Greenhouse climate control has evolved in the last 50 years from controlling the environment manually to digitally. The Dutch researcher Strijbosch was an important person that had contributed enormously in the greenhouse control system development.
The findings of his works (among others recording the climate control strategies of growers in the Netherlands), still lay the foundation for the current greenhouse climate control systems and the greenhouse computers.
Greenhouse control systems consist of a hardware and a software part, both work together to control an optimal and uniform greenhouse environment for the crops. Making informed choices on crop growth conditions is important. The amount of decisions a grower needs to make in a greenhouse increases with the complexity of the greenhouse.
The greenhouse climate computer guards the parameters in a greenhouse
In a modern greenhouse, there are more elements that need to be controlled compared to a low-tech greenhouse. Based on pre-set points, many greenhouse operation choices are handled by a greenhouse computer program.
When using a greenhouse climate computer, the system will ask the grower to enter input set point values for the greenhouse ‘goal’ variables – such as what is the preferred temperature, air humidity, CO₂, light intensity in the greenhouse.
The grower will also indicate how much the greenhouse condition can differ from the pre-set value. The less the differences that can take place throughout the day, the more energy it is needed to regulate those factors in the greenhouse.
Greenhouse climate computers work with feedback loops
The data of the sensors are collected and sent to the greenhouse controller for feedback. For example for the CO₂ environmental variable: the CO₂ meter is the device that measures the CO₂ concentration in the greenhouse compartment.
When the compartment has an optimal CO₂ value, the CO₂ value won’t be altered. However, when the CO₂ contraction is suboptimal, the CO₂ controller will allow an increase of the amount of CO₂ concentration in the compartment.
Hardware of greenhouse climate control systems
The hardware of a greenhouse climate control system includes the physical components, such as sensors, actuators, and controllers, responsible for monitoring and regulating environmental conditions.
Software of greenhouse climate control system for professional greenhouses
The software of the greenhouse control system is about the programs and algorithms that interpret greenhouse data from sensors, make decisions, and control the hardware components to maintain optimal conditions for plant growth.
The differences between a greenhouse climate computer and greenhouse climate controller
The terms “greenhouse climate controller” and “greenhouse climate computer” are related, but there are some subtle differences between these two terms.
Greenhouse climate computer:
A greenhouse climate computer is a system that includes not only (mechanical) controllers for individual environmental factors (such as regulating the humidity in the greenhouse) but also a central computer and software platform that integrates and manages the overall greenhouse environment and performance.
A greenhouse computer coordinates and controls multiple controllers through a central computing unit or software.
Greenhouse controller:
What is a greenhouse controller? A greenhouse climate controller is a device that controls a specific environmental factor within a greenhouse, such as temperature or humidity in a greenhouse compartment.
Greenhouse controllers have sensors to monitor the environmental conditions within the greenhouse growing compartment, allowing the greenhouse controller to make informed adjustments to maintain optimal growing conditions.
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