Energy sustainability performance of a sliding-cover solar greenhouse: Captured energy management aspects

• Published in: Sustainable energy technologies and assessments 2023-06, Vol.57, p.103239, Article 103239
• Main Authors: Tong, Xuejiao, Sun, Zhouping, Sigrimis, Nick, Li, Tianlai, Yu, Xihong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Energy capture; Energy management; Optimal design; Solar energy; Solar greenhouse
• ISSN: 2213-1388
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seta.2023.103239

•A low-cost innovative system (SWS) was tested for heating the new Greenhouses.•The SWS is an active energy capture system, superior to passive heating of CSG.•The system model improved SWS performance for zero energy dependence (SDG7).•Locality optimal design of SWS was determined to meet sustainable modernization.•Proactive energy management with Model Predictive Control will secure crop safety. The utilization of solar energy as the unique source of green heat, during the cold period by solar greenhouses, is a crucial sustainability concern for off-season vegetables. This research effort serves to promote the modernization of the Solar Greenhouse industry, which is heavily practiced in northern countries. The heat collection and thermal performance of the harvested energy with the Water-cycling System (SWS) is analyzed and validated. The derivation of the heat storage/release experimental model was based on the diurnal water temperature cycle in the heat storage device. The energy cycle is based on the energy captured at the daytime and released at nighttime in the Sliding-cover Energy-saving solar Greenhouse (SEG), resulting in crop temperature surpassing a conventional Chinese Solar Greenhouse by 3℃. This is critical for a full production loss, at very low-temperature nights, appearing after sunny clear-sky cold winter days. The resulting energy model will be used by a Solar Greenhouse Designer program for the optimal design of Solar Greenhouses based on the locality climate and the targeted production facility to realize the smart specialization of climate zones. Further, a proactive, real-time energy management system will increase Production and Sustainability performance by maximizing energetic bio-efficiency.