Selection criteria of cooling technologies for sustainable greenhouses: A comprehensive review

The demand for food items is increasing to match population growth rates. Meanwhile, many countries struggle to guarantee a full year-round production of crops because of the harsh weather conditions in cold and hot seasons. Greenhouses are used to mitigate the harsh weather conditions and allow for a full year-round production of crops by controlling the microclimate and ensuring that the crops acquire the required level of temperature, humidity, water, and light. Several design factors play a crucial role in the successful deployment of the greenhouse. These parameters include shape, orientation, structure, cover material, and climate control technologies. Climate control strategies include cooling and heating technologies. This paper presents a comprehensive review of cooling technologies for greenhouses, especially ones deployed in hot climates. Technologies such as natural ventilation, shading and reflection, evaporative cooling, desiccant cooling, and combined cooling technologies are presented and discussed. Moreover, this paper explores recent advancements in the field of cooling technologies and systems. The paper also explains existing strategies to save energy and improve the efficiency of greenhouses. The results of this review are expected to guide researchers in the process of selecting the most suitable cooling technology for their specific regions.