Estimation of Minimum Energy Consumption Index in a Protected Farm Using Bacteria Foraging Optimization Algorithm

This article estimates the minimum energy consumption index in a single story protected farm which would suggest the condition of minimum energy consumption or loss condition. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), weighted sum method (WSM) and weighted product method (WPM) are used for relative ranking of four energy consumption indicators viz., water pumping, light supplement, CO2 balancing and cooling-heating under three criteria viz., cropping area, daily crop water, and indoor environment. The minimum, maximum and average energy consumption index was predicted by the bacteria foraging optimization (BFO) algorithm and the group method of data handling (GMDH). The minimum energy consumption index (1.4174) predicted by the BFO algorithm gives higher prediction compared energy consumption index (1.114) predicted by the GMDH algorithm.