ENERGY-EFFICIENT EXTREME WINTER GREENHOUSE FOR URBAN FARMS IN RAPID CITY, SD

This project designed by Shende LLC in partnership with researchers from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT), Rapid City, SD will develop an EneRgy efficient extreme weather GreenhOuse (ERGO) with the overarching goal to enable South Dakota (SD) farmers to cultivate vegetables year-round and to provide the farmers much needed crop diversification for increased sustainability and profitability.The extant winter greenhouses (GH) perform poorly in the frequent, unpredictable high wind, hailstorms and cold winters of Rapid City (RC). RC urban farmers have limited crop choices and a short 6-7-month crop growing period. To meet consumer demand, most produce is imported year around from warmer states leading to higher produce prices and often inferior produce quality. Therefore, there is an urgent need to innovate an energy-efficient, hail and wind-resilient winter solar greenhouse for superior performance and durability for northern locations with extreme and unpredictable weather.The objectives to meet this goal are as follows:1. Build the laboratory scale (10 feet X 7.5 feet) ERGO prototype equipped with a compound parabolic concentrator with oil as heat transfer fluid and a double heat exchanger system to convert solar energy to thermal energy. The proposed ERGO design is modeled after the Chinese Solar GHs to enhance the structural integrity to provide superior high wind and hail-resilience.2. Maintain daytime soil temperature within 75-80oF and a minimum nighttime target temperature of 50oF with the concentrated solar power (CSP) system. An ancillary electric space heater will be used when required.3. Document hourly temperature (soil and air), and relative humidity in ERGO macro and microclimate. Record power and water consumption.4. Cultivate Clemson Spineless 80 variety of Okra. Record and evaluate plant growth.5. Perform Techno-Economic Analysis.6. Compare the performance efficiency of ERGO with the solar greenhouse at Wayward Springs Acres, Aurora, Brookings County, SD. GH is owned by Mr. Shannon Mutschelknaus (consultant on this project) who uses climate battery to heat their solar GH.