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The high cost of heating prohibits greenhouse
production during the winter season in Manitoba. The ever-increasing price
of natural gas and other fossil fuels also force Manitoba greenhouse growers
to seek alternative ways to operate their greenhouses in early spring
(February to April). The previous study (Phase I – ARDI #04-534) showed
that a solar energy greenhouse technology developed in northern China could
potentially provide an economically viable way for winter greenhouse
production in Manitoba.
The current study (Phase 2) will focus on
improving the design of the solar energy greenhouse for Manitoba conditions.
An interactive computer software package will be developed to assist
greenhouse growers in planning and constructing solar energy greenhouses.
This design tool can be used to configure greenhouses (size and geometry)
for the maximum solar energy gain for specific geographic locations and to
select the “right” type of thermal insulation in terms of energy gain and
cost. A field experiment will be conducted to implement the design
improvement. Biomass energy will also be investigated as a source of
supplemental heating.
Blue Lagoon Florascape,
Manitoba Hydro and Natural Resources Canada are funding partners in this
project.
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