AgroFossilFree - Survey and evaluation of solar technologies for agricultural greenhouse application

Allgemeine Beschreibung

Greenhouse cultivation is a form of modern agriculture in which crops are grown under a controlled environment to obtain higher yields and better crop quality. Implementing solar technologies in a greenhouse application would help to enhance its performance sustainably. This study presents a survey and evaluation of photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal collectors (STC), and photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar technologies for greenhouses. PV modules show promising results to cover the electrical energy demands and ensure adequate crop production. However, the main issue with static conventional PV solar modules is the shading effect that causes a reduction in the photosynthetic efficiency of greenhouse crops. It was found that 1% of fixed module coverage decreases a tomato crop's yield by about 0.66%. The literature shows two potential solutions for this: dynamic shading and concentrating solar technologies. The review also revealed that the integration of semi-transparent PV solar technologies is a possible prospect for greenhouses. Furthermore, the review identified STC collectors, with and without concentration and storage technologies, to heat the greenhouse's interior and decrease fossil fuel needs. Whereas the hybrid PV/T were analyzed for greenhouse application, it was found that PV/T modules are gaining interest due to their high efficiency and generation of electrical and thermal energy from a single panel. Finally, it was concluded that by employing these solar technologies in greenhouses, crop yield and quality could be enhanced while ensuring sustainable and environmentally friendly energy production. However, these solar technologies must be further optimized to make them more attractive.