Trends and Perspective for the Optimal Use of Energy in Ornamental Plant Production and Distribution in Italy.

Climatic conditions and cultural traditions grant to Italy an important role in flower and ornamental plant production. This activity is characterized by an intensive use of technical inputs that, taking into account the energetic applications, have voices of cost only lower to manpower. Moreover, the increasing cost of oil and the growing environmental problems (i.e. global warming, greenhouse gas release) pushed the main producing Countries to improve technologies for alternative-energy use. The authors are involved in a national research project (FLORENER, financed by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture) in order to study the optimisation of energy use along the flower and ornamental plant production and distribution chain. The research aims to investigate the possibility of reducing the energy requirement investing in new low-energy consuming technologies. This aim takes into account the structures and the covering materials, the heating/cooling systems, the fuel alternatives and the location options. Besides, software has been designed in order to assess the energy efficiency of existing greenhouses for planning economically viable improvements. In addition, the logistic aspects related to transport have been considered under quality preservation and energy saving points of view.