Greenhouse & Agriculture

Managing temperature and energy usage in greenhouses — whether seasonal, year-round, or indoor grow facilities — is one of the most difficult operational challenges growers face. Extreme daily swings, cold nights, and peak daytime heat all place stress on plants, infrastructure, and energy budgets.

Fore Energy uses Phase Change Materials (PCMs) to passively absorb and release thermal energy inside the greenhouse — stabilizing temperatures naturally, without fans, heaters, or active controls.

The Karibu Greenhouse PCM Thermal Panel is a wall-mounted thermal storage panel designed specifically for greenhouse applications. Each panel measures approximately 8” × 12” × 1” thick and can be mounted on greenhouse walls, ceilings, or near planting areas without interfering with workflow or growing space.

Each panel contains approximately 3.75 pounds of PCM. A standard kit includes 10 panels, providing a quantified amount of thermal energy storage comparable to short-duration electric heating, delivered passively within the greenhouse environment.

DURING DAYTIME:  During daylight hours, Karibu PCM Panels absorb excess heat generated by solar gain. As temperatures rise, the PCM transitions through its phase-change range — storing thermal energy internally instead of allowing temperatures to spike inside the greenhouse. 

DURING NIGHTIME:  As temperatures fall after sunset, the PCM reverses phase and releases the stored heat back into the space. This helps maintain more stable overnight temperatures, reducing heater runtime, plant stress, and energy consumption. 

Greenhouse performance depends heavily on insulation quality and overall energy efficiency. The more stable the internal environment, the more effectively PCM can cycle and store thermal energy.

Lightweight structures such as hoop houses and poly-type greenhouses often struggle to retain sufficient daytime heat during winter months, leading to higher overnight heat loss compared to insulated or passive- solar greenhouse designs.

PCM performs best when paired with good greenhouse design, allowing stored thermal energy to be absorbed, retained, and released efficiently — maximizing return on every panel installed.

How Much PCM is Enough?

Many greenhouses experience significant heat loss during cold periods. PCM can be used to extend the growing season, reduce heater runtime, or stabilize overnight temperatures—depending on climate, structure, and insulation quality.

These systems rely on phase change material technology that stores and releases thermal energy at specific temperature ranges. 

Each Karibu Greenhouse PCM Thermal Panel provides approximately 250 BTUs

of thermal storage.

A standard kit of 10 panels provides:

• 2,500 BTUs of thermal storage

• Approximately 725 watt-hours of usable thermal energy

This energy is delivered passively — without electricity, controls, or moving parts.

PCM vs Water Storage

For example, large volumes of water can store significant thermal energy, but that energy is released gradually across a broad temperature range rather than concentrated where plants benefit most.

A comparable number of Karibu PCM panels can store a similar order of thermal energy, concentrated within a narrower, plant-relevant temperature range—helping maintain stable growing conditions for longer periods.

Additionally, Karibu panels mount vertically and occupy no growing floor space while improving thermal conductivity compared to large water barrels.

The result is a more efficient thermal storage solution that preserves valuable growing area.