Efficient use of energy in greenhouses has been subject of research and development for decades. The final energy efficiency, e.g. the amount of energy used per unit of product, is the determined by improvements in energy conversion, reductions in energy use for environmental control and the efficiency of crop production. The new European targets on reduction of CO2 emission have resulted in a renewed interest in innovative technologies to improve energy efficiency in greenhouses designed for North- as well as South European regions. In this paper an overview of the recent developments is presented from both the Northwest European as well as the Mediterranean perspective. The developments range from new modified covering materials, innovative and energy conservative climate control equipment and plant response based control systems, to integrated energy efficient greenhouse designs.
Keywords: greenhouse, energy consumption, energy efficiency, innovative technologies