Efficient heat use can help cut agricultural emissions

The last detailed study of heat use in the agricultural industry was carried over 10 years ago, but it showed that UK farmers used almost 2,200GWh of heat each year, and that heating accounted for 37% of the total energy used in agriculture. However, when horticulture (greenhouses and nurseries) was added, these figures rose further still. Half of the total heating demand came from the poultry sector, followed by crop drying and pig production. While direct electrical heating is important in some sectors, 86% of the total heat demand was provided by the on-site combustion of conventional fossil fuels including