Earth Air Heat Exchanger Research Articles

Development and evaluation of earth air heat exchanger cum evaporative cool system as an energy-efficient method for storage of tomatoes.

The lack of adequate on-farm storage facilities is one of the leading causes of enormous postharvest losses of fresh commodities, negatively affecting farmers' livelihoods and the sector's economic contribution. The aim of the current study was to develop and evaluate a solar-powered earth air heat exchanger cum evaporative cooling (EAHE-EC) system as an energy-efficient method for the storage of fresh produce for smallholders. The postharvest quality parameters of tomatoes stored under ambient storage (AS) and in an EAHE-EC system were assessed at regular time intervals during storage. These include weight loss, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, fruit firmness, color, pH, ascorbic acid, lycopene content, total phenolic acid, and antioxidant activity. The average temperature and relative humidity inside the EAHE-EC system varied from 20.59 to 22.61 °C and 82.60% to 89.43%, respectively, in comparison with AS (26.39-39.21 °C and 22.09-43.58%). Storage methods and time had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on tomato quality. Based on the retention of the overall quality until the end of the storage period, the shelf life of tomatoes was recorded as 21 days in the EAHE-EC system, which was 1.5 times more than AS (14 days). The extra shelf-life gained by tomatoes in the EAHE-EC system may provide a sufficient buffer period for smallholders for retailing and marketing. This suggests that the developed system can maintain postharvest quality and increase the shelf life of tomatoes. It therefore has potential as an energy-efficient system for the storage of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

An Investigation of the Thermal Performance of a Tropical Greenhouse Constructed With an Earth Air Heat Exchanger

Abstract To maintain optimum plant growth temperature (i.e., 25–35 °C), the thermal performance of an earth air tunnel heat exchanger (EATHE)-integrated single-span saw-tooth greenhouse (GH) was assessed in peak summer. With the side and roof vents opened, natural ventilation due to wind and stack effect controlled the air movement and temperature inside the GH. In this configuration, the average temperature inside the GH remained higher than the ambient temperature by 1.5 °C for the entire period of the experiment. For EATHE (installed at a depth of 3.2 m) assisted GH with polyethylene (PE) cover, the air from the EATHE outlet entered inside the GH at 33 °C, and the average temperature within the GH was maintained at 4 °C lower than the ambient temperature. When the shading net was installed over the PE cover with the EATHE, the transmitted radiations into the GH were reduced from the roof, and the inside temperature was maintained 7 °C below the average ambient temperature (i.e., 45 °C). The measured temperatures along the length of the EATHE were compared with the indigenously developed code named PEAT (performance analysis of earth–air tunnel) and found to be in good agreement within ±4.5% deviation. The temperature distribution inside the GH was predicted using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in ansys fluent with ±5% deviation from experimental results. With parametric analysis from the PEAT code and CFD model, the desired depth of the EATHE and the mass flowrate of air required to bring down the GH indoor temperatures to the optimum plant growth range were determined.

Modeling and optimization of integrated earth air heat exchanger and direct evaporative cooling system using ANN and RSM approaches for preserving fruits and vegetables

AbstractConventional air‐conditioned storage systems are more energy intensive which requires a consistent supply of electricity. Apart from this, it is costly and not suitable in remote areas where electricity is almost inaccessible. Therefore, the present study aimed to test the performance and feasibility of an integrated earth air heat exchanger and direct evaporative cooling system for storage of fruits and vegetables. The effects of air velocity (4–6 m/s), water flow rate (0.032–0.096 kg/s), and thickness of the cooling pad (50–150 mm) with corresponding responses were investigated in order to develop response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) models and compared them to predict temperature drop and humidity rise. Using RSM model, the optimum values for maximum temperature drop (16.80°C) and humidity rise (70.85%) within a range of input variables were found to be 4 m/s air velocity, 0.065 kg/s water flow rate, and 150 mm thickness of the cooling pad. For predicting the temperature drop and humidity rise, the higher (0.992 and 0.998) lower MAE (0.045 and 0.064), RMSE (0.187 and 0.266), and values (0.028 and 0.001) were observed in the ANN model. The developed ANN model was better than RSM models, and the model prediction was in good agreement with experiment values within the range of ±5% uncertainty. The results of this study indicate that the proposed cooling system can be successfully applied to store horticultural commodities.Practical ApplicationIntroduced hybrid cooling technique is low‐cost and eco‐friendly, and can be commercially used for on‐farm storage of fruits and vegetables to enhance their shelf life. The system is helpful for smallholder farmers/retailers to maintain the quality of the commodity during storage, minimize post‐harvest losses, and fetch good market value for the commodity.

Improving thermal performance of a passive ventilation and cooling system by integrating a phase-change material: Dynamic characteristics and parametric examinations

The coupling of a solar chimney (SC) with an earth–air heat exchanger (EAHE) is a passive ventilation and cooling system that provides fresh air and cooling to buildings. However, inherent disadvantages of the coupled system include the mismatch of the induced airflow rate and internal cooling load and the low nighttime ventilation rate, which limit the full utilization of the coupled system. These issues can be mitigated by integrating a phase-change material (PCM) in the system of SC combined with EAHE (SCEAHE). Parametric investigations were conducted to examine the thermal performance improvement of the PCM-based SCEAHE system using a dynamic model. The numerical data revealed that solar energy was effectively extracted and reallocated by the PCM, thereby increasing the nighttime airflow rate and reducing the indoor air temperature. The phase-change temperature of the PCM not only affected the airflow rate but also the thermal environment at night and in the early morning. Therefore, a PCM with a higher phase-change temperature is recommended in this study. The latent heat of fusion had a larger impact on the induced ventilation rate than the outlet air temperature of the EAHE when the latent heat of fusion exceeded 175 kJ/kg. In addition, a PCM with a thermal conductivity <1 W/(m·K) is suggested. In practical application, a thickness range of 0.04–0.05 m is the most suitable. The specific heat of the PCM had slight influence on the thermal performance of the proposed system.

Active and passive methods for cooling load reduction in a tropical building: A case study

In the present study, energy saving potential and economical viability of implementing various active and passive cooling methods to a hostel building was accessed for tropical climate. The transmitted load for the building envelope was reduced by proposed Energy conservation measures (ECMs) including Gypsum-based cow dung plaster at the walls, double glazing glass for the windows and cool paint in conjunction with Photovoltaic panel for the roof. The experimentally calculated U-values for proposed plastered wall, double glazing window and cool painted with Photovoltaic shaded roof were 1.85 W/m2 K, 3.45 W/m2 K and 1.1 W/m2 K respectively. The ventilation load for the proposed centralized air conditioning system was reduced by connecting an Earth Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) to the outlet vent port. The sizing of EAHE system was done using a MATLAB code validated with own experimental data. By parametric analysis, EAHE system of 16 pipe configuration with each of length 100 m and diameter 0.4 m was selected as a good compromise between effectiveness of heat transfer and pressure drops. Using eQuest simulation software, the total peak cooling load calculated for base and proposed case was 285 TR and 186 TR respectively. For the proposed case, the ventilation load was reduced by 18 TR and transmission load was reduced by 81 TR. The energy saving, payback time, and Greenhouse house gas mitigation for the proposed case with ECMs and EAHE was 344 MWh/year, 3.2 year, and 378 t CO2/year respectively.

Field measurement of environmental parameters in solar greenhouses and analysis of the application of passive ventilation

Solar greenhouses are passive agricultural facilities that can realize off-season production. The growth of crops in greenhouses is affected by various environmental parameters. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the variations of environmental parameters in solar greenhouses through field testing to improve their internal environment. Through field tests, it was found that the temperature variation in solar greenhouses was positively correlated with the change in solar radiation. When the top vent was opened, the minimum temperature in the greenhouse remained higher than 30 °C. The temperature gradient in the tall-plant greenhouse was twice that in the short-plant greenhouse. The relative humidity at the bottom of the tall-plant greenhouse remained greater than 65%. Top-vent opening for greenhouse ventilation is not conducive to the cooling and dehumidification of these relatively large sized greenhouses tested in this study. Passive ventilation via an integrated solar chimney and earth-air heat exchanger was applied in an experimental solar greenhouse. The results showed that when the passive ventilation was turned on, the indoor air temperature in the horizontal and vertical direction could be maintained in the range of 25 ∼ 28 °C and 25 ∼ 30 °C, respectively. The air temperature in the vertical direction had been decreased by approximately 3.5 to 6.5 °C. The passive ventilation effectively prevented continuous increases in indoor temperature, improved indoor air distribution and was conducive to the normal growth of crops.

GIS-MCDM based framework to evaluate site suitability and CO2 mitigation potential of earth-air-heat exchanger: A case study

The Earth-Air-Heat-Exchanger (EAHE) is an effective solution for reducing energy demand. GIS based tools are commonly used to assess the suitability of EAHE sites, relying on geospatial data for geological and climatic parameters. However, lack of comparable data for different regions limits their applicability. In this regard, a framework that utilizes ERA5 reanalysis data to derive necessary geological and climatic parameters is proposed and demonstrated by considering India. Findings indicate that 25% of country's area falls under excellent category, benefiting 21% of the population. Additionally, 47% and 32% of the area are classified as moderate and good, respectively, providing thermal comfort to 51% and 28% of the population. Technical suitability of installing EAHE in an excellent category region is assessed through design and simulation study. Field studies are performed to collect climatic and geological parameters required for design. A computer model is developed using these design variables to determine the outlet temperature from EAHE. The simulation studies align with site suitability maps generated using GIS-MCDM framework, highlighting its reliability. Carbon footprint analysis reveals that EAHE adoption can reduce CO2 by 66.2% compared to conventional air conditioning units. The proposed GIS-MCDM framework can be extended to other regions lacking field data.

Maximizing Efficiency of Earth-Air Heat Exchangers with Galvanized Blocks

Earth-air heat exchangers (EAHE) consist of buried ducts and a ventilation system, which require minimal electricity, making them a cost-effective and sustainable solution for improving the thermal conditions of built environments. To enhance the efficiency of the EAHE system and optimize its use of the soil's thermal potential, we employed a galvanized block with a cross-sectional area of 1.5 m2 around the duct. The simulations conducted in this study used climatic data from Viamão, a city in southern Brazil, and demonstrated the effectiveness of this strategy. The galvanized block increased the thermal conductivity of the soil region and enabled the EAHE system to utilize higher quantities of thermal energy. The first part of the work highlights the importance of block coupling in improving thermal efficiency and the two potentials of EAHE systems. We also introduce a new method for calculating EAHE efficiency throughout the year. We name it maximum efficiency because it measures how much thermal potential an EAHE installation can extract from the highest amount available in the soil during the year. Subsequently, we conducted simulations of ducts at different depths to evaluate their performance. Our results showed that annual efficiencies increased significantly with the addition of the galvanized block. We also found how the installation depth impacts the thermal potentials. Specifically, we obtained almost 4.0°C and 3.8°C for the (annual RMS) soil and EAHE thermal potentials, respectively, at 3.5m.

Computational Modeling of an Earth-Air Heat Exchanger Integrated with Phase Change Materials: A Case Study Performed for the Viamão City, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

The earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) is a sustainable option that allows the electrical energy consumption reduction in buildings. The objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of the incorporation of the thermal energy storage principle based on phase change materials (PCM) into the EAHE on its thermal potential. For this, a three-dimensional numerical model of the PCM coupled to the EAHE (EAHE-PCM) was developed based on the effective heat capacity method and adapted to the climatic conditions and soil characteristics of the Viamão city, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. It was found that for a duct diameter and length of 0.11 m and 25.77 m, the incorporation of PCM to EAHE improved by 8.90% and 3.97% in the average annual thermal potential of heating and cooling, respectively. In addition, the average monthly thermal potential increased 19.70% (heating) and 8.48%(cooling), for the months of May and December, respectively, when the PCM was integrated into the system.

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of an Earth–Air Heat Exchanger

Buildings are responsible for a large part of energy demand worldwide. To collaborate to reduce this demand, this paper aims to present a computational model to analyze the performance of an earth–air heat exchanger (EAHE) based on computational fluid dynamics using the ANSYS/Fluent® software in the simulations. This passive air conditioning system uses the soil as a heat exchanger, taking advantage of the fact that the temperature of the soil at a certain depth remains relatively constant, regardless of the weather conditions above the surface, promoting heating, cooling, or ventilation for buildings. The air temperature values obtained were compared with experimental data from sensors installed in an EAHE at the Federal University of Technology—Parana, Ponta Grossa/Brazil (25.1° South, 50.16° West) to validate the computational model. A high computational effort would be demanded to perform these simulations involving the whole soil domain and the climatic boundary conditions. In order to optimize the numerical analysis of EAHE, two reduced models for the soil and heat exchanger domains were verified. First, a constant temperature of 23.7 °C was imposed on the surface of the exchanger tube, corresponding to the average soil temperature at a depth of 1.5 m. Afterward, a reduced soil domain extending 0.5 m in all directions from the heat exchanger serpentine was considered. Likewise, constant temperatures were imposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the soil domain, also obtained experimentally. In both cases, the temperature values obtained through the fast simulations showed good agreement compared to the experimental values. Barely explored in the literature, the thermal behavior of the two identical indoor environments at the university was also compared, in which the climatized environment, with the EAHE working in a closed loop, obtained milder and smaller amplitude air temperatures.

Simulation of an Earth-Air Heat Exchanger in a Commercial Greenhouse to Improve Energy Efficiency

Simulation of an Earth-Air Heat Exchanger in a Commercial Greenhouse to Improve Energy Efficiency

An earth-air heat exchanger integrated with a greenhouse in cold-winter and hot-summer regions of northern China: Modeling and experimental analysis

This study aimed to investigate the thermal performance of Earth-Air Heat Exchangers (EAHE) in greenhouses in northern China's cold winter and hot summer regions. The experiment was conducted in two identical greenhouses (with and without an EAHE), and a mathematical and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation model was established to predict the air temperature inside the greenhouse and heat exchanger outlets and verified with measured data. Parametric analysis was also performed, and the effect of long-period application was evaluated. The results showed that the data calculated by the model agreed well with the experimental data. The average differences between the inlet and outlet air temperatures of the EAHE, daily average heat exchange capacity, and coefficient of performance (COP) was 9.26 ℃, 18.86 MJ, and 22.49 in winter, respectively, while in summer, they were 10.55 ℃, 18.78 MJ, and 23.52, respectively. The night-time temperature of the greenhouse increased by 1.43 °C during winter, while the temperature during summer daytime was reduced by 2.10 ℃. An increase in the pipe length improves the heat exchange efficiency, the heat exchange mainly occurs in the first half of the horizontal pipe, and the increase in air velocity and operation time will reduce the heat exchange efficiency. In conclusion, the system was proposed as a viable auxiliary device for greenhouse heating and cooling in cold winter and hot summer regions and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The system is recommended to be arranged outdoors for cooling and indoors for heating.

Design and performance evaluation of a greenhouse integrated Thin-Film Photovoltaic system and an earth air heat exchanger

A quonset-type Greenhouse integrating Thin-film Photovoltaic (GiTPV) system is proposed and designed to facilitate the growth of plants under harsh cold climatic conditions. The proposed GiTPV system is coupled with an Earth-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) that utilizes shallow-depth geothermal energy to enhance the self-sustainability of the system. Such a greenhouse system is subjected to climatic parameters that vary periodically over 24 h; hence its performance should be investigated under dynamic periodic conditions. The present investigation develops a periodic thermal model based on energy equilibrium equations for evaluating the performance of the GiTPV system coupled with an EAHE. The results indicate that EAHE provides heating inside the GiTPV system’s enclosed space during the off-sunshine hours and reduces the room air temperature fluctuations resulting in better thermal comfort. The greenhouse air and plant temperatures are increased by 5 °C and 4 °C, respectively, for an airflow rate of 0.5 kg/s flowing through the EAHE. Furthermore, the GiTPV system produces 15.3 kWh of electrical energy per day, making the system self-sustainable for the considered cold climatic condition.

Utilization of least squares support vector machine for predicting the yearly exergy yield of a hybrid renewable energy system composed of a building integrated photovoltaic thermal system and an earth air heat exchanger system

In the present research, the least squares support vector machine technique is employed to develop a relationship to predict the total useful exergy yield of a hybrid renewable energy system consisting of a building integrated photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system and an earth air heat exchanger (EAHX) system. This system is designed to bring the temperature of the ambient air to the desired temperature and also to supply the required electricity of the building. In the cold months of the year, the ambient air is preheated by passing through the PVT and EAHX systems. In the hot months of the year, the ambient air is pre-cooled by passing through the EAHX system, while the air leaving the building is also used to cool the photovoltaic panels. The electricity produced by photovoltaic panels is used throughout the year to meet the electricity needs of the building. The dimensions of different parts of the PVT and EAHE systems along with air flow rate are considered as the main variables and the annual exergy yield of the hybrid system is considered as the dependent variable. The LSSVM model in terms of (R = 0.9670, RMSE=1,152,165.21, and MAPE=29,264.80) resulted in promising outcomes to simulate the useful exergy.

Annual thermal performance analysis and optimization of earth-air heat exchanger by using a new 1D-2D hybrid numerical model

Thermal performance potential analysis is necessary when using the earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) as a passive way to reduce ventilation energy consumption or achieve thermal comfort in buildings. This work aimed to develop a new simulating model, investigate parametric influence, and build an optimizing criterion. This paper built a 1D-2D hybrid transient numerical model, integrating a number of 2D explicit diffusion models in the earth domain and two 1D implicit convection-diffusion models in the air region. A novel splitting discrete scheme was built on the earth-air coupled interface to separate computations in the two domains while considering their interactions. EAHE thermal performance was analyzed in terms of the outlet temperature/humidity and annual cooling/heating capacity. This paper originally suggested the outlet temperature or cooling/heating capacity limit in an entire year as the criterion for optimizing EAHE's length and depth in any climate.36 one-year-duration simulations of single-pipe EAHE, 27 one-year-duration simulations and a ten-year-duration simulation of multi-pipe EAHE were conducted to analyze influences of the velocity, diameter, length, depth, and pipe-to-pipe space. Results show that this new model could be an effective tool and the novel optimizing criterion is feasible. Both the single-pipe and multi-pipe EAHEs have the same limit of outlet temperature/humidity and it depends on the pipe depth only given a specific climate. The optimal/effective depth is 6 m. The optimal/effective pipe length is independent of pipe depth and increases with air velocity and diameter. Multi-pipe EAHE can be treated as single-pipe EAHE given the pipe-to-pipe space is greater than 3 m.

Investigation of earth air heat exchangers functioning in arid locations using Matlab/Simulink

This study presents a MATLAB/Simulink model to predict the distribution of soil temperatures and design Earth-to-Air Heat Exchangers (EAHEs) efficiently. It compares four EAHE configurations, including single-pipe, multi-pipe, multiple-single pipes (MS-pipes), and twisted-single pipes (TS-pipes) systems. The presented model is validated with reliable results and allows for easy modifications to obtain the final design. Results show that MS-pipe EAHE is the better in terms of pressure losses and good in terms cooling potential. The study proves that the installation of the EAHEs in Kufa, Iraq, is highly efficient, achieving cooling potential of 1626 W in August and 129.8 W in March. Additionally, the study highlights the influence of the geometric configuration of EAHEs on both their flow behavior and thermal efficiency, presenting an equation for comparing pipe lengths at different soil depths. This study fills the knowledge gap in the use of MATLAB simulation for designing EAHEs and estimating soil temperatures distribution and it compares four EAHEs configurations.

Structural design method, validation, and performance analysis of an earth-air heat exchanger for greenhouses

An earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) is a type of environmental regulation equipment that is suitable for greenhouses. In the future, it could be a green technique for greenhouse energy supplementation. However, EAHEs lack structural design methods for application in greenhouses. Consequently, this paper presents a structural design method for an EAHE based on the architectural characteristics of greenhouses. Firstly, the EAHE design heat exchange amount was calculated according to the greenhouse heat and cold load, then the pipe length, diameter, air velocity, and burial depth were determined by combining the heat transfer efficiency and number of transfer units (NTU), and finally the final parameters were optimized and selected according to the energy loss and construction cost. The design method was validated in a greenhouse in northern China, and the heat transfer performance was analyzed in both intermittent and continuous operation modes. The results showed that the novel structural design method could guide the application of EAHE in a greenhouse and satisfy the energy demand of greenhouses. The measured average greenhouse temperature at night increased by 1.57 °C and 1.11 °C, respectively, under intermittent operation and continuous operation and decreased by 1.19 °C and 1.32 °C, respectively, during the day. The EAHE performance coefficients for heating and cooling conditions under intermittent operation were 21.49 and 18.15, respectively, significantly higher than those for continuous operation.

Development of CFD simulation model of earth air heat exchanger for space cooling of a 36 M2 house in tropical climate Banda Aceh, Indonesia

The global warming makes the ambient temperature hotter and greater efforts are made to reach a comfortable temperature. The continuous use of air conditioners that consume electricity is also unsustainable for the surrounding environment. Several studies on thermal comfort have been conducted by various researchers. Earth-air heat exchangers (EAHE) with air-working fluids can be used as a passive contribution to reduce building energy requirements for heating or cooling purposes. It should be noted that there is very little information in the literature on the development of a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) simulation model of an EAHE for space cooling of a 36 m2 house in a tropical climate, such as Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Therefore, this study aims to examine the performance of EAHE with several variations in design parameters, such as pipe length, pipe diameter, number of pipe bends, and the type of soil where the EAHE is installed, as well as the thermal regime of a 36 m2 house either with or without the use of EAHE. The simulation in this study was conducted with CFD ANSYS Fluent software. The inlet air temperature of EAHE was set to be the same as the ambient air temperature, namely 31.4oC. The simulation results reveal that for variations in pipe length, the highest drop in outlet air temperature was yielded by the 47 m pipe length, which is 26.8°C. In which an increase in pipe length causes a decrease in air outlet temperature. The variation in pipe diameter does not significantly affect the outlet air temperature. Where the average air temperature drop at the EAHE exit is 0.046oC. The variation in number of turns shows that the drop in outlet air temperature is identical, namely 28.2°C, despite the fact that their pressure drop values are different. In addition, it was found that the performance of EAHE buried under different types of soil is distinct. The highest drop in outlet air temperature was generated when the EAHE was buried in silty soil, namely 26.1°C. A case study on a 36 m2 house shows that the utilization an underground heat exchanger can reduce the house’s indoor temperature by 2°C, with an average house temperature of 30.4°C compared to that with a natural ventilation.

Evaluating the energy-saving potential of earth-air heat exchanger (EAHX) for Passivhaus standard buildings in different climates in China

The significance of constructing low-carbon buildings has been on the rise because of the growing public concern about global warming and energy prices. The Passive House (or Passivhaus) standard is widely applied throughout Europe to reduce building energy consumption. However, a large percentage of the world’s population lives in regions with not only heating demand in winter but also high cooling and dehumidification energy consumption in the hot and humid summer, such as in several regions in China. The energy consumption of buildings in these regions could not be reduced by designing or retrofitting the buildings to Passivhaus standard only, but applying appropriate low energy cooling and dehumidification technologies are also necessary. The earth-air heat exchanger (EAHX) system is a suitable solution for utilizing low-temperature soil in summer, but the performance of the EAHX system in different climates was not previously evaluated. Thus, this research aims to evaluate the energy-saving potential of the EAHX system in a multi-storey Passivhaus standard building in different cities in China with different climatic conditions. A model of the Passivhaus building with the EAHX system was developed and verified using the Passive House Institute (PHI) prediction tool, PHPP and the commercial building energy simulation tool, IES Virtual Environment (VE). The results have shown that the EAHX system achieved an annual building energy load saving of up to 12.8 kWh/m2 in regions with hot and humid summers and cold winters, such as Beijing and Shanghai. The present study shows the potential of the addition of the EAHX in enhancing the building performance to satisfy the Passivhaus standard in hot and humid climates.

Performance of Quonset-Type Greenhouse Integrated With Thin Film Photovoltaic Thermal System Combined With Earth-Air Heat Exchanger for Hot and Dry Climatic Conditions

Abstract The present study proposes a Quonset-type greenhouse integrated with a thin-film photovoltaic thermal (GiPVT) system combined with an earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) for crop cultivation in harsh hot climate conditions. A periodic thermal model in terms of input climatic and design parameters has been developed to evaluate the GiPVT system’s thermal performance. This model is based on the energy balance equations of the GiPVT system, and it calculates PV roof temperature, greenhouse air temperature, and plant temperature for a given climatic data, i.e., solar irradiation and ambient air temperature. Furthermore, the thermal load leveling for the GiPVT system is determined to assess the thermal comfort status within the enclosed space of the system. The results indicate that EAHE successfully reduces greenhouse air temperature and increases the thermal comfort level inside the GiPVT system. Corresponding to the optimum flowrate of 0.5 kg/s, the maximum temperature of the plants and greenhouse is reduced by 20 °C and 21 °C, respectively. Moreover, the present GiPVT system produces 29.22 kWh of electrical energy per day, making the system self-sustainable.