Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
A large number of greenhouses use solar power in a passive fashion - letting sunlight pass through transparent plasticcover or glasses. However, the maximized sunlight does not turn to the maximized production for low-light plants, such as lettuce, asparagus, cabbage, etc. On the other hand, the costs for maintaining temperatures ina greenhouse can represent as much as 30% of the variable costs annually of which almost75% is just forheating and about 15% goes toward electricity. In addition, relying on fossil fuels as the main sources to heat the greenhouses contribute to the accumulated greenhouse gas emissions and global warming effect.This project studies a proposed greenhouse that utilizes solar panels coupled with geothermal energy for the dual synergetic benefits of: 1) improved energy harvesting and management toward zero-net-energy agriculture, 2) controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) with light, temperature and moisture for improved plant production. The advanced building integrated photovoltaic-thermal (BIPVT) panels with partial transparent solar cell coverage are installed on the south-facing roof of a solar greenhouse to generate photovoltaic (PV) electricity and collect heat; the electricity can be stored in a battery array for electricity backup and directly used for extended LED light for lettuce growth; a passive bi-directional geothermal heat exchange system storesheat in summer and release in winter by a smart thermal management system and; the sensing and control system will monitor energy usage and distribution for smart operation. The advanced greenhouse proposed in this project not only results in low-cost andsustainable plant production with improved qualitybut also contributes the path toward zero-emission agriculture.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
50%
Developmental
40%
Goals / Objectives
This project covers agriculturally-related manufacturing technology, energy efficiency, and alternative and renewable energy. Solar energy harvesting and thermal management with a passive bi-directional geothermal system will significantly improve the energy efficiency of the system with the ultimate goal of a net-zero energy farm by using solar and geothermal energy. The 8-month Phase I Program will focus on the design and laboratory test of the solar geothermal components, and assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of the greenhouse technology. A successful Phase I will lead to a scalable BIPVT-geothermal greenhouse prototype for field testing in Phase II.In Phase I, we will achieve the following two technical objectives:(1) Fabricate a small laboratory-scale prototype with all components for material characterization and operational testing, system integration, and demonstration.(2) Design an actual greenhouse for field testing in Phase II and predict the performance from the component test results for benefit-cost analysis of the greenhouse system.
Project Methods
This comprehensive research paradigm covers from lab experiments to field demonstration, from modeling to validation, from sensing to control, and from research to extension. The collaborative research will integratethe expertise of energy harvesting technologies (EHT) scientistswith controlled environment agriculture (CEA) experts. A comprehensive literature review will be performed to study the state-of-the-art technologies in this area. The research team will work on running simulation models and doing comparative studies with the physical experiments to validate the model. The components of the system will be designed and built to perform small-scale experiments.The energy and plant growth models developed in the laboratory will be validated by field tests and extended to the industry.Furthermore, the team will have regular meetings with the program directors to stay on track during the progress of the project. The team will work closely with the farm management and the county to implement the plans, in addition to field testing and demonstration of various extension activities