Renewable Energy Sources: a Novel Technology for Eco-friendly and Sustainable Pig Production

Purpose Renewable technologies are considered a clean energy source, providing an excellent opportunity to reduce global warming and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by substituting conventional energy sources based on natural resources. This study compared the effects of different renewable energy sources on the internal pig house environment, harmful gas emissions, energy-saving efficiency, and productivity traits of growing pigs. Methods Thirty heads of pigs [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc] were raised for 10 weeks in pig incubators connected with a conventional electric heating system (control), solar power system (SPS), and geothermal heat pump (GHP) energy sources for pig housing heating systems. Results The results revealed no significant difference in the growth performance parameters. Numerically, the highest feed intake and weight gain were recorded in the pigs reared in the GHP-connected incubators. The temperature inside the incubators did not significantly affect the internal environmental housing conditions. Moreover, the humidity (%) was significantly reduced in the GHP-connected pig incubator, but no significant difference was recorded in the temperature-humidity index in all incubators. The concentrations of H2S, NH3, and CO2 emissions decreased in the GHP-connected incubator. The energy-saving efficiency compared to the control was 21.12% for SPS and 57.32% for GHP. The relationship between feed intake and internal housing temperature and humidity of all energy sources for heating systems showed strong positive correlations with R-2 = 0.88-0.90 and R-2 = 0.84-0.88, respectively. Conclusion Renewable energy technologies are environmentally friendly and can be used in pig farms without adverse effects on pig production performance.