Development of On-site Heat Loss Audit and Energy Consulting System for Greenhouse

Abstract

Purpose: Greenhouses for a protected horticulture covered with a plastic or glass are easy to have weakness in a heat loss by deterioration, damage, poor construction, and so on. To grasp the vulnerable points of heat loss of the greenhouses is important for heating energy saving. In this study, an on-site heat loss audit and energy consulting system were developed for an efficient energy usage of a greenhouse. Method: Developed system was mounted with infrared thermal and visual cameras to grasp the heat loss from the greenhouse quickly and exactly, and a trial calculation program of heating load of greenhouse to provide farmers with the information of heating energy usage. Results: Developed system could print out the reports about the locations and causes of the heat losses and improvement methods made up by an operator. The mounted trial calculation program could print out the information of the period heating load and fuel cost according to the conditions of greenhouse and cultivation. The program also mounted the databases of the information on the 13 horticultural energy saving technologies developed by the Korea Rural Development Administration and simple economic analysis sub-program to predict the payback period of the technologies. Conclusion: The developed system was expected to be used as the basic equipment for an instructors of district Agricultural Technology and Extension Centers to conduct the energy consulting service for the farmers within the jurisdiction.