Maintaining optimal climate conditions in greenhouses located in harsh desert environments poses significant energy and operational challenges. In the Middle East, for example, geothermal resources at shallow depths exhibit relatively stable temperatures of approximately 30 °C throughout the year. While this geothermal cooling is energy-efficient and sustainable, it alone cannot consistently meet the minimum greenhouse temperature requirement of 25 °C, especially during peak summer periods where ambient air temperatures can exceed 50 °C. To address this, we propose a novel hybrid cooling strategy that combines a geothermal heat pump system with an intermittent, solar-driven auxiliary cooler. The key innovation lies in the development of a Model Predictive Control (MPC) framework that dynamically optimizes climate control by prioritizing geothermal cooling and only activating the solar subsystem when necessary. The MPC system leverages real-time sensor data and meteorological forecasts to predict upcoming thermal loads and the expected performance of the geothermal system. This enables preemptive and optimized activation of the solar-assisted cooler during periods of thermal stress or degraded geothermal efficiency. Importantly, the solar cooler is designed for intermittent operation, providing strategic bursts of cooling during critical conditions without adding significant energy overhead. The adaptive nature of the controller ensures minimal energy use, reduced cycling of components, and stable internal greenhouse temperatures year-round. This predictive and robust control approach demonstrates strong potential for sustainable agriculture in energy-constrained desert regions.
