Prototype greenhouses have been developed by the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Thessaly within the LIFE+ programme co-financed by the European Commision, Athens–Macedonian News Agency said. In a report published by E-typos.com, project coordinator Alex Papachatzis noted the utilization of geothermal heat pumps reduces the use of solid fuels by up to 75% at times, while a closed-cycle system for water can bring its expenditure down even by 90% in addition to a significant increase in organic vegetable production.
Adapt2Change (Adapt Agricultural Production to Climate Change and Limited Water Supply) is a project worth over EUR 2.5 million, launched in Greece and Cyprus in 2009 by three universities, one research centre and one company. The technology from the largest LIFE+ project in Greece can be applied in agricultural industry – water usage, temperature and other conditions can be controlled from a smartphone, according to a report by Thessalia TV.