Energy exergy and environmental analyses of mango leather drying in greenhouse solar dryer with evacuated tube collector and finned tray

This research evaluates the performance of a hybrid greenhouse solar dryer (HGSD) combined with an evacuated tube collector (ETC) for drying mango pulp. The experiments were conducted in June 2021 using a finned aluminium tray placed inside the drying chamber. The system demonstrated significant environmental advantages, including the mitigation of approximately 86.21 tons of CO2 emissions. The average exergy efficiency was 4.62%, with a corresponding sustainability index of 1.048. The energy payback period was calculated as 3.98 years, and the carbon credit earned $817.31. The findings highlight the system's potential for optimisation to improve efficiency and sustainability.