Environmental and economic assessment of a greenhouse waste heat exchange

Abstract

a b s t r a c tAs the economic costs of energy and the negative externalities associated with the combustion of fossil fuels threaten the economic viability of greenhouses in northern climates there is a renewed interest in the use of waste heat. This paper presents a technical and economic methodology to determine the viability of establishing waste heat greenhouses using the waste heat from industrial processes in northern climates. A case study is presented of an exchange between a tomato greenhouse and a flat glass manufacturing plant, which found the waste heat system is significantly more economic to operate than a purely natural gas system.

A Review on Biogas Plants and Bio energy Generation Methods: Merits and Demerits

“… They just change in the process that can be realized by upgrading the ecological states of the anaerobic absorption [24].  Biogas contains some gases as contaminants, which are destructive to the metal parts of inner ignition engines [25].…”

Technologies for utilization of industrial excess heat: Potentials for energy recovery and CO2 emission reduction

“…Li et al [43] investigated the use of low-grade excess heat in the form of flue gases and hot water for biomass drying. Other studies have highlighted the use of excess heat in greenhouses [44,45] and algae cultivations [46]. Fahlén et al [47] investigated the integration of heat-driven cooling in the DH system to raise the heat demand during low heat demand periods.…”

The Benefits of Sharing—Nice Guys and Girls do Finish First

“…The production stages in the glass factory that utilize large amounts of heat have integrated thermal recovery to provide lower grade heat and carbon dioxide for a multiacre "waste heat" tomato greenhouse complex (3a) shown in Figure 2.6 [32]. In the greenhouse complex, plants can be grown year round in even northern climates utilizing the waste heat from the manufacturing plants in the ecoindustrial park and this approach will be detailed in the second example below.…”

“…Additionally it has been shown that over a 20 year campaign with a 10% MARR, the waste heat system is significantly less expensive to operate than a purely natural gas system. Finally, the addition of a waste heat greenhouse can reduce the costs of emissions compliance for a company, as the deferred costs of liquid CO 2 can fund millions of dollars of emissions reductions retrofits [32]. The bottom line of this analysis is that the waste heat system is significantly more economical to operate than a purely natural gas system from the greenhouse perspective.…”