Performance of an integrated greenhouse equipped with Light-Splitting material and an HDH desalination unit

Highlights

• Greenhouse combined with solar water heater, treatment, and light splitting cover.

• Integrated system can be used in arid regions with compromised waters.

• Representative greenhouse is modeled for various locations throughout the US.

• Up to 85% of the clean water needed for plant growth can be produced.

Abstract

The concept of a novel integrated greenhouse is introduced in which a spectral-splitting material is employed to reduce heat transfer to the greenhouse by utilizing part of the solar spectrum for heating a water solar collector. The irradiating solar spectrum is also shifted to wavelengths propitious for plant growth. The solar collector is part of an integrated humidification-dehumidification system that can produce freshwater for plant irrigation from a variety of compromised water sources. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed integrated greenhouse, a multivariable thermal model is presented which includes the solar collector, the desalination system, and the greenhouse (accounting for the air, the soil, the plants, and the ground). A representative greenhouse is modeled and the results are used to estimate freshwater production and associated reduction in cooling or heating loads. The results of the model are used for evaluating the performance of the representative integrated greenhouse in various locations across the United States. Results suggest that the proposed greenhouse in Phoenix (Arizona, USA) can produce about 85% of required water for tomato growth, while reducing the cooling load by more than 25%.