• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.335-350
• /
• 2013

With the efforts to development of renewable energy technologies, and increasing awareness to environmental issues, the usage of wood pallets has been increasing every year since the introduction of wood pallet technology to the domestic market. until 2009, majority usage of pellet boiler was in the residential houses. In an effort to increase the distribution of wood pellet boiler to cultivation facilities with high usage of fuels, The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has launched a distribution project of wood pellet boiler for fuel usage as a part of the agricultural and fishery energy efficiency projects. Although only small number of farms with a heat-culturing facility have replaced from conventional boiler to pellet boiler. Although part of reason for low usage of pallet boiler is lack of understanding and information of it, the main reasons are high initial cost and uncertainty of its cost efficiency. Also, most people from agricultural industry don't realize it's significance in terms of environmental benefit due to lack of understanding in 'resource circulation' and 'adopting to climate change'. In this study, first, we did a cost-efficiency analysis of the farm which uses a diesel boiler to grow cucumber, tomato, paprika. Then we replaced the diesel boiler to a pallet boiler and measured its cost-efficiency again. By comparing the cost-efficiency of the diesel boiler with the pellet boiler, we analyzed the economic viability of pellet boiler. Then we analyzed viability of pallet boiler usage in terms of 'resource circulation' and 'adopting to climate change'. As a result of our analysis, we have found out that under the current system of government support, the energy usage varies depends of the types crops grown and the higher the energy use, the more cost efficient it is to use the pallet boiler. Also, it is economically viable to use the pallet boiler in terms of 'resource circulation' and 'adopting to climate change'.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.255-268
• /
• 2014

We are now currently facing serious climate changes such as super typhoon, flood, intense heat, severe cold, super hurricane, drought, desertification, destruction of ecosystem, marine pollution, reduction of food production, destruction of tropical forests, exhaustion of water resources, climate refugees, etc. All of the above mainly derive from greenhouse gas exhaustion. Such harmful consequence might directly affect mankind's sustainable development. If we keep using resources that emits greenhouse gases, the global temperature will rise about $3.2^{\circ}C$ by year 2050. In case of $3^{\circ}C$ rise in temperature, it will result in abnormal climate which will bring about severe property damage. Moreover, 20~50% of the ecosystem will become extinct. As Korea's economy increasingly expands, so do our energy consumption rises. And because of the consequences that can be driven by increasing rate of resource use, not just Korea itself, but also the whole world should seriously concern about greenhouse gases. Although agricultural division only takes up about 3.2% of total greenhouse gas emission, the ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs are taking voluntary actions to gradually reduce $CO_2$ and so does each and every related organizations. In order to reduce $CO_2$, introduction of new and renewable energy in farm house warming is crucial. In other words, implementing wood-pellet boiler and geothermal heat boiler can largly reduce $CO_2$ emission compared to diesel boiler. More importantly, not only wood-pellet and geothermal heat is pollution-free but they also have economic advantages some-what. In this thesis, the economic advantage and sustainablity will be introduced and proved through comparing practical analysis of surveyed farm house under structure employing wood-pellet boiler and geothermal heat boiler with Agriculture-Economic Statistic of 2012 who uses diesel boiler.