Effect of temperature increase on cooling systems in livestock farms

Abstract

We developed a methodology to evaluate the changes in cooling technologies of agricultural buildings derived from different scenarios of global climate change. Four 2080s scenarios were analysed for 6 European locations, using as a case study fattening pig farms and 3 cooling technologies: natural and forced ventilation, and cooling pads. The climate scenarios were constructed as a combination of general circulation models (Had CM2 and ECHAM4) downscaled for Europe with the HIRHAM and RCA3 regional models and driven by the A2 and B2 socio-economic scenarios. A steady-state heat balance model was used for the energy analysis in the livestock farms. The results showed that no changes in cooling technologies are necessary in the Mediterranean Basin; cooling pads were efficient enough for adequate climatisation both in the present and future scenarios. In northern European locations results were different, depending on the future scenario. Most scenarios indicated that cooling pads will be needed in fattening pig farms in the 2080s, while ventilation is efficient enough in the present scenario. The economic consequences will be important, as the costs associated with cooling pads are much higher than the costs of natural or forced ventilation. © Inter-Research 2010.