Experimental Evaluation of Hybrid Renewable and Thermal Energy Storage Systems for a Net-Zero Energy Greenhouse: A Case Study of Yeoju-Si

Misbaudeen Aderemi Adesanya, Anis Rabiu, Qazeem Opeyemi Ogunlowo, Min-Hwi Kim, Timothy Denen Akpenpuun (), Wook-Ho Na, Kuljeet Singh Grewal () and Hyun-Woo Lee ()
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Misbaudeen Aderemi Adesanya: Future Urban and Energy Lab for Sustainability (FUEL-S), Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE), University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada
Anis Rabiu: Department of Agricultural Civil Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
Qazeem Opeyemi Ogunlowo: Department of Agricultural Civil Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
Min-Hwi Kim: Renewable Thermal Convergence Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 152 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Timothy Denen Akpenpuun: Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240003, Nigeria
Wook-Ho Na: Department of Agricultural Civil Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
Kuljeet Singh Grewal: Future Urban and Energy Lab for Sustainability (FUEL-S), Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE), University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada
Hyun-Woo Lee: Department of Agricultural Civil Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-23

Abstract: The implementation of renewable energy systems (RESs) in the agricultural sector has significant potential to mitigate the negative effects of fossil fuel-based products on the global climate, reduce operational costs, and enhance crop production. However, the intermittent nature of RESs poses a major challenge to realizing these benefits. To address this, thermal energy storage (TES) and hybrid heat pump (HHP) systems are integrated with RESs to balance the mismatch between thermal energy production and demand. In pursuit of clean energy solutions in the agricultural sector, a 3942 m 2 greenhouse in Yeoju-si, South Korea, is equipped with 231 solar thermal (ST) collectors, 117 photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors, four HHPs, two ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs), a 28,500 m 3 borehole TES (BTES) unit, a 1040 m 3 tank TES (TTES) unit, and three short-term TES units with capacities of 150 m 3 , 30 m 3 , and 30 m 3 . This study evaluates the long-term performance of the integrated hybrid renewable energy and thermal energy storage systems (HRETESSs) in meeting the greenhouse’s heating and cooling demands. Results indicate that the annual system performance efficiencies range from 25.3% to 68.5% for ST collectors and 31.9% to 72.2% for PVT collectors. The coefficient of performance (COP) during the heating season is 3.3 for GSHPs, 2.5 for HHPs using BTES as a source, and 3.6 for HHPs using TTES as a source. During the cooling season, the COP ranges from 5.3 to 5.7 for GSHPs and 1.84 to 2.83 for ASHPs. Notably, the HRETESS supplied 3.4% of its total heating energy directly from solar energy, 89.3% indirectly via heat pump utilization, and 7.3% is provided by auxiliary heating. This study provides valuable insights into the integration of HRETESSs to maximize greenhouse energy efficiency and supports the development of sustainable agricultural energy solutions, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and operational costs.

Keywords: net-zero energy greenhouse; hybrid renewable energy; tank thermal energy storage; borehole thermal energy storage; heat pumps; COP; greenhouse energy efficiency (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: 2025
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