A techno-economic analysis of seasonal thermal energy storage for greenhouse applications

Significant heating demands are present in greenhouses to maintain suitable indoor conditions for crop growth. In an effort to implement clean energy technologies in an industry heavily reliant on natural gas, the potential of a large-scale solar collector system with seasonal thermal energy storage is explored. Both low and high-temperature borehole thermal energy storage systems are developed using TRNSYS software and their performance is compared. Systems able to cover up to 65% of the annual greenhouse heating demand are discussed with differing positive attributes. The systems are able to reduce annual CO2 equivalent emissions by ∼220 t/Acre.