Researcher: Shamim Ahamed, Muhammad Kashif, Amrit Kumar Thakur
Project Summary: Greenhouse crop production has attracted more people recently as a climate-smart solution for growing year-round. However, addressing the challenges associated with high energy and relatively more water consumption is essential, especially in greenhouses in the Mediterranean and arid regions where overheating during the lengthy summer months is a significant issue. Managing energy costs for indoor climate control is the second-largest operational expense, and excessive heat can detrimentally affect crop yields and overall production quality.
This project sets out to explore the potential of utilizing climate-smart retractable photovoltaic screens (RPVS) to enhance the functionality of greenhouses in the context of the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus. Our primary goal is to investigate how optimized RPVS with automated control systems can synergistically reduce energy and water demands while maximizing power conversion efficiency (PCE) without compromising crop yields. The specific activities are to (1) develop a digital twin model and optimize the RPVS for greenhouses., (2) design pilot testbeds and investigate the PCE and the crop (lettuce and tomato) performance in terms of their biotic and abiotic stress and resource (water, energy, nutrient) usages, (3) study the techno-economic feasibility analysis and life-cycle assessment (LCA) for analyzing the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and (4) develop educational and outreach programs for the dissemination of the proposed technology among stakeholders. The project's long-term goal is to provide a climate-smart solution for achieving the ultimate target of net-zero food production with reduced energy and water demand and clean power generation.
Project Activities: Will update soon
Scholarly Outcomes: Will update soon