Energy, Exergy and Economic Analysis of a Semi-solar Greenhouse with Experimental Validation

In this study, modeling of a semi-solar greenhouse has been done using Matlab software from the viewpoint of energy, exergy and economic, for the first time to the best of the author’s knowledge. This simulation predicts the four different point’s temperatures of the semi-solar greenhouse, considering mass and heat transfer between greenhouse components and the crop evapotranspiration. The results of the proposed modeling have evaluated by data recording from the constructed typical semi-solar greenhouse experimentally. Noticeable value of 19.5 ℃ has obtained for the temperature difference of the inside air and the outside air during tests. For statistical error functions of for R2, EF, MAPE, TSSE and RMSE, average values of 97.5%, 87%, 6.08 %, 〖213.4℃〗^2 and 2.1 ℃ have been calculated which shows the acceptable accuracy of the thermodynamic analysis. Moreover, exergy destruction of heat and mass transfer processes in the greenhouse system has been inspected. Considering the aim of this study as providing suitable thermal conditions for the inside air, the greenhouse air unit cost for each time step of one minute was analyzed. The unit cost of the air inside the greenhouse increases considerably by raising the interest rate from 10% to 20%. Using the technique of double layer glass separated with air filled space as the greenhouse cover, total exergy destruction of the semi-solar greenhouse decreases about 45.36%.