Using biogas to warm and insulate greenhouses
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August 08 03:11:20, 2025
The combustion of 1 cubic meter of biogas can release approximately 23,000 kilojoules of heat energy. This value is often used to estimate the amount of heat required to raise and maintain the temperature in greenhouses of different sizes. For example, consider a greenhouse that measures 20 meters in length, 7 meters in width, and 1.5 meters in height, giving it a total volume of 210 cubic meters. To increase the temperature by 1°C within this space, roughly 1 kJ of heat is needed per cubic meter of air. Therefore, to raise the temperature by 10°C, a total of 2,100 kJ is required. Based on the energy content of biogas, this would equate to about 0.1 cubic meters of methane gas—assuming no heat loss.
However, in reality, greenhouses typically have poor insulation, which means that much of the heat generated is lost quickly to the environment. To counteract this, many greenhouses are equipped with biogas stoves. Usually, one biogas stove or an equivalent of 50 square meters of biogas heating system is installed for every 10 square meters of greenhouse space. These stoves, along with lighting systems, help maintain the desired temperature. While lights are often left on continuously, they do not provide significant heat and may even contribute to cooling. In contrast, biogas stoves are used strategically, especially during colder periods when rapid temperature increases are necessary. This approach ensures efficient use of biogas while maintaining optimal growing conditions inside the greenhouse.