Energy-efficient climate control of a greenhouse for increased productivity

Project summary

Project acronym
ClimaGreen
Main Thematic area
A - Energy
A.2 - Energy efficiency within the process of generation, transmission, smart grids distribution and at the consumer/end user;
energy
Secondary Thematic area
A - Energy
A.1 - Innovative materials and technologies for energy storage;
Tertiary Thematic area
Key words
heat pump integration in greenhouse
seasonal storage of energy
increased productivity in horticulture
reduced carbon emissions for energy
high efficiency
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Principal investigator
Ionuț Ovidiu Jerca
Megaphone
Project promoter
UNIVERSITATEA DE STIINTE AGRONOMICE SI MEDICINA VETERINARA
Euro
Funding
RO Research Programme - EEA Grants
Users
Partners
SINTEF AS
Gether AS
Pin 01
Location
Bucharest
Calendar
Period of implementation
2021-01-01 to 2024-04-30
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Project in a nutshell

The project designed and installed a prototype integrated heat pump system in the USAMV greenhouse, featuring three heat pumps, six air handling units (AHUs) located in three 160 m2 greenhouse compartments, including the necessary pumps and piping. The heat pumps had a total installed capacity of approximately 280 kW for heating and 210 kW for cooling. Additionally, 15 boreholes, each 110 m deep, were drilled for borehole thermal energy storage (BTES). 

The heat pumps are connected to the BTES and to a 200 kW dry cooler outside of the greenhouse with conditioned air distributed through hoses connected to the AHUs. CO2 is supplied from installed CO2 bottles. This fully operational heat pump system provides both heating and cooling, optimizing temperature and humidity for enhanced plant growth. The BTES allows excess summer heat to be stored for winter use, extending the greenhouse's productive period. Collaboration between project partners enabled practical testing and theoretical work through modelling and simulation, validating the proof-of concept. The work engaged graduate students in research, promoting knowledge exchange and capacity building. Targeted events and outreach to stakeholders provided new knowledge and best practices for farmers and entrepreneurs, including dissemination to attract young researchers and foster long-term research collaborations.

Scientific results


publication
Publications
10
conference
Conferences
3
patent
Patents
1



ClimaGreen contributed to technological development that promotes a sustainable and more environment friendly operation of greenhouses. This concept implementation can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from greenhouses by using the renewble energy for its operation. Extend this concept can help more energy-efficient and sustainable energy usage in the greenhouse sector and contribute to environmental protection. 

Both industry, that develop new efficient heat pumps, and horticulture, that use this concept, are beneficiary of this model and can contribute to develop private sector. Integrated Climagreen prototype has the potential for increased productivity for the growing of fruit and vegetables in greenhouses with a novel and sustainable climate control system. 

Thus, there is also a great potential for commercialization of the combined system of heat pump technology and thermal energy storage for economic sectors.

Socio-economic impact

As a result of project, the fully operational heat pump system installed in the greenhouse, actually prototype ClimaGreen with patent request, provides both heating and cooling, optimizing temperature and humidity for enhanced plant growth and productivity. Maintain well controlled growing conditions all seasons in the greenhouse increased the productivity of tomato tested cultivars. This makes the research greenhouse useful for further research applications and projects, as well as to demonstrate new developed technologies for students, farmers, public authorities and entrepreneurs. We created 3 additional new job positions for young researchers, published 15 peer-reviewed scientific publications (4 of them submitted with SINTEF researchers), 2 joint applications for further funding in EU, 1 jointly registered application IPP with both Norwegian partners. 

This new implemented and validated concept is more accessible for researchers, students and everybody interested in greenhouse technologies, as well as in environmental green technologies to reduce fossil fuel-firing and to increase C storage. This project is expected to help to expand knowledge and use of heat pump technologies and to contribute to putting our university and Romania at a high level of European research high level. 

Research in the spotlight

Greenhouses can be up to 15 times more productive than field conditions. 
Careful monitoring and proper maintenance techniques allow for off-season year-round production. 
It takes a lot of energy to keep a stable environment inside the greenhouses. 

The researchers team of ClimaGreen project, funded under Norway Grants, test the use of heat pumps to enhance food production. 
Their study is aimed at developing the proper technology to store the summer heat and use it in the cold season. 
This cost-effective technology will help farmers to spread production year-round.  Find out why the future of food production is inside glasshouses.



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