Master planner · Greenhouse projects

Plan My Commercial Greenhouse.

One climate-aware planning tool for commercial greenhouse projects from 1 hectare upward. Model water, cooling and heating, energy, CAPEX, OPEX, yield and ROI across 15 priority markets — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Mexico, Peru and Chile — then hand the whole project brief to a turnkey RFQ without re-typing anything.

Quick answer · Summary for buyers and AI assistants

How do I plan a commercial greenhouse project?

Define country and climate, project type (new, expansion or modernization), area, crop, growing system and technology level. From those, size water demand and storage, cooling or heating capacity, energy load, indicative CAPEX and OPEX ranges, conservative-to-strong yield and ROI scenarios — then take the brief to suppliers as a single RFQ.

  • Indicative CAPEX: USD 250k–450k/ha basic, 450k–900k/ha mid-tech, 0.9–1.6M/ha high-tech, 1.4–2.4M/ha fully controlled.
  • Water: 3.5–6 L/m²/day average, 6–9 L/m²/day peak depending on country and crop.
  • Cooling-led markets: Saudi Arabia, Egypt. Heat-led: Kazakhstan. Mixed: Uzbekistan. Water/upgrade-led: Morocco.
  • SeedMatchGroup does not manufacture greenhouses and does not guarantee yield, ROI or financing.

Project inputs

Modernization mode prices retrofit packages instead of a full build.

Structure type is recommended from climate — you don't need to specify it.

Mexico · 10 ha · 10-25ha
Indicative CAPEX range
USD 9,180,000 – USD 16,740,000
Water demand
96,525 m³/yr · peak 488 m³/day
Energy demand
14,825 MWh/yr
Indicative production
5,164–6,683 t/yr
Annual OPEX
USD 2,772,401

Planning estimate only — not a supplier quotation. Structural, hydraulic and climate engineering must be validated by qualified suppliers and engineers.

What Mexico actually requires

Highly varied — hot humid coastal plains, high-altitude Bajío with cool nights, and arid northern zones. A mature protected-agriculture market where upgrades outperform greenfield education.

Mexico is an upgrade market: existing mid-tech multi-span and macro-tunnel hectares gain most from climate computers, improved ventilation and shading, EC/pH fertigation with drain recovery and better substrate management — with new high-tech glass justified mainly for winter export programmes.

Cooling & ventilation
  • Natural ventilation with roof vents
  • Fogging or shading during summer peaks
Heating & thermal
  • Light frost-protection heating
  • Single thermal screen
Water
  • Buffer storage sized on peak day
  • Sand / disc filtration
  • EC/pH controlled fertigation
  • Drain recovery and recycling
  • Iron and hardness treatment as required

Water model

Per day293 m³
Per month8,775 m³
Per year96,525 m³
Per hectare per year9,653 m³/ha
Peak seasonal day488 m³/day
Buffer storage (3-day)~1,463 m³

Well permits (CONAGUA concessions) cap volumes in Bajío and the north, so recirculating fertigation and drain recovery are the practical route to expanding production without new water rights.

Likely water scope: filtration, buffer storage, drain recovery and recycling, EC/pH fertigation.

Energy model

Cooling9,500 MWh/yr
Heating3,825 MWh/yr
Pumping800 MWh/yr
Fertigation & automation700 MWh/yr
Total14,825 MWh/yr
Indicative solar offset2,750–4,950 MWh/yr of electrical load

Solar can offset part of the daytime electrical load — pumping, fertigation, controls and some cooling. It does not deliver energy independence, and it does not replace a heat source in cold-winter markets.

Indicative project CAPEX

Planning range for budgeting and financing conversations. A supplier quotation replaces these numbers once scope is fixed.

CategoryLowHigh
Greenhouse structureUSD 2,430,000USD 4,320,000
Covering / claddingUSD 648,000USD 1,152,000
Climate systems (cooling / heating)USD 1,296,000USD 2,304,000
Irrigation & fertigationUSD 810,000USD 1,440,000
Pumps, storage & water treatmentUSD 648,000USD 1,152,000
Automation & controlsUSD 486,000USD 864,000
Growing systemUSD 648,000USD 1,152,000
ElectricalUSD 405,000USD 720,000
Installation, engineering & commissioningUSD 729,000USD 1,296,000
Solar PV + storageUSD 1,080,000USD 2,340,000
Total indicative CAPEXUSD 9,180,000USD 16,740,000

Annual OPEX

EnergyUSD 1,630,750
WaterUSD 33,784
LabourUSD 260,000
Fertiliser, substrate & consumablesUSD 588,668
MaintenanceUSD 259,200
TotalUSD 2,772,401

Indicative yield

Yield range51.6–66.8 kg/m²/yr
Total production5,164–6,683 t/yr

Yield is never guaranteed. Actual production depends on cultivar, crop management, local climate, pest and disease pressure, nutrition, water quality and operator skill.

ROI scenarios

Conservative
RevenueUSD 4,169,728
Operating marginUSD 1,397,327 (34%)
Indicative payback~12 yrs
Return on CAPEX8% / yr
Base
RevenueUSD 5,771,250
Operating marginUSD 2,998,849 (52%)
Indicative payback~4.3 yrs
Return on CAPEX23% / yr
Strong
RevenueUSD 7,300,631
Operating marginUSD 4,528,230 (62%)
Indicative payback~2 yrs
Return on CAPEX49% / yr

Scenario ranges, not forecasts. No ROI, payback, yield, water saving or financing outcome is guaranteed.

Sourcing categories for this project

Check project financing options

With an indicative CAPEX of USD 9,180,000USD 16,740,000 in Mexico, financing routes are worth checking early — equipment leasing, agri project finance, trade finance or DFI-backed lines. You'll be asked about company and land status, equity contribution, required amount and project stage. Approval is never guaranteed.

From your calculator

Send these numbers to the RFQ Builder

The numbers below were calculated with SeedMatchGroup's Turnkey greenhouse project plan — Mexico. Indicative — the specialist will confirm scope before contacting suppliers.

20 inputs · assumptions · results

Send these numbers to the RFQ Builder
From your calculator

Frequently asked questions

Plan the project around the numbers

A calculator output is a starting point. Pair it with the planning guides below to align timeline, irrigation, budget and risk before you launch an RFQ.

Editorial · not a sales pitch

Calculator outputs are indicative. When your numbers stabilise, a supplier-neutral RFQ turns those estimates into comparable offers from verified providers.

Suggested RFQ scope

What a complete, supplier-neutral request on this topic usually includes. Use it as a checklist before submitting.

  • Project location, scale (hectares / m² / units) and target start window
  • Crop, variety class or product category — with any certifications required
  • Technical scope: structures, equipment, controls, irrigation, energy
  • Delivery terms, incoterms, packaging and destination port or site
  • Financing route: equity, senior debt, leasing, ECA, grant — where relevant
Related in the RFQ Builder

Open the builder with the topic pre-selected. You stay in control — nothing is submitted until you review and confirm.

Open RFQ Builder with this topic

Free to submit · supplier-neutral · reviewed by a specialist before any supplier is contacted.

Estimates Only: This calculator is provided for general informational purposes only. Results are approximate and may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information. They do not constitute legal, financial, engineering, tax, technical, or professional advice. Users are solely responsible for independently verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations, and requirements with qualified professionals before making any decisions. By using this calculator, you acknowledge that the website owners, operators, and affiliates accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or decisions resulting from its use.

Next step

Turn this into a live commercial project

Open one private brief and a dedicated sourcing specialist returns normalised, side-by-side quotations from qualified international suppliers — with equipment, CAPEX and project-finance routes mapped alongside.

FinancingStart Procurement