Far Infrared Radiation Smart Fabric Heating Element for GreenHouses
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Information -
Provider/source -
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Assessment
FEFTS Specifications
Research project
for Clean energy supply (Energy production system)
Renewable energy source
Solar
Technology used
Photovoltaics
Special type
Agri-PV systems (combined with agricultural production)
Energy produced
Heat
Suitable/ideal for
Heat for agri-processes
Agricultural domain
Greenhouses
Suitable for
Farmer
Applications
Heating and cooling of agricultural constructions
Especially
Greenhouses
Type of solution
Hardware, Methodology
Details
Project`s acronym: AgrowFab (2018)
Project funding type: EU
Project funding source: H2020
Project coordinator: SAN HITECH LTD
Coordinator location: Israel
Coordinator email / Contact form: Info@SAN.CO.IL
Project status: Finished
Total budget: 71429
Additional info
With AgrowFab, we aim to commercialize a new generation of smart heating fabric elements for greenhouses, constituting an innovation to the main challenges currently faced by the industry. Air convection heating systems, hot water pipes and lately radiative heating solutions are the main technologies used for greenhouse heating. However, they have specific drawbacks, namely energy waste (the system heats the entire greenhouse and not only the crops), increased pest infestation and collateral high pesticide use (as a result of the unnecessarily extensive heating) and low design and mechanical flexibility (heating surface is usually limited to tubes/pipes round shape).
Our consortium formed by San Hitech, with 20 years’ involvement in engineering and project management and ThermoSiv, an innovative SME specialized in smart heating solutions to develop AgrowFab, using a highly cost-effective and environmentally-friendly heating fabric comprising nylon fibers coated with a proprietary non-metal carbon compound making them electrically conductive. Heat generated by an electric current flowing through these fibers is directly radiated to the crops as Far Infrared Radiation (FIR), creating a micro-climate around them.
Our solution has unlimited design and mechanical flexibility and it also offers the possibility of soil sterilization, decreasing the need of pesticides. Its real-time response to crop needs can increase crop production by up to 35% and decrease energy consumption by at least 40%.
AgrowFab can be powered using renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines and combines the aforementioned advantages with an estimated revenue increase of greenhouse businesses by up to 30%.
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Assessment
This section contains a brief assessment of the FEFTS described.
There are 3 basic categories: General, Environmental and Socioeconomic assessment.
The purpose of this assessment is to give a quick overview to the potential FEFTS user of its application benefits.
For each question, the Likert scale is used with the following possible answers:
Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree (Neutral)/non applicable, Agree, Strongly agree
General
This FEFTS contributes to improve the energy profiles of farming systems:Environmental
The application of this FEFTS directly reduces fossil energy use, in terms of:- Buildings heat use
- Pesticide reduction
Socioeconomic
The application of this FEFTS contributes to cost reductions of farming systems:Keep in mind that this assessment is subjective, based on publicly available information.
All registered users are asked to evaluate each FEFTS and when an adequate number of reviews is gathered the results depicted here are updated. Each review is screened in order to avoid malicious practices.
FEFTS providers who do not agree with the assessment results, can send their inquiry to info@agrofossilfree.eu and a direct action based on their petition will be taken.