How is greenhouse payback calculated here?

Simple payback is total CAPEX divided by the annual operating margin (revenue minus OPEX). It is undiscounted and excludes tax and financing.

Why are there no default costs or yields?

Construction cost, energy tariffs, labour and crop yields vary by country, crop and design, so every value must come from your own data or supplier quotations.

What does a negative ROI mean?

The margin entered does not recover the CAPEX within the selected years. Review assumptions with your advisers before proceeding.

Greenhouse CAPEX, OPEX and ROI scenario

Answer first: payback = CAPEX ÷ (annual revenue − annual OPEX), and ROI over N years = (margin × N − CAPEX) ÷ CAPEX. Enter your own costs, marketable output and prices.

Currency (label only, no conversion)Crop type

Project factors (optional). Enter each factor separately if it is not already inside your CAPEX per m² or operating costs. Blank fields count as zero.

Greenhouse area (m²)100 – 2,000,000Build cost per m² (USD)0 – 100,000Structure and covering, per m² (USD)0 – 100,000Irrigation and fertigation equipment, per m² (USD)0 – 100,000Climate control (heating, cooling, ventilation, screens), per m² (USD)0 – 100,000Automation, sensors and controls, per m² (USD)0 – 100,000Other CAPEX (land works, utilities, packhouse) (USD)0 – 10,000,000,000Annual energy cost (USD)0 – 10,000,000,000Annual labour cost (USD)0 – 10,000,000,000Annual other inputs (exclude separately entered fertilizer) (USD)0 – 10,000,000,000Fertilizers and nutrient solutions, per year (USD)0 – 10,000,000,000Other annual OPEX (USD)0 – 10,000,000,000Annual marketable output (kg)0 – 10,000,000,000Average selling price per kg (USD)0 – 100,000Evaluation period (years)1 – 40

Cost vs ROI by year

Year 0 is the CAPEX outlay; each later year repeats your annual OPEX and revenue. The cumulative column shows when the project turns positive in this undiscounted scenario — not a forecast.

Complete the fields above to see the year-by-year table.

Plan the inputs

Worked sample scenarios

Hypothetical round numbers that show how the factors combine. They are not prices, yields or benchmarks for any crop, country or supplier — replace every value with your own quotations and production records.

Sample A — 1 ha tomato, plastic multi-span, drip fertigation, pad-and-fan cooling

10,000 m²; factor CAPEX 45 + 8 + 15 + 5 per m²; 60,000 site works; annual energy 40,000, labour 90,000, other inputs 30,000, fertilizer 20,000, other 15,000; 250,000 kg sold at 1.20 per kg; 10-year horizon.

Sample B — 0.5 ha leafy greens, hydroponic channels, heating and screens, full automation

5,000 m²; factor CAPEX 60 + 25 + 20 + 12 per m²; 40,000 site works; annual energy 30,000, labour 50,000, other inputs 15,000, nutrients 10,000, other 10,000; 120,000 kg sold at 2.00 per kg; 10-year horizon.

Method and assumptions

CAPEX = area × (base build cost per m² + separately entered equipment factors per m²) + other CAPEX. OPEX = energy + labour + other inputs + separate fertilizer + other OPEX. Count each cost once; enter zero for factors already included in the base price. Revenue = annual marketable output × price. Undiscounted, before tax, depreciation and financing.

Formula source: CAPEX = area × (CAPEX per m² + structure + irrigation/fertigation + climate + automation per m²) + other CAPEX; OPEX = energy + labour + inputs + fertilizer + other. Simple payback = CAPEX ÷ annual operating margin; ROI = (margin × years − CAPEX) ÷ CAPEX. Undiscounted, before tax and financing.

SeedMatchGroup reviews commercial agricultural projects from USD 250,000. Buyers submit requirements to us; we review them before deciding whether to approach independent suppliers and normalise any bids. We do not connect buyers directly with manufacturers.

Next steps

Questions

How is greenhouse payback calculated here?: Simple payback is total CAPEX divided by the annual operating margin (revenue minus OPEX). It is undiscounted and excludes tax and financing.
Why are there no default costs or yields?: Construction cost, energy tariffs, labour and crop yields vary by country, crop and design, so every value must come from your own data or supplier quotations.
What does a negative ROI mean?: The margin entered does not recover the CAPEX within the selected years. Review assumptions with your advisers before proceeding.