Performance Analysis of Greenhouses with Integrated Photovoltaic Modules

Thanks to the DM 19.02.2007, Italian government supported the development and the expansion of solar photovoltaic in Italy. The feed-in tariff had a great success, and like in Spain and Germany big size photovoltaic plants have been built, especially in the south of the country. The south of Italy presents high irradiation (up to 1.700 equivalent hours) and economically agriculture is an important local resource. This aspect led to the concept of the solar greenhouses, a way to match the electricity production by PV modules with an improvement of the cultivation possibilities. Solar greenhouses includes integrated PV modules mounted on the roof oriented to south and his design is new and still has to be evaluated in details. In particular important parameters like the luminance, the type of cultivations and the temperature of the PV modules must be carefully analyzed to have a real good match between the agriculture and the electricity production purpose. In the paper TRNSYS 16 has been used for the simulation of temperatures and humidity in the structure. The simulation had the goal to define the performance of the solar greenhouse during the year, with the possibility to individuate important construction parameters for the realization of a greenhouse efficient from all point of views.