The Benefits of Combining Greenhouse Dehumidifiers and Screens
Thermal screens, often called energy screens or climate screens, are an integral part of modern greenhouses. However, using screens without proper protocols, and integrating additional climate control measures, reduces their effectiveness. This leads to higher energy costs, and less benefits for the crops.
What Are Energy Screens?
Greenhouse screens come in a wide variety, each with their own properties and benefits.
Thermal screens, or energy saving screens, are made to insulate the greenhouse or glasshouse. They reduce heat loss by trapping heat inside, allowing growers to reduce the amount of heating they need.
Every greenhouse has its own unique conditions and requirements. For this reason, energy saving screens come in a variety of textiles and materials. Some are more translucent, or more dense, than others, providing different U-values (level of insulation).
Other types of screens include darkening screens and blackout screens. These are made for crops that require dark conditions, such as cannabis. It’s also a great way to prevent light pollution, in greenhouses that use grow lights overnight. In fact, greenhouses in certain regions are required to install these in order to reduce the light they emit to the environment.
How Thermal Screens Affect Humidity
Spreading screens helps to reduce heat transfer, insulating the greenhouse and trapping heat inside. However, this also traps moisture in the greenhouse, raising relative humidity in the space.
High humidity is one of the most crucial greenhouse issues. Some of the most common diseases, molds, and mildews are a direct result of a humid environment. These include botrytis (gray mold), powdery mildew, and more. Once these diseases take hold, they become much more difficult to manage, and may lead to major yield losses.
Besides leading to disease outbreaks, high humidity also harms the plants’ ability to take in and process nutrients. This is often referred to as a stagnant climate. As the plants struggle to transpire, they slow down their development process, ultimately leading to smaller, lower-quality yields.
In order to solve this issue, many greenhouse operators open gaps in the energy screens. This allows some of the moisture to escape, and helps to manage humidity levels. However, screen gaps also let heat escape, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the screens.
How Dehumidifiers and Screens Complement Each Other
The solution to this problem is quite simple and intuitive. If growers can reduce humidity from inside the greenhouse, there’s no need to open gaps in the screens, allowing them to fully insulate the space.
In this case, the solution is to use effective dehumidifiers, which are designed for large-scale greenhouse cultivation. Using DryGair dehumidifiers, for example, allows full control over humidity, by actively removing moisture from the air.
By using dehumidification, combined with thermal screens, you can maximize energy savings. In fact, many growers achieve a lot of success by installing double, or even triple screens. This allows you to take advantage of even greater insulation and minimize heat loss.
In conclusion, one of the best ways to optimize greenhouse energy efficiency, is to combine energy screens with efficient, active dehumidifiers. Together, you can achieve optimal growing conditions, while minimizing your energy consumption.
