3 Ways Renewable Energy Is Providing More Flexibility in the Food Industry

The food industry consumes around 30% of energy worldwide. This energy is necessary to keep up with global demand and decrease food insecurity. Unfortunately, most of the power in the industry comes from non-renewable sources that contribute to global warming.

The good news is that renewable energy is becoming a more significant part of the food industry in various forms that help reduce emissions and produce more high-quality crops.

Renewable energy is becoming an excellent resource for everyone involved in the food industry by providing flexibility it never had before. Here are three ways renewable energy resources are providing that flexibility and helping the industry grow.

1.   Solar Panels Benefit Crops and Provide Extra Income

The concept of agrivoltaics was brought into the public eye in 2019 after years of research from the University of Arizona.

The process involves using poorly performing or underused farmland to house solar panels instead of crops. Experts found that these solar fields had the highest solar energy potential and could even benefit crops that need shade.

Farmers can collect supplemental income from the panels, which helps during low-producing seasons. They also power watering systems and can triple the production of the crops growing beneath them.

Utilising solar panels can lead to two to three times greater income for farmers, especially those in drought-ridden areas.

These panels also benefit the surrounding community by providing solar energy through the proper placement of the panels.

Solar panels give farmers options they previously didn’t have for crop production and income.

2.   Water Purification Saves Water and Improves Taste

Thanks to solar and other renewable energy sources, farms can improve their water. The quality of water can significantly affect a farmer’s yield. Municipal and natural water sources can contain excess salt or metals that can reduce crop production, costing time and money.

Farms can purchase water purification systems, but they require various treatment measures and have different output levels, making them a pain to keep up with.

Industrial purification systems allow for an easier purification process that is consistent across crops. It eliminates the waste of unneeded water and prevents crops from drying out due to a lack of water.

Once farmers harvest the crops, companies use these purification systems during processing. Poor water quality can affect the taste of various products, such as wines and beers. Biological impurities in the water can also affect a food or beverage’s flavour composition.

3.   Anaerobic Digestion Turns Waste into Power

Another sustainable power source in food production is anaerobic digestion.

According to the United Nations, one third of the food produced globally is lost or goes to waste. When food ends up in landfills, it breaks down into methane, a greenhouse gas that, when not contained, exacerbates global warming.

Anaerobic digestion uses food waste to power lights and equipment efficiently. There are four steps to this process:

• Hydrolysis: Microorganisms break down long-chain polymers into smaller molecules, such as amino acids and sugars.
• Acidogenesis: Acidogenic bacteria ferment the molecules, causing them to break down further and create volatile organic compounds.
• Acetogenesis: This process continues the decomposition process, creating carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and acetic acid.
• Methanogenesis: The broken-down products produce methane, a biogas captured for energy use.

The food industry is taking advantage of this process to benefit from the waste products of production and enjoy greater control over production.

Utilising Renewable Energy for Food

The food industry is relied upon worldwide. While the resources provided help to benefit the earth’s people, it has the unfortunate side effect of releasing emissions that increase climate change.

Renewable energy is bringing new life into the industry by making it more sustainable and helping it produce more food for distribution. With the flexibility these resources provide, it’s no wonder these energy sources are improving the industry.