The greenhouse technology in different climate conditions: A comprehensive energy-saving analysis

One of the most critical barriers for using a greenhouse is the energy consumption for heating generation, which explains the vital role of energy efficiency. In this study, a model for calculating the heating requirement in greenhouses has been modified and validated by fitting the experimental data. Next, the heating energy requirement and the impact of implementing energy-saving strategies have been investigated through a probabilistic approach for ten climate zones. For this purpose, the heating energy requirement for a conventional greenhouse has been calculated by gathering the climatic data of 225 points. Using the interpolation method and the probability density of actual results, the probability density function (PDF) has been concluded. In each climate zone, the impact of implementing six common strategies for reducing energy consumption have been investigated. In terms of energy-saving effectiveness, the night curtain has the highest average value (ranged from 18% to 28%), and the solar energy storage rock bed has the highest sensitivity (ranged from 12% to 32%). The integrated fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS method is used to rank the energy-saving strategies based on technical, economic, social, and energy criteria. It is concluded that the night curtain is the best energy-saving strategy in most climate zones.