A techno-economic analysis of seasonal thermal energy storage for greenhouse applications

•Annual heating demand profile of a 0.4ha greenhouse in a cold climate is presented.•Design of low and high-temperature borehole thermal energy storage systems are discussed.•Solar collector and seasonal storage efficiency greater by factor of two for low-temperature system.•COP determined to be 2.9 and 21.7 for the low and high-temperature systems, respectively.•Payback period of ∼7 years is achievable with 70% subsidy and carbon tax at $200/Tonne CO2e emissions. Significant heating demands are present in greenhouses to maintain suitable indoor conditions for crop growth. In an effort to implement clean energy technologies in an industry heavily reliant on natural gas, the potential of a large-scale solar collector system with seasonal thermal energy storage is explored. Both low and high-temperature borehole thermal energy storage systems are developed using TRNSYS software and their performance is compared. Systems able to cover up to 65% of the annual greenhouse heating demand are discussed with differing positive attributes. The systems are able to reduce annual CO2 equivalent emissions by ∼220t/Acre.