Volume 24, Issue 1 p. 234-247
RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

Environmental and economic impacts of solar-powered integrated greenhouses

Joseph A. Hollingsworth

Corresponding Author

Joseph A. Hollingsworth

Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Correspondence

Joseph A. Hollingsworth, 2501 Stinson Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.

Email: jahollin@ncsu.edu

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Eshwar Ravishankar

Eshwar Ravishankar

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

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Brendan O'Connor

Brendan O'Connor

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

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Jeremiah X. Johnson

Jeremiah X. Johnson

Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

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Joseph F. DeCarolis

Joseph F. DeCarolis

Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

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First published: 13 August 2019
Citations: 40

Funding information:

The author would like to acknowledge the National Science Foundation Grant, INFEWS 1639429, for supporting this research.

Editor Managing Review: Thomas Seager

Abstract

Greenhouse vegetable production plays a vital role in providing year-round fresh vegetables to global markets, achieving higher yields, and using less water than open-field systems, but at the expense of increased energy demand. This study examines the life cycle environmental and economic impacts of integrating semitransparent organic photovoltaics (OPVs) into greenhouse designs. We employ life cycle assessment to analyze six environmental impacts associated with producing greenhouse-grown tomatoes in a Solar PoweRed INtegrated Greenhouse (SPRING) compared to conventional greenhouses with and without an adjacent solar photovoltaic array, across three distinct locations. The SPRING design produces significant reductions in environmental impacts, particularly in regions with high solar insolation and electricity-intensive energy demands. For example, in Arizona, global warming potential values for a conventional, adjacent PV and SPRING greenhouse are found to be 3.71, 2.38, and 2.36 kg CO2 eq/kg tomato, respectively. Compared to a conventional greenhouse, the SPRING design may increase life cycle environmental burdens in colder regions because the shading effect of OPV increases heating demands. Our analysis shows that SPRING designs must maintain crop yields at levels similar to conventional greenhouses in order to be economically competitive. Assuming consistent crop yields, uncertainty analysis shows average net present cost of production across Arizona to be $3.43, $3.38, and $3.64 per kg of tomato for the conventional, adjacent PV and SPRING system, respectively.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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