A Closed-Loop, Geothermal HVAC System that Heats, Cools and Dehumidifies

Ceres Greenhouse Solutions designs full greenhouse systems that help growers achieve the most productive growing environments possible while simultaneously saving them money on operational costs. 2019 was a big year in product development for Ceres as they introduced their newest and most energy-efficient climate control greenhouse system to date: the Ecoloop™.

Function:

The Ceres Ecoloop™ is a ground coupled heat pump system that heats, cools and dehumidifies our sealed greenhouses. It acts as an innovative geothermal HVAC system that utilizes the Earth's steady temperature (between 45°- 60°F) to create precise climates in each greenhouse environment.

To break it down, the Ecoloop™ is made up of two primary components: a ground source heat pump and a ground loop. The ground source heat pumps are attached to the North wall of the greenhouse, above ground. The pumps filter and condition CO2 rich air from inside the sealed greenhouse environment. The ground loop component transfers thermal energy to or from the greenhouse heat pumps. This is achieved by recirculating water through subsurface piping. The recirculating water will either absorb heat from the ground (Ecoloop™ in heating mode) or disperse heat back into the ground (Ecoloop™ in cooling mode). The two components together make up a completely closed-loop system.

Why go with a Ceres Ecoloop™?:

The Ecoloop™ is designed exclusively for Ceres' sealed HighYield Kit™design and is a perfect solution for growers seeking heightened biosecurity and precise climate control. Also, the Ecoloop™ is designed for all climate zones and can be built in redundancy for modular expansion. And unlike traditional HVAC systems that create unwanted shading, the Ceres Ecoloop™ takes up no room inside the greenhouse which increases the potential for optimal sun harvesting.

The geothermal qualities of the Ecoloop™ classifies it as a renewable energy source and thus qualifies growers for rebate offers from state and utility programs. Ground coupled heat pump systems have a comparable upfront cost to chillers but GCHP system's life expectancy is longer and its energy consumption is significantly lower.

The Numbers:

Ceres crunched the numbers and determined that growers can expect to save more than 60% on energy costs compared to a traditional HVAC system. A traditional HVAC system uses 87.5 kWh of energy per square foot per year whereas the Ecoloop™ uses 35 kWh. To translate that to dollars, growers will spend about $10.50/ sq ft/ year to use their HVAC system whereas they could be spending $4.20/ sq ft/ year with the Ecoloop™*.

*Numbers based on a 24k sq. ft. greenhouse (+headhouse) in Boulder, Colorado

Interested in learning more about this innovative heating and cooling system? Contact a greenhouse expert today to discuss your greenhouse project.