Receding Horizon Optimal Control of a Solar Greenhouse

A solar greenhouse has been designed that maximizes solar energy use and minimizes fossil energy consumption. It is based on a conventional Venlo greenhouse extended with a heat pump, a heat exchanger, an aquifer and ventilation with heat recovery. The goal is to minimize fossil energy consumption, while maximizing crop dry weight, keeping temperature and humidity within certain limits and satisfying a temperature integral. To achieve this the aim is to implement a receding horizon optimal controller. This type of controller computes optimal closed loop controls based on a cost function and a greenhouse and crop model. In this paper simulations of a simplified version of this closed loop optimal control system are presented. It is found that the boiler use is reduced, thereby reducing fossil energy use. Gas use is decreased by 77% compared to a conventional greenhouse with optimal control