Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of various common greenhouses

Greenhouse technology plays an increasingly important role in agricultural production. It can not only effectively resist natural disasters, but also regulate drought and flood, so that crop cultivation can be advanced or delayed, thereby extending the growth period and achieving the goals of early maturity, late maturity, increased production and stable production, which is deeply loved by farmers. However, due to differences in climate and application in various places, the specifications of greenhouses are also different. Next, we will take a deep look at the most popular types of greenhouses at present, analyze their advantages and disadvantages, and help you choose the right greenhouse more wisely.

Solar greenhouse
is one of the important types of greenhouses, which is mainly divided into earth wall solar greenhouse and brick wall solar greenhouse. The new type of solar greenhouse that has recently appeared in Shouguang, Shandong, is an improvement on the traditional earth wall solar greenhouse.

Earth wall solar greenhouse
is suitable for off-season cultivation of high-value vegetables and other crops. Its span is usually between 10-15 meters. The wall structure adopts earth wall built by multiple rolling and masonry. The covering film mostly adopts 10-15-wire double-proof drip-free long-life film, and the frame of the shed adopts a full steel frame welded structure. In addition, the insulation material generally uses a greenhouse insulation blanket of 4-6 kilograms per square meter, and is equipped with a roller shutter machine to pull and release the insulation blanket. The advantages of this greenhouse are low cost, excellent insulation and heat storage effect in winter, and relatively low maintenance cost in later use. However, its wall occupies a large area, which may reduce the net planting area of the greenhouse; at the same time, there are certain requirements for soil quality. If appropriate protection measures are not taken, rain and snow weather may affect its service life.

Brick wall solar greenhouse is suitable for a variety of cultivation needs such as vegetables, edible fungi, flowers, and fruit trees. Its span is usually between 8-16 meters, and the wall structure is built with red bricks or concrete foam bricks, with a thickness of generally 0.37-1 meter. Similar to the earth-wall solar greenhouse, its structure also includes components such as all-steel frame, covering film, insulation quilt and roller shutter. The advantage of this greenhouse is that the wall structure is stable and durable, and the soil quality requirements are low; the disadvantage is that the cost is relatively high.
The advantage of the brick wall solar greenhouse is its sturdy and durable brick wall structure, with a service life of up to 20-25 years. This type of greenhouse also has a relatively high utilization rate of land and strong adaptability. It is particularly suitable for use in areas with complex geology, low water levels or where earth walls cannot be built. However, its cost is higher than that of the earth-wall solar greenhouse, and the return on investment period is correspondingly longer.

In addition, the new type of solar greenhouse is also a choice worthy of attention. It is suitable for high value-added industries such as scientific research experiments, breeding and seedling cultivation, and exhibitions. The span of this greenhouse can reach more than 15 meters. The wall part is first built with earth walls and then reinforced with cement mortar, which greatly enhances durability and service life. The film on the roof is fixed by a spring clip slot, which is very convenient to replace. In addition, its spacious space is also convenient for configuring advanced equipment such as mobile seedbeds and mobile sprinkler irrigation. Although the cost is relatively high, the large area occupied by the wall may reduce the cost-effectiveness of the solar greenhouse.

Taking all factors into consideration, the earth-wall solar greenhouse has significant advantages in terms of cost and later use and maintenance costs, and is the most cost-effective choice. For areas with abundant land resources, earth-wall solar greenhouses are undoubtedly the first choice.

Next, we will also explore another common type of greenhouse-single arch shed.
This arch shed is also called spring and autumn shed. At present, there are three main types: cement column arch shed, steel pipe simple arch shed and new high-temperature arch shed. Among them, cement column and steel pipe arch shed are suitable for the cultivation of economic crops in spring and autumn, while the new high-temperature arch shed can provide a good growth environment for low-temperature crops in winter due to the addition of insulation quilts and other measures. Next, we will learn about the scope of application and specification characteristics of these single arch sheds one by one.
Single arch shed, also often called spring and autumn shed, is a common type of greenhouse in the agricultural field. This type of arch shed is characterized by low cost and flexible land use, and is very suitable for construction on small plots. However, its skeleton structure is relatively simple and its ability to resist wind and snow is slightly insufficient. In addition, the design of the columns in the shed limits the internal operating space to a certain extent.

Next, we will take a closer look at the characteristics and application scope of the simple steel pipe arch shed. This arch shed is particularly suitable for the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, flowers and edible fungi in spring and autumn. Its skeleton is all assembled and welded with hot-dip galvanized steel pipes or rectangular pipes to ensure the stability of the structure. At the same time, manual film rollers and insect-proof nets are equipped on both sides of the greenhouse to provide a good growth environment for crops. Its span design is generally between 8-14 meters to meet different planting needs.
Advantages: affordable cost, high overall skeleton structure strength, and good land utilization rate.
Disadvantages: relatively weak heat preservation and heat storage capacity, and it is difficult to meet winter production needs.

3. New high-temperature arch shed
Scope of application: suitable for cultivating winter crops that are not very strict with temperature requirements.
Configuration features: The new high-temperature arch shed is an upgraded version of the simple steel pipe arch shed, and its span can be expanded to more than 20 meters. By adopting a reinforced skeleton structure, hot-dip galvanized steel pipes or elliptical pipes with a diameter of 1.5 inches or more or 2 inches are mainly used for processing to ensure the stability of the structure. In addition, the top of the greenhouse is equipped with two roller shutters and covered with a special greenhouse insulation quilt, which significantly improves the insulation effect of the greenhouse in winter.
Advantages: The internal space is spacious, which is convenient for large-scale and factory operations, and the land utilization rate is also quite high.

2. High-end multi-span arch shed
Scope of application: three-dimensional cultivation, flower breeding, aquatic seedling cultivation, seedling cultivation and scientific research activities.
Specifications and features: The high-end multi-span arch shed is an upgraded version of the simple multi-span arch shed, with new advanced configurations such as internal and external shading, wet curtain fan cooling, side-turn window ventilation, and heating and insulation.
Advantages: It effectively solves the problem of cooling in summer and heat preservation in winter, especially after adding a double-layer film, it significantly improves the insulation effect of the greenhouse in winter and reduces the operating cost in winter.
Disadvantages: The cost of high-end multi-span sheds is relatively high, and it is more suitable for industries with high economic benefits; if double-layer film is not added, its winter insulation effect is relatively general.
Specifications: The span of high-end multi-span sheds is usually set at 9.6-12 meters, and the bay is about 4 meters. This design not only ensures space utilization, but also meets structural stability. Of course, there are also improved multi-span structures with a span of 16 meters and a bay of 8 meters, but the cost of this specification is relatively high.

In terms of basic configuration, high-end multi-span sheds need to be equipped with wet curtain fans to achieve effective cooling, fixed windows and side-turning windows are responsible for ventilation, and external shading and internal shading insulation work together to create a comfortable growing environment. In addition, the insulation system is also an indispensable part. According to actual needs, advanced configurations such as mobile seedling beds, mobile sprinkler irrigation, three-dimensional cultivation facilities, water and fertilizer integrated systems, photovoltaic power generation systems, and intelligent control systems can also be added. These systems usually use full electric control and have a high degree of automation.
Advantages: The high-end multi-span greenhouse has a beautiful appearance design, which improves the grade of the greenhouse. Its all-steel frame structure has been advanced designed, which is not only strong in wind and snow resistance, but also has a service life of more than 25 years. The greenhouse has a spacious interior space, which is very suitable for large-scale factory and scale production operations. In addition, the high level of automation control greatly enhances the scalability of the greenhouse.

Disadvantages: Of course, the high-end multi-span greenhouse also has its shortcomings. First, the cost is relatively high and the investment cost is large. Secondly, winter insulation requires additional facilities to ensure the effect. In addition, although the glass covering has good permeability, as a fragile item, there are safety risks during use, and the cost of high-strength glass such as tempered glass is relatively high, and it has not yet been widely adopted.

2. Sunshine board multi-span greenhouse
The structure of the sunshine board multi-span greenhouse is basically similar to that of the glass multi-span greenhouse, and they both belong to the category of intelligent multi-span greenhouses. The main difference between the two lies in the covering material and the load strength of the skeleton. As a lightweight and durable material, the sunshine board performs well in greenhouse covering and can effectively improve the insulation performance and service life of the greenhouse. At the same time, its good light transmittance can also meet the lighting needs of plant growth.
Advantages: Compared with glass multi-span greenhouses, the cost of solar panels is more affordable. At the same time, because the solar panels are lightweight, they are safer during use. In addition, solar panels perform well in thermal insulation and can effectively maintain a stable temperature in the greenhouse. The all-steel frame design ensures the durability of the greenhouse, thereby extending its service life.
Disadvantages: Although the solar panels perform well in the early stage, their light transmittance efficiency will gradually decrease over time, affecting the lighting conditions in the greenhouse. At the same time, solar panels may age after long-term use and need to be replaced regularly. In addition, in the low temperature environment in winter, additional insulation measures are still required to ensure the insulation effect of the greenhouse.