From Guest Blogger Emily Folk: How Renewable Energy Can Make Food Manufacturing More Sustainable and Efficient

Renewable energy has become cheaper to implement in recent years, giving companies more incentive to use it in their daily operations. An increase in renewable energy means less reliance on fossil fuels — which the food industry frequently contributes to. Food manufacturing is an intricate process concerning the growth, harvesting, preservation and transport of goods. This complexity calls for a lot of energy, which facilitates harmful greenhouse gas emissions. 

However, renewable energy can reduce production expenses and make comprehensive sustainability possible for food manufacturers. Growing food and bringing it to the consumer’s plate can become more efficient for large and small businesses in the food industry.

Solar Power

Solar PV is arguably the most prevalent form of renewable energy across commercial industries. It’s painless to install, cost-effective and provides a steady power stream. Solar panels can absorb sunlight even on overcast days and store this energy in batteries for later use.

Installing solar panels on farms often means some crops don’t receive sunlight, but certain plants benefit from this. Dual-use agriculture involves using solar power to provide electricity and raise crops and livestock. A farmer could use their solar panels to power their home while also supplying cover for shade-loving plants. Many plants thrive better in the shade than the sun — growers can take advantage of this by introducing new vegetables to their farms. 

Increasing the diversity of their products allows them to sell more goods to more buyers, which brings in additional revenue. Solar PV works best in areas of low humidity and moderate temperatures, which are also the best growing conditions for crops. Combining the two means agriculturists can use less land to support both. Solar panels can provide space heating for barns and homes, saving money on fossil fuel sources.

Hydroelectric Power

Hydroelectric energy often comes from dams and plants. Impoundment facilities are a common type of hydroelectric plant — they use reservoirs to store and release river water. These reservoirs allow the facilities to control how much water they output based on electricity needs. Those interested in renewable energy within agriculture will often find farmers using hydropower to control pressurized irrigation systems and agricultural dams.

Using hydroelectric power calls for a level of water purification. Sediment and nutrients often collect in reservoirs filled with standing water. Water serves as an integral component of cleaning equipment and manufacturing food products — pure H2O is vital. Contaminated water can damage consumer trust and pose a risk to their health. Because not all water sources are the same, companies use various purification methods to ensure quality water appropriate for food manufacturing.

Wind Energy

Some farmers power their operations by installing wind turbines on their land. Many of them allow companies to lease their property and build turbines on it, which earns them more money. These machines preserve much of the land’s usability despite their size, allowing agriculturists to continue raising livestock and crops with fewer expenses. Farmers are no strangers to wind power, with many of them using windmills to sustain grain mills in decades past.

Wind turbines fit best in rural areas with plenty of room for free airflow and few obstructions. This quality makes them a great candidate for farms located in spacious areas. Wind turbines, crops and livestock can coexist in the same space while supporting each other. This concept is similar to integrated farming — though mostly small farmers practice this, it can also suit industrial operations.

Biofuels

Biofuels are still a relatively new form of renewable energy, but they promise numerous benefits. Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel consist of raw, natural materials and release fewer emissions than coal or diesel. Growing crops specifically for conversion to biofuels can improve soil fertility and pest resistance through biodiversity. 

Agricultural residues — such as byproducts from harvesting — offer a sustainable way to create biofuels. Most of them are burned or fed to livestock to clear the fields for subsequent growing seasons. Using them as biomass could provide a low-cost avenue for producing more biofuels. Each farm must consider how much biomass they can put toward biofuel creation, as most farmers currently use residues to prevent erosion and carbon depletion in soil.

Powering Food Production Sustainably

Sustainable energy is a significant component in making food manufacturing more efficient. In doing so, companies can provide healthier food to global communities for lower costs and less environmental damage. Renewable power will have a major hand in eliminating fossil fuels and streamlining production once more companies get on board.