High humidity levels inside glasshouse are a by - intersection of growing crops indoors . allow uncontrolled , humid air can reduce crop development and result in pathetic - tone green goods , so agriculturalist have traditionally resorted to ventilation to manage the takings . While effectual , this strategy also make rut exit , which can increase a farm ’s zip monetary value .
liquified desiccant dehumidifier set up inside a nursery . ( Image good manners of Flowers Canada ) .
Flowers Canada ( Ontario ) set about to discover a answer to this challenge , accessing funding through the Greenhouse Renewable Energy Technologies ( GRET ) Research & Development Initiative several days ago to test four different energy recuperation technologies for their voltage to boil down grower vim needs during the crest greenhouse economic consumption period of declination through early spring .
This included a mechanical infrigidation dehumidifier ( MRD ) , a swimming desiccant dehumidifier ( LDD ) that runs humid air past a brine solution to sop up the moisture and then heats the brine to regenerate it , and a heating system recuperation respiration ( HRV ) organization that is locate outside the glasshouse and warms up the cool , teetotal aura as it record the facility . The fourth technology is an energy recuperation ventilator ( ERV ) prototype that combines the liquid desiccant approach path with heat exchange into a undivided system of rules .
“ We are looking for substitute means to decrease energy ingestion to both reduce grower monetary value and reduce fossil fuel utilization , ” explains Dr. Jingjing Han , Research Engineer with Flowers Canada ( Ontario ) .
build on findings from that initial project , Flowers Canada was successful in experience financing from the Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative ( GCII ) to comport more in - astuteness enquiry into the four technologies and get a well understanding of how they can integrate into existing glasshouse control system .
“ Finding way to reduce energy costs and gain efficiencies is a top priority for Ontario ’s greenhouse raiser , ” say Ontario Minister of Agriculture , Food & Rural Affairs Lisa Thompson . “ By carry on the implementation of programs such as the Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative , we are encourage our investment with the greenhouse industriousness , find ways to cut their carbon footprint , and supporting farmers as steward of our environment . ”
An Ontario bloom glasshouse had three systems – MRD , LDD , and HRV – installed in the GRET project in 2018 , an herb greenhouse had four LDD units instal , and a tomato plant nursery in Leamington had an ERV system installed .
Despite some setbacks with malfunctioning units that could n’t be secure due to issue strand shortages and change in crops and production strategies , the researchers were able to gather and analyze enough data to make some utilitarian assessments about the engineering being tested .
“ All organization are able-bodied to check humidness much better than established ventilation , but each has their own advantage and disadvantages , ” observe Han , sum that none of the systems were effective throughout the total class .
The LDD and MRD system were found to be most cost - effective during the late declination , winter , and early spring , but their efficiency miss off if the outdoor air temperature is above 10C or is eminent in humidity . HRV cater growers with economical benefit during cold and juiceless month , and the ERV system is good at help to thin compression on the glass glasshouse cover .
According to Han , there are two thing greenhouse growers should take aside from the research :
This task was support through the Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative , a cost - share program fund by the Ontario government and delivered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture , Food and Rural Affairs ( OMAFRA ) . Project better half included the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers , Enbridge , Nortek Air Solutions , and take part farms .
“ It is not feasible for an private grower to do this eccentric of research with this range of engineering on their own , and we could n’t have done the project without the financial support we were capable to access from GCII , ” concludes Han .
For more entropy : Agricultural Adaptation Councilhttps://adaptcouncil.org/
