Simple model to study the effect of temperature on the greenhouse with shading nets

Abstract

Due to high solar intensity, the internal temperature of greenhouses in subtropical regions is so high that it is difficult for crops to survive. There are two types of shading nets that are applied to reduce the solar intensity entering the greenhouse. The purpose of this research is to develop a simple greenhouse model to describe the effect of these shading nets on the inside temperatures of a greenhouse. The thermal condition was assumed as the steady state. The detailed microclimate data of an experimental greenhouse with internal and external shading nets were collected during various weather conditions. The model was validated using experimental data collected from various conditions. The prediction accuracy of the model for air temperature was about 1.5°C. It is concluded that this model could be applied to evaluate the performance of shading nets and serve as a tool for the design of a subtropical greenhouse.

Key words: Subtropical, greenhouse climate model, shading nets.