Reference number : GC-2017-Q2-00363, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Whitehead, Lorne (The University of British Columbia), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : British Columbia|Colombie-Britannique, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Collaborative Research and Development Grants - Project, program name french : Subventions de recherche et développement coopérative - projet, program purpose english : Food insecurity is widely identified as a serious and growing problem in northern and remote communities in Canada. The food supply problem could be alleviated to a considerable extent by expanding the use of greenhouses built on non-arable land near the communities where the food is needed, thereby also reducing the energy required to transport the food. However, greenhouses are typically built as transparent structures that efficiently transmit the sunlight required for plant growth.  Since transparent structures do not provide much thermal insulation, a traditional greenhouse requires significant energy use for temperature control in most climate conditions, and this energy use is prohibitive in cold northern regions.  _x000D_
The challenge to develop a greenhouse that can maintain the conditions required for plant growth while consuming only a small amount of energy has been recognized for a long time, and it has not yet been solved. This project aims to take a first important step toward practical northern greenhouses by designing and validating a high performance superinsulating glazing shutter that can be electrically switched between a highly thermally insulating state and a highly light transmissive state.  The high insulation characteristic of our system arises from our novel thermal cell array of highly compressible gas-filled pockets contained within a sealed window panel.  In the expanded state the panel will have a high thermal insulation value and in the compressed state the panel will be highly transmissive to sunlight, just like a conventional transparent greenhouse.  The system will be able to quickly transition between the two states using only an electrostatic actuation system, without any mechanical motor parts.  _x000D_
This technology has the potential to make cost-effective, low-energy greenhouses feasible in northern Canada.  The benefits of a viable new greenhouse industry in these communities would have tremendous health, economic and social impacts._x000D_
_x000D_
_x000D_, program purpose french : Food insecurity is widely identified as a serious and growing problem in northern and remote communities in Canada. The food supply problem could be alleviated to a considerable extent by expanding the use of greenhouses built on non-arable land near the communities where the food is needed, thereby also reducing the energy required to transport the food. However, greenhouses are typically built as transparent structures that efficiently transmit the sunlight required for plant growth.  Since transparent structures do not provide much thermal insulation, a traditional greenhouse requires significant energy use for temperature control in most climate conditions, and this energy use is prohibitive in cold northern regions.  _x000D_
The challenge to develop a greenhouse that can maintain the conditions required for plant growth while consuming only a small amount of energy has been recognized for a long time, and it has not yet been solved. This project aims to take a first important step toward practical northern greenhouses by designing and validating a high performance superinsulating glazing shutter that can be electrically switched between a highly thermally insulating state and a highly light transmissive state.  The high insulation characteristic of our system arises from our novel thermal cell array of highly compressible gas-filled pockets contained within a sealed window panel.  In the expanded state the panel will have a high thermal insulation value and in the compressed state the panel will be highly transmissive to sunlight, just like a conventional transparent greenhouse.  The system will be able to quickly transition between the two states using only an electrostatic actuation system, without any mechanical motor parts.  _x000D_
This technology has the potential to make cost-effective, low-energy greenhouses feasible in northern Canada.  The benefits of a viable new greenhouse industry in these communities would have tremendous health, economic and social impacts._x000D_
_x000D_
_x000D_, agreement title english : Development of an electrically-switchable superinsulated glazing shutter for greenhouses in Northern Canada, agreement title french : Development of an electrically-switchable superinsulated glazing shutter for greenhouses in Northern Canada, agreement number : CRDPJ, agreement value : 64000.0, agreement start date : 2017-08-23, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)., additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019)., owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada