Modern agricultural glass greenhouses are mainly the Venlo type glass greenhouses in the Netherlands. What are the main structural features? Let's know together.
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Glass greenhouse has the advantages of high light transmittance, long service life and convenient maintenance. In construction, it has many advantages, such as small component section, simple construction and installation, etc. The commonly used spans of glass greenhouses are 6.4m, 9.6m, 10.8m, 12.8m, etc. the spacing between columns, that is, the commonly used spacing between columns, is 4m, 8m and other specifications, and the greenhouse eaves are 3-10 high. The materials used for the main structure of glass greenhouses are hot-dip galvanized light steel structures, and the roof beam surface inlaid with glass is special aluminum alloy profiles; Most of the top covering materials are 5mm thick float tempered glass or 4mm tempered diffused glass. The surrounding covering materials are hollow tempered glass with specifications of 4 + 9 + 4, 5 + 6 + 5, 5 + 9 + 5, etc. The foundation is reinforced concrete independent column foundation, and reinforced concrete ring beams are poured around.
Glass greenhouses are unmatched by other types of greenhouses because of their high light transmittance, uniform illumination, good sealing performance, good ventilation effect, high roof drainage efficiency and high construction intensity. This shows that glass greenhouses still have a place in facility agriculture, and the composition of glass greenhouses is generally the following main systems.
Main structure
The main structure of the glass greenhouse is made of hot-dip galvanized steel. All aluminum alloys on the roof and end face are adopted in accordance with national standards, and their specifications and dimensions are finalized and processed.
Ventilation system
The glass greenhouse top opening window and water curtain outward turning window are mainly used to promote the indoor air circulation of the glass greenhouse, improve the indoor air quality, facilitate ventilation and cooling in summer, reduce humidity, etc.
External sunshade system
The external shading system of the glass greenhouse is installed on the horizontal plane of 0.5m at the top of the ridge of the glass greenhouse, and the system moves in the longitudinal direction. Motor driven, rack and pinion system.
Inner shading system
The shading system in the glass greenhouse is installed on the horizontal plane of the upper beam in the glass greenhouse, and also moves along the longitudinal direction. The motor is used to drive the rack and pinion control switch.
Fan wet curtain cooling system
The fan wet curtain cooling system of glass greenhouse is a common cooling method in glass greenhouse, which is suitable for greenhouse projects with small area. Generally, the wet curtain is installed on the back end wall of the greenhouse, and the fan is installed on the south end wall. The fan adopts axial-flow negative pressure fan, and the common specifications are mostly 1380. The wet curtain adopts 100mm thick corrugated paper evaporation wet curtain. The article is published by manager Zhang of Guangyuan greenhouse, If reprinted, please keep the copyright information. When the fan is started, negative pressure will be generated in the room, forcing the indoor unsaturated air to enter the greenhouse through the porous wet surface of the wet curtain, flow out from the fan, and take away the indoor heat through heat absorption to achieve the purpose of cooling. The wet curtain consists of wet curtain curtain, water pump, filter, control valve, water supply pipeline, water discharge pipeline, valve, motor pump, etc. Focus on greenhouse engineering technology and serve modern agriculture.
Heating system
The heating of glass greenhouse in winter is the most important energy consumption factor. Therefore, the selection of heating equipment will affect the investment, operation cost and future economic benefits of greenhouse to a great extent.
There are many ways to heat the greenhouse. I only choose the electric boiler heating mode that is more economical and widely used in recent years. It is mainly composed of boiler, water pipeline and finned tube, which can be heated by electric heat storage at night.
Agricultural Internet of things
The Internet of things system of glass greenhouse is to configure the Agricultural Internet of things system in the development of traditional glass greenhouse, which is commonly known as intelligent greenhouse. Modern agricultural demonstration planting greenhouse equipment belongs to the category of facility agriculture. Facility agriculture is a modern agricultural method that uses engineering and technical means to produce animals and plants efficiently under the condition of relatively controllable environment, also known as controllable environment agriculture. Facility agriculture spans many disciplines and needs supporting facilities: hardware equipment, software control system and planting and breeding technology linked by the Internet of things.
Seeing a greenhouse project come to life is an exciting moment for any commercial grower. After months of legwork and preparation, like choosing a location for their structure, acquiring permits, setting up utility access and finalizing other details in their greenhouse plans, they get to see their structure finally take shape during the installation process.
But, what exactly does that look like? With so many different designs for greenhouses available on the market today, it’s rare that two projects are one in the same, and the right design is something that’s often unique to each individual operation.
From stock to completely custom options, it’s important for growers to find a structure that suits both their immediate and long-term operational goals. To do so, they’ll need to take into account their budget, available space and desired crop type, and then weigh that information against the most impactful features of greenhouse design. Three of those key elements are the style of structure, including its roof profile and whether it’s free-standing or gutter-connected, the size of the greenhouse and the cladding material used to cover it.
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The first consideration while navigating designs for greenhouses is size. Growers will need to determine the scale at which they want to grow, as well as how that correlates to their budget and usable space. Depending on their conclusion, they will choose from two general greenhouse classifications: free-standing or gutter-connected.
In either style, growers will also need to make a decision regarding their roof profile. Two of the most common shapes used in designs for greenhouses are gothic and round, each of which comes with their own unique benefits. Although a round-style roof can be easier to incorporate into more cost-effective structures, like GrowSpan’s S1000 Greenhouse, a gothic roof is great for improving ventilation and reducing the buildup of water, ice and snow.
A free-standing greenhouse acts as its own standalone structure and is comprised of a singular bay. This style of greenhouse is ideal for smaller operations that require less total growing space, typically under 10,000 square feet.
Free-standing greenhouses can also be an effective option for growers with unlevel building sites. In these instances, constructing a larger, gutter-connected structure requires excess grading, which demands a substantial amount of time and resources that growers may not have available. Rather than paying for costly sitework, many growers find that installing separate, free-standing greenhouses at different points on their property is more economical.
When growers want to produce crops on a larger scale and have the necessary land at their disposal, a gutter-connected greenhouse offers an ideal solution. These structures are made up of a series of individual greenhouse bays, which are connected together at the gutter level and can generally range anywhere from 12’ to 50’ wide.
Not only are gutter-connected greenhouses more efficient for a larger growing space upfront, but they are also a cost-effective solution long-term, since they enable operations to plan for expansion from the very beginning. While growers with free-standing structures will have to purchase new, separate greenhouses later down the line, operations utilizing a gutter-connected greenhouse can simply add a new bay when they’re ready, paying less for material and keeping production under one roof.
Cladding has a considerable effect on the overall quality of designs for greenhouses, including their thermal efficiency, light transmission rate and aesthetic value. This makes it one of the most important features in any greenhouse project, because whether a structure has 5,000 square feet of growing space or 20,000, growers will need to be able to maintain the ideal environment for their crop type.
The three primary kinds of cladding operations will choose from are film, polycarbonate and glass. It’s important to note that many growers also decide to mix and match their cladding, whether it’s to minimize costs, match certain roof profiles or for aesthetic purposes.
Poly film is a versatile cladding option that’s popular amongst growers for its low cost, tensile strength and high light transmission rate. On commercial structures, film is commonly paired with polycarbonate sidewalls and an arched roof, since there are no corners or peaks to cause potential tearing.
While film provides a light transmission rate of around 90 percent, it does sacrifice some performance in its longevity and ability to retain heat. Single-layer poly film delivers an R-value of just .83, so depending on a grower’s region, it may not be suitable for year-round commercial production when used as the sole cladding material. Furthermore, growers will want to replace their film every four years to maintain optimal light transmission.
Growers are able to bolster this material’s thermal efficiency by adding a second layer of film, and then inflating the area between the two layers. With an R-value of approximately 1.5, inflatable double poly film offers almost double the heat retention as a single-layer option, allowing operations to take advantage of year-round growing at a more economical price point.
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Polycarbonate is instrumental in some of the most effective designs for greenhouses. 8 mm twin-wall panels in particular are renowned for their valuable combination of light transmission and light diffusion, exceptional thermal efficiency and long-lasting durability. Since polycarbonate does not bend well, it is frequently paired with gothic-style roof profiles, like on GrowSpan’s S2000 Greenhouse.
8 mm twin-wall polycarbonate offers a light transmission rate of around 80 percent. Complemented by light diffusion and UV protection, this enables most crops to thrive and mitigates the risk of them overheating or being scorched by excessive sunlight.
These panels also provide an R-value of 1.72, making them an ideal choice for commercial growers in almost any climate. Additionally, this material is shatter-resistant, virtually unbreakable and is backed by a ten year warranty, so every grower is sure to get a long life out of their cladding, regardless of any severe weather that might come their way.
Despite coming in at the highest price point of the three, growers looking for greenhouse designs that prioritize aesthetic value and light transmission may want to consider glass cladding. Along with its attractive appearance, glass delivers a light transmission rate of around 90 percent, which enables growers to maximize the sunlight’s potential and increase yields at a lower cost. Glass is employed on some of the most impressive designs for greenhouses, including GrowSpan’s Venlo Greenhouses.
In 4 mm thickness, glass possesses an R-value of 1.00. This puts it at a higher rating than single-layer poly film, but below twin-wall polycarbonate. Growers can increase their structure’s thermal efficiency by layering these panels and creating double pane, or even triple plane glass, achieving a potential R-value of over 3.00.
Similarly, growers can improve their structure by opting for tempered glass, a shatter-resistant alternative to traditional glass panels. With tempered glass, growers can create a stronger, more durable structure and reduce the risk of any panels breaking and hindering production.
No matter which direction growers want to go with their greenhouse plans, GrowSpan is able to provide the ideal structure for their needs. With some of the highest-quality designs for greenhouses in the industry today, operations can acquire a growing space that allows them to implement an effective, long-term business strategy with ease.
To learn more about the different designs for greenhouses, call or Request a Quote today.
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