ISSN 0003701X, Applied Solar Energy, 2012, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 60–61. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2012.

Original Russian Text © G.N. Uzakov, 2012, published in Geliotekhnika, 2012, No. 1, pp. 67–68.

SOLAR HEAT—COOLING,
ACCUMULATION

Technical and Economic Calculation of Combined Heating

and Cooling Systems Vegetable Store–Solar Greenhouse
G. N. Uzakov
Karshi Engineering Economic Institute
Received August 25, 2011

Abstract—We present a technical and economic assessment of the usage expediency of a combined system
solar greenhouse–vegetable storage with a heat pump installation. We show the results obtained from a com
parison of heat supply options for a solar greenhouse.
DOI: 10.3103/S0003701X1201015X

In recent years, the interest towards the problem of
energy saving in the heat supply systems of modern
greenhouses due to the limited stocks of traditional
energy sources and the objectives of environmental
protection from pollution. One of the solutions to
these problems is to create alternative heating and
cooling systems for solar greenhouses with the usage of
heat pump plants (HPPs) on the basis of nonconven
tional energy sources.
Traditionally, greenhouses can be heated with hot
water, steam, hot air, infrared radiation, and combus
tion products, which require enormous expenditures
of primary energy. It is known that, according to oper
ational and calculated data on the coldest months
(January) in the town of Karshi, about 6500–7000 m3
of natural gas was burned in solar greenhouses and
200 m2 in boilers [1]. In order to save energy and
improve the energy balance, in [1–3] a combined sys
tem vegetable storage–solar greenhouse was suggested
and patented (UZ FAP. 2009 0120 as of December 22,
2009).
The present study carries out a technical and eco
nomic analysis of combined heating and cooling sys
tems vegetable storage–solar greenhouse (figure).
A traditional system of solar greenhouse heating
consists of a boiler with an economizer operating on

Qp

4
1

2 2 8 10 11 12 13
15
9 14
3
7 7
7
6

Scheme of combined heating and cooling systems vegetable storage–solar greenhouse: (1) solar greenhouse; (2) radiators;
(3) boiler; (4) economizer; (5) chimney of the boiler; (6) water pump; (7) control valves; (8) heat exchanger; (9) heat pump sys
tem condenser; (10) compressor; (11) heat pump plant evaporator; (12) stack of products; (13) vegetable storare; (14) heat pump
plant valve regulator; (15) gas fan.

60
 TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC CALCULATION OF COMBINED HEATING 61

Comparison of heating options for a greenhouse

Heat supply scheme for a solar greenhouse
Parameters Combined solar greenhouse–
Traditional system
vegetable storage system
with a boiler
with a heat pump system
Annual demand of the thermal energy mJ 209550 209550
greenhouse in natural gas, m3 15563.08 –
electric power, kW h 9000 26100
Costs, thous sums per year natural gas 1864.46 –
per electric energy 770.40 2234.16
in total 2634.86 2234.16
Annual savings in energy costs, thous sums – 400.70

natural gas. For a complete replacement of the boiler
unit in the heat supply system of a greenhouse heat,
the air–water pump established between the consum
ers of heat and cold (solar greenhouse–vegetable stor
age) was selected. During severe frosts with the out
door temperature of 0°C and below, a heat pump sys
tem only works for the storage of the heating chamber.
In this case, through regulator valve 7, the heat pump
loop of heating closes and the conventional heating
system provides the necessary temperature in the solar
greenhouse. The data on the conducted technoeco
nomic analysis of options for solar greenhouse heating
are summarized in the table.
Energy resource rates are adopted according to the
existing fixed prices in 2012. For example, the rate is
119800 sums for 1000 m3 of natural gas and 85.6 sums
for 1 kW h of power. The annual (November–March)
thermal energy consumption for solar greenhouse
heating on an area of 200 m2 in Karshi conditions is
209550 mJ [1]. The electric energy consumption has
been determined by the formula [4]
N = ΣNe, Kdτ, kW h, (1)
where Ne is the power consumption of the established
electric motor, kW; Kd is the coefficient of demand (for
compressors and fans, Kd = 0.85); and τ is the opera
tion time of the compressors and fans, h.
Thus, the technical and economic comparison of
the options for heat supply of a solar greenhouse shows
that, if the combined variant solar greenhouse–vegeta
ble storage with a heat pump system is used, the annual
cost savings in energy are 400700 sums. When using a
heat pump system, energy consumption is nearly three
times more in comparison with a conventional heating
system. However, it is important to pay attention to the
fact that the cooling of the vegetable storage and the
heating of the solar greenhouse with a heat pump sys
tem, that is, the application of a refrigeration cycle of
simultaneous heating and cooling, will provide a
decrease in energy consumption by 80%. In this case,
the energy cost savings amount to 2107880 sums
per year.
REFERENCES
1. Uzakov, G.N., Appl. Solar Eng., 2011, vol. 47, no. 3,
p. 248.
2. Uzakov, G.N., Appl. Solar Eng., 2010, vol. 46, no. 4,
p. 319.
3. Vardiyashvili, A.B., Uzakov, G.N., Vardiyashvili, A.F.,
and Khuzhakulov, S.M., Uzbekistan Patent UZ
FAP.2009 0120, 2009.
4. Uzakov, G.N., Issledovanie teplomassoobmennykh prot
sessov i teplookhladosnabzheniya v plodoovoshchekhra
nilishchakh (Heat–Mass Exchange Processes and
Heat–Cood Supply in Fruit and Vegetable Storages),
Krasnodar: Izd. KubGAU, 2006.

APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 48 No. 1 2012