production with industrial symbiosis

Abstract

While agricultural greenhouses facilitate out-of-season production, they face criticism due to their considerable resource consumption and consequential negative environmental repercussions. Resource use varies based on location, meteorological conditions, agricultural practices, and greenhouse technology. This study evaluates resource consumption of greenhouse systems by quantifying the cumulative exergy demand (CExD) of 1 kg of greenhouse tomatoes for every production month, considering geographical locations of projected greenhouses in Switzerland, cultivation practices (staggered and non-staggered), and seasonal weather variations throughout the year. Moreover, the effect of implementing Industrial Symbiosis (IS) opportunities on potential CExD reduction is explored. The findings indicate that in case of a planting and growing period from September to July instead of February to November, the annual average CExD of 1 kg tomato increases by 43 % in the Mittelland region (e.g. Bern). Furthermore, depending on cultivation periods, the CExD for a kilogram of tomatoes harvested in the same area in November could reach 14 times higher than in July, showing the temporal variability of resource consumption in greenhouse agriculture. Utilizing waste heat and CO₂ from nearby potential suppliers can reduce the CExD by 60 % compared to conventional greenhouses heated by fossil fuels. Policymakers can use the presented outcomes to assess local policies in relation to resource efficiency, quantified as life cycle exergy in this paper.