Cutting Winter Energy Costs Using Dehumidifiers – Greenhouse Grower Magazine

“To solve our humidity issues and retain heat, we use dehumidifiers. Changing outdoor conditions no longer affect our operations. We don’t need to rely on cold external air, so there’s no need to reheat it.”

A recent article published in Greenhouse Grower magazine highlights the connection between energy consumption and humidity control, such as DryGair.

How Humidity Affects Energy Costs

Humidity control is, directly and indirectly, a leading contributor to greenhouse energy consumption. This is due to what has been the leading method to reduce humidity for decades – ventilation.

Ventilating the greenhouse releases moisture. However, it also releases heat. This heat loss becomes more and more drastic as temperatures outside drop. During the winter, this can add up to significant heating costs, especially in colder regions.

Combining Screens and Dehumidifiers to Reduce Heating Costs

As the article states, greenhouse growers can cut these heating expenses quite effectively by avoiding ventilation. In the past, closing the greenhouse would cause humidity to spike, creating stagnant conditions for the crops, and allowing diseases and molds to flourish.

These days, growers have a much more efficient and effective solution to control humidity, without ventilation – dehumidification.

The method is simple – close the greenhouse, insulate using thermal screens and curtains, and control humidity inside the greenhouse using dehumidifiers.

“Many modern growers are adopting new operation methods that drastically reduce heating requirements, creating optimal growing environments, at a much lower cost. One popular method is introducing dehumidification systems, such as DryGair, combined with insulation measures, including thermal screens and curtains.”

Support From Research Centers, Universities, and the U.N.’s FAO

The article also goes on to mention different organizations that back this new cultivation method, such as the Netherlands’ Wageningen University and the U.N.’s FAO.

“Growers all over the world are adopting this cultivation protocol, which is gaining more and more popularity. It has also received quite a bit of backing from major research centers and universities, such as the Netherlands’ Wageningen University & Research (WUR), and is even included in the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s GAP protocol for greenhouse vegetable production.”