Abstract
In this study, the performances of three commonly used greenhouse shapes even-span, uneven-span, and elliptic are compared in the climatic conditions of Marrakech, Morocco. The dimensions (length, width, and height) of the greenhouse types are kept the same. A mathematical model for computing the total hourly solar irradiation gained by each greenhouse shape during the whole year was developed for both north–south and east–west orientations. This model is applicable and suitable for other shapes and locations in the world. Hourly and monthly solar irradiation transmitted inside the greenhouse system were computed individually for all studied greenhouse types and orientations. An extensive comparison was then made to determine the most suitable greenhouse shape and orientation for our site (Marrakech). The results show that the uneven-span shape greenhouse with a roof inclination angle of 12° is the optimum one as it receives the maximum solar irradiation, followed by the even-span with a roof inclination angle of 17° and finally by the elliptical shape. The shape, type, and surface of the roof are the main effective parameters on solar energy availability in greenhouses. East–west orientation is the most suitable configuration for drying applications during winter as it receives more significant solar irradiation in this season. It was found that the uneven-span greenhouse with a roof inclination angle of 12° and oriented east–west is preferred for Marrakech in this regard.
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Abbreviations
- W :
-
Greenhouse width
- L :
-
Greenhouse length
- H :
-
Greenhouse height
- T h, T M :
-
Hourly and monthly total solar irradiation (W/m2)
- H g :
-
Global solar irradiation on a horizontal surface (W/m2)
- T b, T d :
-
Beam, diffuse solar irradiation on a horizontal surface (W/m2)
- T bh, T dh, H h :
-
Hourly beam, hourly diffuse and hourly global solar irradiation on a horizontal surface (W/m2)
- T bM, T dM, H M :
-
Monthly beam, monthly diffuse, monthly global solar irradiation on a horizontal surface (W/m2)
- R b, R d, R r :
-
Fraction of the beam, the diffuse, the global solar irradiation received by the surface
- \(\overline{R}_{{\text{b}}}\) :
-
Fraction of the average daily beam irradiation received by the surface
- G h/M :
-
The total hourly/monthly solar irradiation received by the greenhouse cover (W/m2)
- S i :
-
The surface area of the ith section
- Α :
-
Tilt angles of the roof (°)
- Β :
-
Tilt angles the walls (°)
- γ :
-
Azimuth (°)
- θ i :
-
Incidence angle of beam irradiation (°)
- θ z :
-
Zenith angle of the sun (°)
- l:
-
Site latitude (°)
- d :
-
Sun declination angle (°)
- ω :
-
Solar hour angle (°)
- ω ss , ωSr :
-
Sunrise and the sunset hour angles on titled surfaces (°)
- ω s :
-
Sunset hour angle of a horizontal surface (°)
- ω’ s :
-
Sunset hour angle of a titled surface (°)
- ρ g :
-
Ground reflectance factor
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Acknowledgements
This work was performed in the framework of the Bioresol Project. The authors are grateful to IRESEN for the financial support.
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Mellalou, A., Mouaky, A., Bacaoui, A. et al. A comparative study of greenhouse shapes and orientations under the climatic conditions of Marrakech, Morocco. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 19, 6045–6056 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03556-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03556-z