Articles
AN ON-LINE TOOL FOR OPTIMISING GREENHOUSE CROP PRODUCTION
Article number
957_16
Pages
147 – 154
Language
English
Abstract
New greenhouse technology develops fast and there are many new possibilities to reduce greenhouse energy consumption.
The most energy savings can usually be achieved when investing in new construction with the newest technology of energy harvesting, storage and re-usage.
In existing greenhouses, however, a high energy reduction is also possible.
Some energy savings are possible by simply optimising the climate set points, but in some situations, larger savings can be achieved by installing some of the newest equipment.
At the same time, plant growth and quality must not decrease due to lower greenhouse energy consumption.
To support the growers in decision-making processes, greenhouses need to be individually analysed for modification.
We developed an internet-based software tool to analyse greenhouse energy performance and pinpoint the bottlenecks, identifying the possibilities for reducing the energy consumption of existing greenhouses by either software or hardware measures.
Thus, a decision support system (DSS) was created that accesses greenhouse climate computer data that can, after input of greenhouse physical data, be used to analyse the effects of modifications in greenhouse materials, crop schedules, climate set points, and others on energy consumption and crop yield.
The system consists of a large number of independently developed simulation models that are integrated to one working system.
Models of greenhouse physics, crop-specific growth, plant development and quality, crop microclimate, different environmental stresses, e.g. heat- or water-stress, and more are involved.
The most energy savings can usually be achieved when investing in new construction with the newest technology of energy harvesting, storage and re-usage.
In existing greenhouses, however, a high energy reduction is also possible.
Some energy savings are possible by simply optimising the climate set points, but in some situations, larger savings can be achieved by installing some of the newest equipment.
At the same time, plant growth and quality must not decrease due to lower greenhouse energy consumption.
To support the growers in decision-making processes, greenhouses need to be individually analysed for modification.
We developed an internet-based software tool to analyse greenhouse energy performance and pinpoint the bottlenecks, identifying the possibilities for reducing the energy consumption of existing greenhouses by either software or hardware measures.
Thus, a decision support system (DSS) was created that accesses greenhouse climate computer data that can, after input of greenhouse physical data, be used to analyse the effects of modifications in greenhouse materials, crop schedules, climate set points, and others on energy consumption and crop yield.
The system consists of a large number of independently developed simulation models that are integrated to one working system.
Models of greenhouse physics, crop-specific growth, plant development and quality, crop microclimate, different environmental stresses, e.g. heat- or water-stress, and more are involved.
Authors
O. Körner, J.B. Hansen
Keywords
DSS, decision support system, model, simulation, software
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