Controlled-environment agriculture spaces are growing rapidly in Quebec. The goals of these types of spaces are to increase crop yields and to enable production even when outdoor conditions do not allow it. This requires regulating several parameters (temperature, humidity, radiation, etc.), with needs that vary depending on the type of space, but it results in significant energy consumption. It is therefore essential to understand the control of these spaces in order to determine the most suitable strategy. Within this framework, this document focuses on three case studies.
The first is a study of temperature and humidity control in a market garden greenhouse in Magog, Quebec, in order to understand its operation and highlight the problematics. Several difficulties were identified: dehumidification is often ineffective, limiting temperature differences between day and night leads to excess energy consumption, and it is impossible to measure humidity during periods of negative temperatures.
The second study concerns the improvement of the control of a thermal storage system consisting of rock beds installed in a greenhouse in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. This system helps limit temperature differences between day and night. Since an energy study revealed that its control was not optimized, two field visits made it possible to install a new controller, in order to implement an optimized control strategy designed beforehand based on the results of the energy study
The last study focuses on the analysis of the control system proposed by an engineering consulting firm for the HVAC system of ÉTS's container farm. It is based on PID regulation and on-off control with hysteresis. Several shortcomings were identified. Improvements were proposed, and the acquisition and control system, featuring a LabVIEW-based interface, was then designed. Finally, a methodology for implementing an improved control strategy based on fuzzy logic is proposed, in order to increase the system's energy efficiency
| Date | 22 Aug 2026 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Didier Haillot (Supervisor) & Stéphane Gibout (Co-supervisor) |
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Menguy, E. (Author),
Haillot (Supervisor) & Gibout (Co-supervisor),
22 Aug 2026Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Engineering