ISHS Acta Horticulturae 87: Symposium on Potential Productivity in Protected Cultivation
REDUCING GREENHOUSE HEAT CONSUMPTION BY CURTAIN INSULATION SYSTEMS |
| Authors: | M. Okada, M. Hayashi |
| Abstract:
A movable curtain insulation system is an appropriate means for reducing greenhouse heat consumption. Clear polyethylene has been a conventional curtain material, but more effect on heat saving is expected by using some new plastic films. In the present study, the amount of heat reduction related to different curtain materials was investigated using two small greenhouses. Under calm wind conditions, the clear polyethylene curtain reduced heat consumption by 32% when compared with the single covered greenhouse. The aluminum-plastic laminate film with high reflectivity to longwave radiation increased the heat reduction rate up to 55%, while the high emissive PVC curtain increased only by 35%. These results show that the reflectivity of the curtain is the most influencial factor on its thermal effectiveness. The experiment in a large greenhouse was also conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercial curtain system. The recent curtain system was found to attain the nearly equal amount of heat reduction to the experimental one. | |
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