Renewable Energy and Innovation for Sustainable Greenhouse Districts

For the last decade, the greenhouse sector has spread widely in Europe. Specifically, the ongoing trend of increasing per capital consumption of high quality fresh fruits and vegetables all year-round, the consolidation in the retail market over the spot markets, and recently the transition to market economy of WBC (Western Balkan Countries) and the new EU countries (Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria), have raised a strong attention to European greenhouse horticulture. This paper focus on both the application of renewable resources i.e.: geothermal and PV solar energies and the innovation as great option to modernize the greenhouse sector. In addition, the concept of closed greenhouse system is also briefly introduced as a great opportunity for raising of quality, energy conservation and complete control of plant cultivation in greenhouse. Finally, the role of key-actors and policy-makers to help to overcome barriers and obstacles which still slow the development of a sustainable greenhouse sector in Europe-27 is also outlined.