Energy has become an increasingly important factor in determining greenhouse enterprise profitability. As energy prices rise the economy will inevitably move towards full accounting for carbon dioxide emissions.

A two-tiered approach was utilised in this project. Firstly, the creation of a self-assessment energy audit kit will help growers identify, categorise and identify actions to achieve energy savings aimed at a reduction of energy demand through upgrading of systems.

Energy efficiency is more than simply turning equipment off. It involves using electricity or fuel more efficiently to get the most output from equipment at the least practical cost. Undertaking the audit process has more benefits than simply estimating energy use. It helps growers to identify the major components of their energy bills and attribute an operating cost to each item. It also helps show where significant savings can be made through replacing inefficient pieces of equipment and/or identifying the costs of running equipment unnecessarily.

Secondly, through the comparison of alternate heating technology for greenhouses, analysis shows that compared with conventional heating systems, significant energy and cost savings can be achieved through investment with different heating options.

Over the next decade, the cost of electricity across Australia is projected to rise 2% per year while the gas price is expected to increase by 8.6% per annum. Such an increase in LPG prices over the next decade will alter the economic balance to favour the use of ‘electricity driven’ alternatives such as ground source heat pumps. Likewise, as energy prices rise, the return on investment in solar thermal technology noticeably improves. A dollar investment in a ground source (surface water) heat pump heating system could return almost ‘two dollars’ at current energy price predictions while still showing a return on investment of around 30% if electricity costs rise considerably and LPG prices remain moderate.