My work sits between three things: a simulation model, a set of sensors, and a structure with plants in it. The interesting part is where they disagree — that gap is usually where the energy is going.
I build TRNSYS-based building energy simulation models of single- and multi-span greenhouses and calibrate them against measured temperature, humidity and heating demand. The models are then used the way an architect uses a drawing: to test cover materials, screen configurations, ventilation strategies and set-point schedules before anything is built. Recent work looks at how temperature set-points and deadbands change summer energy loads, and how loads compare between temperate and Middle Eastern climates.
Screens are the cheapest energy measure a grower can install, and the hardest to specify honestly. I measure overall heat transfer coefficients, convective coefficients and long-wave radiative properties of energy-saving screens using hot-box and TRNSYS methods, and use the results to optimise screen combinations for maximum conservation.
I developed and validated air-to-water heat pump models for greenhouse heating and cooling, and assessed their performance when integrated with multi-span greenhouses. In Canada the question shifted to light: designing and optimising external solar reflectors so cold-climate greenhouses can capture more winter daylight without a bigger energy bill. Earlier work in Spain looked at wind pumps for greenhouse irrigation.
Ventilation efficiency of side and roof vents, CFD airflow analysis of a commercial vertical farm, and a review of machine-learning approaches to microclimate prediction and system control. The goal is control that anticipates the climate instead of reacting to it.
| Funder | Project | Role | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitacs, Canada | Research, development and demonstration of sustainable greenhouses for urban communities in cold climates | Postdoctoral fellowship | 2024 – 2027 |
| Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) | Dissemination and demonstration of sustainable greenhouses for urban communities in cold climates (co-funded by Mitacs) | Researcher | 2024 – 2026 |
| Horizon Europe · MSCA | Solutions towards a net-zero energy greenhouse with low environmental impact Seal of Excellence | Postdoctoral researcher | 2025 |
| Korea Research Foundation | Development of an integrative energy system model for greenhouse energy management | Research professor | 2021 – 2022 |
| IPET, Korea | Development of a model for the use of renewable energy systems in greenhouses | Postdoctoral fellow | 2019 – 2021 |
| IPET, Korea | Optimal control and energy management of greenhouse structural systems | Researcher | 2018 |
| Kyungpook National University | Development of a smart greenhouse structural system for single- and multi-span greenhouses | Researcher | 2015 – 2017 |
Scholarships: CEIGRAM research scholarship, Madrid (2012–2013); KNU International Graduate Scholarship, Daegu (2015–2017).
Advanced TRNSYS 18 training (Solugen, Seoul; University of Liège, Belgium) and daylight-analysis training with Grasshopper and Honeybee in Edmonton.