10 Commercial Greenhouse Improvements for Best Value Returns

There are many reasons to make improvements in a commercial greenhouse, modernizing your greenhouse can reduce maintenance costs, or make productivity improvements, or improve the greenhouse environment for better growing, or maybe you want to add some extra growing space.  Whatever the reason it is important to understand what the goal is before you talk to your greenhouse manufacturer.

1. Replacing stationary benches with rolling benches can add 25% more production space compared to conventional stationary bench layouts. By eliminating the extra aisles needed for stationary benches, rolling benches are a much more efficient use of your greenhouse.
2. Bringing in material handling systems like double rail carts or Rotating Basket Systems can greatly increase productivity. Remember if your material handling system is supported by the greenhouse you need to make sure the greenhouse design will handle these loads. Greenhouse manufacturers and equipment suppliers work together to design systems that integrate well.
3. Install energy curtains. Energy curtains will result in significant heat savings in the winter – between 20 to 40 percent for northern greenhouses. They also provide shade and help keep your greenhouse cool in the summer months. Shade systems and energy curtains can be added to most gutter connect and freestanding greenhouses.  Greenhouse manufacturers like GGS are able to retrofit most existing greenhouses.
4. Upgrade your boiler to a high efficiency boiler, or if you are using unit heaters, change to high efficiency heaters.  Not only will the increased efficiency leave more money in your pocket each winter, it’s also good for the environment.
5. Consider ebb and flood benches, or trough benches. The savings potential in irrigation water and fertilizer can justify the cost of the benches with a favourable ROI.
6. Increasing ventilation on your greenhouse provides better flexibility for your growing environment to reduce humidity, increase air flow, or help to harden plants. Rollup curtains can be added on to any hoop house or gutter connected poly sidewalls or poly end walls, and can be manually operated or hooked up with a simple motor. Hard glazed sides and ends can be fitted with swinging vents, and in most cases we can reuse the existing sidewall glazing. And if you don’t already have roof ventilation: GGS manufactures gutter vents, and ridge vents that can be added to most greenhouse arches.
7. Adding a Lean-to to the side of your existing gutter connected greenhouse is the most economical production space a greenhouse manufacturer can provide you.  If you are looking to expand your greenhouse operation but don’t have the budget or the demand for a large scale construction project a lean-to may just be the answer you are looking for.
8. Put in an environmental control system, or update your current environmental control system. The capabilities of the computerized environmental controls today are amazing.  If you don’t know where to begin talk to your greenhouse manufacturer.  At GGS we work with all the major control companies, and we are happy to assist growers in selecting the controls that best suit your needs.
9. A simple little thing like adding HAF fans inside your greenhouse can have a beneficial effect on both your crop and your workforce. At GGS we provide you with HAF fan layouts to maximize consistent airflow in your greenhouse and eliminate dead areas. If your greenhouse has hot spots in the summer it’s not just your plants that may be lagging, creating a good working environment will lead to more productive workers too.
10. Reglazing the roof. If you are growing in a poly greenhouse the reglazing is part of your regular maintenance schedule. But, 8mm PCSS roofs, Acrylic, and even glass can get dull, or damaged. When looking at how to get more out of your greenhouse consider the light levels you need and review your roof glazing.