Is this the Alec Mackenzie of Argus fame? If so, glad to here from you and get your opinions.

Climate control is much easier in the higher volume greenhouse. temperature and air moisture buffering create a much ‘smoother’ climate. Energy losses will be the same or less because of this. Thermal stratification is also a problem in shorter greenhouses. I have frozen crops on the ground in (low) heated greenhouses with poorly designed air circulation. I started in cold frames and ended up in very tall greenhouses. Visit most older commercial greenhouses in North America (or Europe) and you will usually find the oldest house is the shortest and the newest the tallest. I wonder why?

Glass house light gain easily trumps energy loss when compared to artificial lighting. In fact, greenhouses with supplemental light often need cooling to remove excess heat produced by supplemental lighting.

Focused luminaires are engineered to create an even light pattern at an specified height above the plant canopy.

Hello! Happy to help with a business plan – jim@coloradoaquaponics.com 720 212 6055

Swapnil,

We appreciate your constructive criticism and opinion on this topic.
My opinion is based on reviews of Wageningen University (NL) research and modeling for greenhouses located in different environments around the world. I also reviewed work done by North American greenhouse manufacturers and as well as agriculture engineers at leading US universities.

Depending on the greenhouse design, my comments assume a greenhouse gutter height of 5-7 meters.

By increasing greenhouse height, one increases the air volume that one is managing. The greater the air volume, the slower changes in temperature occur. Moderating temperature fluctuations allows for a healthier environment for crops.

Thanks for your reply.

Chris

Entendemos que o custo das lâmpadas é alto.
Mas, usar as lâmpadas adequadas economizará muito dinheiro ao longo do tempo.

This is a great question.
Our recommendation for tank sizing is simple, 2.5 times the estimated needs of the system.
This keeps the grower from having to fill the tanks to 100% capacity.
While also allowing the grower to add fresh water when the EC’s or pH’s climb to high.

In regards to Steve’s concerns: First, the greenhouse in the photo is not a glass greenhouse. This greenhouse uses a twin-wall polycarbonate designed for commercial greenhouse production.
Second, in commercial greenhouse production the location of the LED grow lights are modeled out before install. Location of the grow lights is not a one variable calculation. The models used accurately predict the light intensities (which are determined based on historical DLI data and shade created by the structure). The location of the lights are also based on light uniformity, creation (or lack) of shade, access to power, labor management, service and crop production systems.