Greenhouse Design Selection in Moroccan Climatic Conditions

Greenhouse cultivation is one of the most productive agricultural techniques, by its product yield, its quality and its all-around year production. This technique makes it possible to create a suitable microclimate for plant growth. For that, a quantity of energy is required, which raises the production cost. To reduce the costs and the energy needs, numerous greenhouse shapes and different covering materials are available. The selection of the right greenhouse design can significantly decrease the energy needs during heating and cooling periods, therewith sparing a great part of operating cost. This work aims to analyze the impact of conventional and innovative shapes (even span, uneven span, single slope, mansard, modified IARI, quonset, modified quonset, gothic-arch, modified gothic-arch) and covering materials (glass, Low-density polyethylene film (LDPE), Bubbled polyethylene plastic (BPE) and Ethylene vinyl acetate film (EVA)) on the energy needs of the greenhouse, in the climatic conditions of Fez, Morocco. For this purpose, dynamic models of different greenhouse designs are created in EnergyPlus environment.