What are Greenhouse Specifications? As the term is self-explanatory, these specifications explain in detail how greenhouses should be constructed. There are also certain rules and regulations also that need to be followed while building these houses. Since many types of greenhouses are available, one should first go through the available types, their features. Then a feasibility study should follow to decide the type of greenhouse that is suitable to be built. Obviously, the factors that should be thought over would include they materials availability, soil types and moreover the capital available. Dead load, snow load, wind load any special load etc. should be initially decided and mentioned in the greenhouse specifications. Generally non metallic non corrosive non shrinking materials non staining materials need to be used. The doors and frames materials such as glass panels, mechanical joints, hinges, lock sets, closers should be listed explicitly in greenhouse specifications. In this green house systems Glass greenhouse is generally considered to be cost effective and highly beneficial too. Above materials also important in the case of Greenhouse Construction. Apart from these specifications, today's greenhouse construction includes the electronic appliances to be used inside these houses. They may include a wide network of humidity, temperature sensors.
The first thing to figure out when buying or building a greenhouse is how much growing space you will need. Keep in mind, that a greenhouse is a long-term investment. Your selection should be large enough to provide ample room for years to come. In many instances, greenhouse owners end up wanting more square footage than they originally thought. In addition, if you plan to grow vegetables, you'll want maximum light and plenty of headroom, which is also good for hanging plants. There are greenhouse kits available for just about any budget, and most (even if you aren't handy with a hammer) can be built in less than a day. The big advantage with an attached or lean-to greenhouse is that you don't need to build all four walls.
Access walks to the greenhouse (if freestanding) need to be at least four feet wide, with a grade of no more than five percent (6 inches every 10 feet). Obviously, these wide entrances and paths throughout the structure will influence the width of the greenhouse. Determine the length of the greenhouse by dividing the total number of plants to be grown in the greenhouse by the density at which they can be spaced per linear foot of bench. For example, assume a freestanding greenhouse with two 30-inch deep side benches and one 48-inch deep center bench. Calculate the number of plants that could be grown per linear foot of bench space.
But in other climes, outdoor temperature extremes mean that greenhouses have to be heated or cooled. A prime example is the Netherlands. The summer sun raises the inside temperature so high that plants would die unless growers opened the greenhouse windows, which sends energy out the window-literally. And in places like northern Europe, sunlight is so scarce in the winter that greenhouses must be heated with growing lights, which takes energy. But greenhouses are big business in the Netherlands; they account for nearly 80 percent of the energy used in agriculture there. The Netherlands also sells structural components for greenhouses to the U.S., and is one of the top three largest exporters of agricultural products in the world, Common Greenhouse Structures along with the U.S.
With much of the heat effectively "trapped" in the greenhouse, the air within the greenhouse quickly warms up. The building's temperature quickly rises during the day, as more light shines into the greenhouse. In fact, on hot, sunny summer days, it can become too hot, requiring ventilation to keep from damaging the plants. Moderating the temperature inside a greenhouse is another undertaking in itself, and we'll cover it in the next section. The above explanation was an example of the "greenhouse effect". You have likely heard the term used to describe a similar effect which occurs in the Earth's atmosphere.
This results in the trapping of longer wavelengths and a higher temperature inside the medium. This occurs naturally without any human emissions; the existence of the greenhouse effect is a vital component of an inhabitable Earth, as it keeps the surface at a livable temperature - without it the Earth would be much colder, with an average temperature of about -18°C (see Earth Temperature without GHGs). Figure 1 shows a diagram that illustrates how the natural greenhouse effect works on Earth to maintain a comfortable temperature. The enhanced greenhouse effect is generally what is being talked about when people refer to the greenhouse effect and climate change. This effect refers to the increased heating of the Earth's surface as a result of a higher amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere from human activities.
