How Do Greenhouses Control Climate?

On a basic level, a greenhouse works by using glass or plastic to trap heat from the sun.

This provides a warm environment protected from the elements for plants to thrive, even in colder climates. However, basic greenhouses are limited when it comes to managing your growing environment. Greenhouse technology like fans, thermostats, sensors, and ground heating can be used to fully control the growing environment within a greenhouse.

How Do You Control the Temperature and Humidity in a Greenhouse?

A classic greenhouse has limited capacity for environmental control – you’re stuck with one growing environment. Our greenhouse climate systems allow for total control of environmental elements. These include water management, air conditioning, supplemental lighting, and dehumidification processes.

Our state-of-the-art sensors and unit heaters allow you to eliminate temperature variations, hot air, or cold spots within the environment. Relative humidity can be increased or decreased using our built-in automated dehumidification technology.

What Are Greenhouse Environmental Control Systems?

These are the climate control systems that manage your plants’ environment. Irrigation control keeps crops perfectly watered and thriving. Lighting control means you don’t have to rely on natural sunlight. Greenhouse heating and cooling systems eliminate cold spots and keep plants growing through every season.

Dehumidification systems allow you to raise or lower your greenhouse humidity level. Supplemental lighting is also an essential element of any successful greenhouse.

What Is an Automated Greenhouse Setup?

Constant management of environmental controls is a difficult full-time job. That’s why we offer automated system management. Automated greenhouses use a series of integrated, highly sensitive sensors that relay information between environmental control systems.

This means your greenhouse can function with perfect irrigation, fresh air ventilation, greenhouse temperatures, carbon dioxide levels, and light exposure at all times – with no input from you.

What Can Integrated Greenhouse Environmental Control Systems Do for Me?

Greenhouse control systems make systems integration possible. Think of them as the central command center communicating with the other systems running throughout the greenhouse.

The command center monitors and coordinates activities across all the systems to ensure every system works towards the common goal of keeping the greenhouse environment within specified parameters.

Sensors mounted throughout the greenhouse collect data that they relay to the greenhouse climate controller. The controller evaluates the data and then sends out commands to the other systems when adjustments are needed to keep the greenhouse environment at the desired levels.

What Types of Greenhouse Climate Control Systems Are Available?

Automated environmental control systems can use programming to run ventilation equipment, watering systems, or alarms to warn you of problems in single- or multiple-zone situations. There are several types of greenhouse systems that greenhouse environmental control systems can integrate.

• Temperature: Heating and cooling systems that maintain set temperature ranges
• Humidity: Humidification/dehumidification systems that restore humidity to desired levels
• Lighting: Artificial lighting systems that supplement natural sunlight
• CO_2: CO₂ supplementation
• Ventilation: Ventilation systems that promote air circulation and exchange.

What Level of Greenhouse Climate Controller Do I Really Need?

Control systems range in levels of sophistication and technology from thermostats and single-zone staged controllers on the simpler side to programmable zone controls and integrated greenhouse controls on the more advanced end.

An environmental control system packed with features seems like the obvious choice but take a moment to consider your true needs and goals before you decide what level of technology to go with.

Think about the cost of a high-tech system. Are you confident you will use all the features? Are you willing to pay for features that don’t benefit you, that you might never use?

The right greenhouse climate controller for you may not be the tricked-out Cadillac controller but rather the trusty Toyota controller that still gets the job done without putting a dent in your wallet.