How do commercial greenhouses work?

A greenhouse is a building structure designed for the protection of out-of-season or tender plants against excessive heat and cold. The commercial greenhouse is a glass or plastic-enclosed framed structure that is used for the production of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and any other plants that require special temperature or growth conditions. Glass has been the traditional glazing material used in designing commercial greenhouses, but plastic films, such as polyethylene or polyvinyl, and fiberglass are also common.

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The framing of the greenhouses structure is made of aluminum, galvanized steel, or such woods as redwood, cedar, or cypress. A greenhouse is heated partly by the rays of the Sun and partly by artificial means, such as hot water, circulating steam, or hot air.

The commercial greenhouse market has witnessed significant growth owing to factors such as a rise in population, leading to an increase in demand for food production coupled with high yield generation as compared to traditional agriculture. Moreover, the rising government initiatives in order to increase greenhouse adoption provides a huge market opportunity for the key players operating in the commercial greenhouse market. However, the high initial cost associated with the installation of a commercial greenhouse is projected to hamper the overall growth of the commercial greenhouse market.

Many commercial glass greenhouses or hothouses are high tech production facilities for vegetables, flowers or fruits. The glass greenhouses are filled with equipment including screening installations, heating, cooling, lighting, and may be controlled by a computer to optimize conditions for plant growth. Different techniques are then used to evaluate optimality-degrees and comfort ratio of greenhouseate (i.e., air temperature, relative humidity and vapor pressure deficit) in order to reduce production risk prior to cultivation of a specific crop.

The idea of growing plants in environmentally controlled areas has existed since Roman times. The Roman emperor Tiberius ate a cucumber-like vegetable daily. The Roman gardeners used artificial methods (similar to the greenhouse system) of growing to have it available for his table every day of the year. Cucumbers were planted in wheeled carts which were put in the sun daily, then taken inside to keep them warm at night.