Extremely Insulated Greenhouse Concept with Non-Fossil Fuel Heating System

The extremely insulated greenhouse concept is part of the joint research project "Zineg" (Hannover, Berlin, Munich). The technical innovations consist of three main parts: first a highly insulated multi-layer film plastic greenhouse with additional thermodynamically optimized thermal screens; secondly a wood pellet heating system with a sophisticated (storage orientated) control concept and thirdly an efficiency orientated control concept for cropping. Beside the research tasks the greenhouse concept aims in general at practicability for the commercial grower; thus economic and ecologic evaluations are part of the project. Proven by a heat flow simulation and measurement of a similar system, the expected energy saving of the construction is in the range of more than 80% (compared to a single glazed greenhouse); additional savings can be gained by efficient process control; the remaining energy consumption will be covered economically by non-fossil energy resources.