Watergy Greenhouse

Critical Need Being Addressed

Watergy combines water efficiency with enhanced agricultural productivity and quality while being mainly driven by solar energy. Integrated in urban closed water- and matter cycles, it will allow a dramatic shift in resource efficiency for the supply of water, food and renewable material.

Description of Initiative

From 2003-2006, two prototypes of Watergy greenhouses were built in Spain and Germany. During four years, the system functions (water, energy) of the horticultural greenhouse in Spain have been approved successfully. (video at: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,2809751,00.html). The Berlin prototype is an experimental setup for Watergy concept with greenhouses attached to buildings. The system is used as a solar collector, producing heat while using greywater for irrigation and providing condensed water for the building. (www.watergy.de).

During 2006-2008, the EU supported project “Cycler Support” did work out scenarios for integrated urban systems based on greenhouses. Synergies to solid waste / wastewater treatment as well as to concentrated solar power devices (greenhouse as closed cooling tower) are presented in the report “Overcoming Drought” http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/news/2008/12/eu-project-cycler-supppor...).
Since 2008, the Watergy group works on the further improvement of the Berlin Prototype, using humid air from the greenhouse during winter that is absorbed by a liquid desiccant solution to shift the air temperature in order to use for building heat supply. The diluted solution is regenerated during summer by solar energy.

BFI Overview

The Watergy Team is using a science based systems approach to creatively push the envelope on greenhouse design and performance by harnessing the physics of natural processes as well as temperature extremes typical of arid regions. Watergy's two new generation closed loop greenhouse prototypes work not only as high performance agricultural producers but as efficient recyclers and harvesters of fresh water, energy, and nutrients. They have made reducing costs and the integration of non- traditional water sources (i.e., waste water, brackish/salt water) a research priority. Their cost reduction strategy combines the use of lightweight structures and components with low-tech mechanics. The team has built an urban research lab in Berlin which integrates its greenhouse concept with a dwelling. Martin Bucholz, the team leader, is a leading edge innovator and an expert in the field. He was the chief editor for a comprehensive state of the art survey and policy and implementation guide. The guide, which was sponsored by the EU and published in 2008, is impressive. The video of one of the Watergy prototypes in Spain is particularly illuminating and so is the Watergy website. To date, Watergy’s R & D efforts have been funded through EU grants and most recently the National German Funding- Ministry of Economics.

People: About Martin Bucholz and the Watergy Greenhouse Partners

Project Team: Dr. Martin Buchholz (Inventor of Watergy; Initiator/Coordinator of Watergy-, Cyler Support- and Thermo-Chemical Storage project Sponsors: European Union National German Funding- Ministry of Economics Watergy Project- Mr. (Prof.) Claus Steffan Dr. Guillermo Zaragoza Dr. Patrick Jochum Michael Kraus Ole Boettcher Hans Stigter Gerrit van Straten Bas Spetjens Theo Gieling Hans Janssen Lola Buendia Cycler Support Project- Redouane Choukrallah Mohammed El Mourid Steffen Foellner Atef Hamdy Karim Bourouni Thermor-Chemical Storage Project Marco Schmidt Reiner Buchholz Philipp Geyer Maximilian Thumfarth Beate Seitz

Martin Buchholz is a graduate of, and senior researcher at the Technical Univesity of Berlin, where he specialises in building technology and design. He currently directs the research project “Humid air solar collector with thermo-chemical heat accumulation” funded by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology. During journeys to the Mediterranean region, he recognized the energetic potential of strong day/night temperatures and high solar radiation, being almost completely unused. As being an assistant teacher for landscape architecture and urban design in late 1990, he worked with students on an overview of technologies for sustainable cities. At this time he started thinking about greenhouse technologies, that were worked out in his doctoral work “Energy conversion, water treatment and processing of biomass in greenhouse-building-modules”. From 2003, he started the realisation of the first prototypes in close collaboration with his team partners.

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