Selection of Input Variables for Covering Materials Through Sensitivity Analysis Based on Greenhouse Energy Demands

We aim to select the input variables of covering materials affecting the cooling and heating energy demands of a greenhouse through a sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, we quantitatively evaluate the effects on these demands for identifying items that must be measured and acquired for modeling. Results indicate that solar transmittance, solar reflectance, infrared emissivity, and conductivity significantly affect the energy demands. An energy prediction model is developed by using a multiple regression analysis, which adequately describe the simulation results. We expect that this model can facilitate the comparison of the approximate performance of covering materials during the initial design stage for ordinary farms having difficulty using simulations.