How a Climate-Controlled Greenhouse Works

We all, more or less, know what a greenhouse is.

Having appeared over two millennia ago, greenhouses have accompanied the evolution of agricultural techniques, guaranteeing humanity an ever-increasingly reliable harvest.

Climate-controlled greenhouses are a category of greenhouses that includes the most technologically advanced structures.

In today's article, we'll look at what climate-controlled greenhouses, what distinguishes them from traditional greenhouses, and finally, what alternatives there are for small growers and researchers.

Climate-Controlled Greenhouses: Definition and Differences from Traditional Greenhouses

Understanding what a Climate Control Greenhouse is no easy task, and for a very simple reason: every greenhouse is a structure designed to ensure a certain level of climate control.

From the first experiments of the ancient Romans, through the Middle Ages and the modern age, to the present day, greenhouses have been a fundamental agricultural tool capable of altering the microclimate within them to promote crop growth.

Therefore, although every greenhouse involves climate control, today a distinction is made between traditional greenhouses and greenhouses with climate control.

A climate-controlled greenhouse is an advanced structure that uses sophisticated technologies to precisely monitor and regulate temperature, humidity, light, and other environmental factors crucial to plant growth. 

Compared to traditional greenhouses, which depend on external weather conditions and alter them “passively” so to speak , climate-controlled greenhouses offer a much higher level of management and optimization

Growth Chamber

Discover the latest features of FDM Growth Chambers. Learn more

Climate Control Greenhouse Technologies

But what are the technologies that make up a climate-controlled greenhouse?

Let's see the main ones here.

• Heating and Cooling Systems: Climate-controlled greenhouses are equipped with heating and cooling systems that maintain optimal temperatures for plant growth. These systems may include hot air heaters, evaporative cooling systems, and heat pumps.

• Humidity Control: Humidity control is essential for preventing fungal diseases and promoting healthy plant growth. Climate-controlled greenhouses use humidification and dehumidification systems to maintain optimal humidity levels.

• Artificial Lighting: In addition to sunlight, climate-controlled greenhouses employ artificial lighting systems to ensure a constant amount of light needed for photosynthesis and other processes.

• Irrigation Control: Automated irrigation systems deliver water to plants based on their specific needs, optimizing water use and promoting uniform, healthy growth.

For research applications requiring precise control of CO2 concentration_in an indoor environment—such as atmospheric enrichment studies or accelerated photosynthesis testing—FDM offers a test chamber_CO2 that complements growth chambers for more vertical applications.

Alternatives to Climate Control Greenhouses

Climate-controlled greenhouses are exceptional tools for both food and research cultivation.

The ability to alter and monitor atmospheric conditions at will is essential to the work of researchers, giving them the ability to experiment with precision and reliability.

However, Climate Control Greenhouses are very large and expensive structures.

If you don't have access to such funds, the best alternative is a growth chamber.

Can't find the perfect chamber for your rehearsals?

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The FDM Growth Chamber

Growth chambers can be conceptualized as miniature climate-controlled greenhouses. Available in various sizes, but all comparable to a standard refrigerator, growth chambers are hermetically sealed environments within which the temperature, relative humidity , and lighting can be adjusted , just like in climate-controlled greenhouses.

The FDM Growth Chamber, which includes 5 different types of lighting systems that can be positioned horizontally or vertically, depending on the customer's needs.

We can also build custom growth chambers, as we did for researchers at the University of Turin. You can read the story here. 

For any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Reference Standards

• EN 13031-1 — Greenhouses: Design and construction, structural and climatic requirements for commercial agricultural greenhouses.
• ANSI/ASAE EP406.4 — Heating, Ventilating, and Cooling Greenhouses: American Standards for Greenhouse HVAC Systems.
• DIN EN 17268 — Greenhouses: Natural ventilation, design methods for natural ventilation and calculation of air exchange.
• ISO 17714 — Meteorology: Measurement of air temperature, methods for agrometeorological thermal monitoring.
• EN 15977 — Irrigation techniques: Pipe systems for subsoil drip irrigation, standards for precision irrigation.

Authoritative Sources

• CEN – European Committee for Standardization. It manages the EN 13031 and EN 17268 series for agricultural greenhouses.
• ASABE – American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Publishes ASAE EP406 and guidelines for greenhouse engineering.
• ISO – International Organization for Standardization. Publishes ISO 17714 standard for agrometeorology and climate monitoring.

Frequently Asked Questions About Climate Control Greenhouses

Passive vs. Active Control: When to Use One or the Other?

Passive control uses bioclimatic design without mechanical systems: optimal solar orientation (east-west for single-span greenhouses, north-south for multi-aisle greenhouses in the Po Valley), natural ventilation with ridge openings (15-25% of the covered surface area) and side openings, seasonal shading with variable-fraction nets (30-70%), and selective roofing (low-emissivity glass, triple-glazed PE). It works in temperate climates for non-intensive crops with wide temperature tolerances. Active control integrates full HVAC: hot-pipe radiant heating, evaporative cooling with cooling pads and extractor fans (reduces T by 6-12°C), metered CO2 injection (800-1200 ppm for C3/C4 photosynthesis), heat pump dehumidification, and controlled humidification. It is mandatory for high-income crops (cluster tomatoes, medical cannabis, off-season strawberries), floriculture (roses, orchids), plant research where temperature tolerances are +/- 0.5 C. The investment goes from 50 EUR/m2 (passive tunnel greenhouse) to 300-800 EUR/m2 (Venlo glazing with full climate) with very different TCO over 10 years.

How do you calculate the correct air exchange?

The ventilation balance follows the continuity equation: Q_vent = Q_solar / (rho_air * cp * DT_target), where Q_solar is the net solar gain (typically 600-900 W/m2 at midday in summer), rho_air is the air density of 1.2 kg/m3, cp is 1005 J/kg K, and DT_target is the maximum tolerated internal-external gradient (typically 3-5 C). For a 1000 m2 greenhouse with a solar load of 700 kW and a DT of 5 C, we obtain Q_vent = 116 m3/s = 420,000 m3/h, equal to 60-80 volumes/h. In natural ventilation, the ridge openings must be 20-30% of the covered surface with a discharge coefficient Cd of 0.6-0.7. For forced ventilation, 1200-1800 mm axial fans with a flow rate of 40,000-70,000 m3/h are sized, 4-6 units for an average greenhouse. T/RH are distributed in quincunx on a 20x20 m grid with PID feedback to a central CPU. The Thermal Humidity Index (THI) integrates T and RH for thermal stress in plants (THI > 80 is critical for tomatoes) and automates pad cooling activation.

Which THI sensors are needed for automation?

A modern climate control system integrates multiple sensors: (1) T/RH internal on a 20x20 m grid (minimum 6-9 sensors per hectare) with accuracy +/- 0.3 C and +/- 2% RH, protected by a ventilated radiation shield; (2) T/RH external on a weather station at 3 m height; (3) global solar radiation Class B pyranometer + PAR (photosynthetically active) radiation 400-700 nm; (4) wind speed and direction for window opening control; (5) rain for rapid window closing; (6) NDIR infrared CO2 0-2000 ppm; (7) substrate T and humidity TDR/FDR probes for precision irrigation; (8) pH and EC nutrient solution in fertigation greenhouses. The PLC controller coordinates >30 actuators (shade sheets, openings, pumps, fans, burners) with multiple setpoint logics for vegetative/reproductive phase. Management software such as Priva Connext, Ridder HortiMaX, Argus Titan implement 6-24 hour forecasting models for energy optimization.

How to integrate photovoltaic systems into a greenhouse?

Agrivoltaicscombines agricultural and photovoltaic production with semi-transparent (20-50% transparency) or opaque modules arranged on roofing levels. Key requirements: (1) PAR radiation fraction >= 30-50% depending on the crop (green leaf requires PAR >= 300 umol/m2 s peak); (2) uniform shading with scattered modules or rotating trackers; (3) electricity compensation towards HVAC-fan-pump bills (an active greenhouse consumes 150-400 kWh/m2 year); (4) load-bearing structures sized for additional module loads of 15-25 kg/m2. For intensive tomato/cucumber greenhouses, the optimal photovoltaic fraction is 20-30% of coverage; for shade-loving orchids up to 50%. The MASE 2023 decree on innovative agrivoltaics provides CACER and PNRR incentives with minimum thresholds of 40% preserved productive agricultural surface. Typical ROI: 6-10 years, combining energy savings, surplus sales, and crop maintenance. The project requires an agronomic study to validate crop productivity under PV and five-year monitoring plans.