South Korea: Solar seasonal storage system achieves 4.1 heat pump COP in greenhouse heating
Source: HD.com
South Korea: Solar seasonal storage system achieves 4.1 heat pump COP in greenhouse heating Thanks! The researchers analyzed the system over three years at a two-section greenhouse used to grow Dekopon oranges on 2,090 m² and Setoka oranges on 1,760 m².
"In contrast to conventional large-scale seasonal thermal storage tanks, this study applied a small-scale storage tank suitable for greenhouse applications and installed it inside the greenhouse machine room to reduce thermal losses." Lee said that part of the solar heat stored during the summer was used as a heat source for the heat pump to improve its performance. To accommodate the equipment, the researchers demolished 114 m² of the existing greenhouse and built a compact mechanical room.
They installed 96 m² of evacuated-tube solar collectors and 108 m² of flat-plate collectors on its roof. The system also included a 350 m³ seasonal storage tank, a 100 m³ buffer tank, a 45 RT dual-source heat pump, two 45 RT air-source heat pumps, piping, circulation pumps, and control equipment installed inside or beneath the structure.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
