Harvesting sustainability: vertical agricultural greenhouses powered by renewable energy technologies

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates the practicality of integrating renewable energy systems to meet the electricity needs of a self-contained hydroponic greenhouse that functions as an environmentally friendly facility with reliable air conditioning and electrical infrastructure. The first step is to assess the greenhouse’s annual electricity consumption and design a renewable energy system that can sustain this year-round. The results show that daily electricity consumption is between 0.75 and 2 kWh, with thermal air conditioning accounting for over 50% of the total consumption. To address this issue, a simulation model is developed to evaluate the performance of a hybrid photovoltaic/wind system connected to an electric storage battery and to optimize its integration into the greenhouse. This causes the battery’s voltage to generally increase during charging (to 350.5 V) and its state of charge to change non-linearly depending on the battery’s chemical makeup. An Energy Management System (EMS) is then developed for the Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES), which works in two modes to ensure the energy balance for uninterrupted power supply. An economic and environmental analysis of three scenarios is developed and concludes that the systems are effective and sustainable, with an estimated payback period of approximately 6 to 8 years.