Energiemonitor van de Nederlandse Paddenstoelensector 2018

Yearly progress made by the mushroom industry at improving energy-efficiency by 2.5%, was monitored by Wageningen University & Research. It was found that the Energy-Efficiency Index (EEI) of all participating mushroom farms was reduced to 71.1 in 2018, indicating a reduction of 28.9% in energy use per kg mushrooms as compared to 2005. The target of an EEI ≤ 68.0 was not met. However, farms growing exclusively white mushrooms realised an EEI of 65.1 and farms growing exclusively chestnut mushrooms even realised an EEI of 41.0. Since 2005 the energy use per kg mushrooms has never been as low as in 2018. High yields of white mushrooms per m2 per year and low energy use are explained by shorter and therefor more cultivation cycles per year and sterilization of emptied cultivation rooms only. Also regulating the climate in the cultivation room by the grower himself, instead of through automated settings, reduces energy use. Of the total energy use 15% was found to be renewable.Within the different categories of farm types energy use and the emission of CO2 per kg mushroom varies considerably (up to 80% around the mean).