A greenhouse heating application using a geothermal heat pump under Erzincan climatic conditions

Energy has become one of the most fundamental needs of our lives. Since non-renewable energy sources—such as fossil fuels, which are widely used—are limited in supply, unsustainable, and harmful to the environment and the atmosphere, alternatives have been sought. Renewable energy sources have emerged as an alternative to fossil fuels because they are sustainable, clean, and reliable, and—most importantly—allow for low-cost energy production using resources found in nature. Examples of renewable energy sources include solar, wind, water, geothermal, and geothermal energy—all of which are abundant in nature and sustainable. Heat pumps are used to efficiently harness these resources. The choice of energy source depends on suitable geographical conditions. The cycle required for a heat pump to utilize the heat it extracts from a source is carried out by the heat pump’s main components. Given its geographical location, Turkey is a country rich in renewable energy sources. As Turkey is located in an earthquake-prone region, it is rich in underground resources. This indicates a high potential for geothermal energy. There are various fields in which geothermal energy is used. One of these fields is greenhouse cultivation. The use of greenhouses is increasing every year. Along with this growth in greenhouse cultivation, heat pumps have begun to be used to improve production quality. In this study, a greenhouse was designed to theoretically investigate the use of heat extracted from a geothermal source in Erzincan via a heat pump for heating the greenhouse. The temperature distribution inside the greenhouse was analyzed using the ANSYS-Fluent program.