ABSTRACT
In Covid19, it was observed that dehydrated commodity (fruits, vegetables, meat, etc.) was the most sustainable because of their long life and availability. The stored product market grew very fast after Covid19. It was predicted that the dehydrated circular economy would be the future of food demand and supply. The greenhouse dryer (GD) was the most economical and environmentally viable among various drying techniques. However, the problem associated with GD was low operating hours, sustainability, heat loss from the North wall, and operation after sunset. The present study incorporated a bifacial photovoltaic thermal (BIFPVT) on the roof, Lauric acid as a phase change material (PCM), and an aluminium foil-wrapped thermocol (Polystyrene foam) on the north wall of the GD as an insulation to overcome the above-said problem. The thermal efficiency of the modified greenhouse dryer was found to be lie in the range of 26–54%. In contrast, the electrical efficiency was found to be 20.1%. The integration of the thermal energy storage (TES) system runs the system even after sunset and improves the operation hours. The designed system not only makes the system self-sustainable but also mitigates 3136 kg of CO2 in its whole life span. The modified TES can further improve the thermal performance of the GD. A PCM-integrated BIFPVT greenhouse dryer is recommended for cleaner production.