A study on the energy efficiency improvement of greenhouses — with a focus on the theoretical and experimental analyses

Most greenhouses in Korea are made according to European weather conditions, which leads to very low solar energy efficiency under the domestic weather conditions. Thus, greenhouses in Korea should be adapted to the regional weather conditions to improve their energy efficiency. This paper investigates the current greenhouses in Korea. It also analyzes the problems arising from the greenhouses and offers alternatives for improving their energy efficiency based on measurements and a theoretical analysis. The elements of greenhouses were also investigated. When using a partially non-transparent insulation with heat storage mass between the indoor and outdoor air, the temperature difference became greater than 20°C during the daytime and greater than 5°C during the night, which will reduce the cost of fossil fuels.