Determination of the Effect of a Thermal Curtain Used in a Greenhouse on the Indoor Climate and Energy Savings

Sedat Boyacı, Atilgan Atilgan, Joanna Kocięcka (), Daniel Liberacki, Roman Rolbiecki and Barbara Jagosz
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Sedat Boyacı: Department of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, 40100 Kırşehir, Turkey
Atilgan Atilgan: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, 07425 Alanya, Turkey
Joanna Kocięcka: Department of Land Improvement, Environmental Development and Spatial Management, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-649 Poznań, Poland
Daniel Liberacki: Department of Land Improvement, Environmental Development and Spatial Management, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-649 Poznań, Poland
Roman Rolbiecki: Department of Agrometeorology, Plant Irrigation and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Barbara Jagosz: Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 31-120 Krakow, Poland

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 23, 1-16

Abstract: In order to reduce the impact of outdoor extreme weather events on crop production in winter, energy saving in greenhouses that are regularly heated is of great importance in reducing production costs and carbon footprints. For this purpose, the variations in indoor temperature, relative humidity and dew point temperature in the vertical direction (2 m, 4 m, 5.7 m) of thermal curtains in greenhouses were determined. In addition, depending on the fuel used, the curtains’ effects on heat energy consumption, heat transfer coefficient, carbon dioxide equivalents released to the atmosphere and fuel cost were investigated. To reach this goal, two greenhouses with the same structural features were designed with and without thermal curtains. As a result of the study, the indoor temperature and relative humidity values in the greenhouse with a thermal curtain increased by 1.3 °C and 10% compared to the greenhouse without a thermal curtain. Thermal curtains in the greenhouse significantly reduced fuel use (59.14–74.11 m 3 ·night −1 ). Considering the heat energy consumption, the average heat energy consumption was 453.7 kWh·night −1 in the greenhouse with a curtain, while it was 568.6 kWh·night −1 in the greenhouse without a curtain. The average heat transfer coefficient (U) values were calculated at 2.87 W·m −2 °C with a thermal curtain and 3.63 W·m −2 °C without a thermal curtain greenhouse. In the greenhouse, closing the thermal curtain at night resulted in heat energy savings of about 21%, related to the decrease in U values. The use of a thermal curtain in the greenhouse reduced the amount of CO 2 released to the atmosphere (116.6–146.1 kg·night −1 ) and fuel cost (USD 21.3–26.7·night −1 ). To conclude, extreme weather events in the outdoor environment adversely affect the plants grown in greenhouses where cultivation is performed out of season. A thermal curtain, used to reduce these adverse effects and the amount of energy consumed, is essential in improving indoor climate conditions, providing more economical greenhouse management and reducing the CO 2 released into the atmosphere due to fuel use.

Keywords: greenhouse microclimate; energy productivity; overall heat transfer coefficient; energy consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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