Life Cycle Costing Analysis of Polyethylene and Polycarbonate Greenhouses in the West Bank
Date
2021-09-08
Authors
Nassif, Dyana
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
جامعة النجاح الوطنية
Abstract
The Palestinian greenhouse agriculture is suffering from the weather conditions in the winter season, leaving the farmers with many losses in the greenhouse sructure and the inside plants.
The farming industry in Palestine uses polyethylene as a covering material for greenhouse space buildings. The harsh weather conditions in winter cause rupture of the polyethylene sheets and lead to tremendous losses. Many countries nowadays use polycarbonate sheets to cover the greenhouse, for its many useful properties, mainly toughness against harsh weather conditions and long-life duration. However, switching from polyethylene to polycarbonate might be an expensive plan.
This research suggests eight polycarbonate greenhouse structural designs suitable to be used in the West Bank, and those eight designs are checked using SAP2000 computer software under the different load combinations of four Palestinian agricultural zones. The Palestinian MoA divided the West Bank into four agricultural zones, An-Nassareya, Tammoun, Qabatia, and Hebron on one of their projects, and those four zones are used by this research.
For every zone, only one design that has the lowest initial construction cost is adopted.
This study also performs life cycle cost analysis of the certified Palestinian polyethylene greenhouse, and life cycle cost analysis of the adopted polycarbonate greenhouse along their life period, twenty years. Eventually, the net present value for both types of greenhouses is found and compared.
It’s been found that switching from polyethylene sheeting to polycarbonate sheeting is indeed an expensive procedure, and it will add to the cost of the farmers almost 25% more in An-Nassareya, Tammoun, and Qabatia zones, and it will also add to the cost of the farmers almost 40% more in Hebron zone.