This is a postgraduate funded project and researchers are from the University of Manitoba.
The story below originally appeared in the August 2005 Hydrogram, Manitoba Hydro's internal employee newsletter.
View Solar Greenhouse Research – 06/07 Results
For more information on this project, contact us and quote project number U097.
Wenkai Liu, a vegetable grower in Elie, was able to get his peppers to market two months early this year and plans to be able to keep harvesting well into October. Normally, green beans in Manitoba are not ready to harvest until July. Liu's were ready in April. This longer growing season is thanks to a solar-heated greenhouse research project that began last February.
Heating greenhouses is a major cost, which is why Hydro is involved. Ray Boris, Agricultural Systems Engineer at Manitoba Hydro said, “This could be an opportunity to lower space-heating energy costs for greenhouse growers in Manitoba.”
“Hydro has been an integral part of this project,” said Dr. Chong Zhang, Head of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba and principal researcher on the project. “Along with funding, they have been fully participating in the planning and development.”
Dr. Zhang conducted a tour on August 25 for the Minister of Agriculture, Rosann Wowchuk and Deputy Minister, Barry Todd. Everyone on the tour was impressed with the 2.44 meters tall tomato plants as well as the tasty watermelon which they were invited to sample!
