The cost of energy is rising at an alarming rate. Natural gas prices, in particular, have greenhouse growers nervous about their operational costs and questioning their business viability. This trend should act as an incentive for cultivators to look towards gas-free and energy-efficient greenhouse solutions in order to thrive. Luckily, these alternative energy solutions are…
A Ground to Air Heat Transfer system– also called an Earth Battery, Earth Tubes, or a Climate Battery – is a low-cost method for heating and cooling your greenhouse year-round using only the sun and the thermal mass of the soil underground. For more info on how it works, see our GAHT® page here or…
As much as cultivators wish they could predict what their outdoor growing season will be like, they are always at the mercy of Mother Nature. Whether it’s an early freeze, smoke pollution, drought or hailstorm, extreme and volatile weather patterns are becoming more frequent and are an increasing threat to our crop yield and food…
Managing and balancing temperature and humidity in the greenhouse can be a source of frustration, further compounded by location, climate, greenhouse environmental control systems, and crop choice. Before considering options like venting, humidifiers, and evaporative cooling walls, it is important to understand relative humidity and its relation to temperature. Once this is understood we can…
A Ceres GAHT® (ground to air heat transfer) System is our patented geothermal climate control technology that has helped our growers maintain comfortable growing conditions, year-round, at a fraction of the cost of a traditional HVAC system. For in-depth information on how a GAHT® system works, visit our GAHT® page or watch this video. The…
Why an automated controller is better than a thermostat for your climate controlled greenhouse Ceres’ patented solar design and innovative climate control technologies enable us to build year round greenhouses in any climate. Depending on geographic location, crop application, and specific client needs our greenhouses might operate with different types of ventilation, HVAC and other…
By Hervé Maumus-Hue Carbon dioxide (CO2): The Basics Introduction 1 - Different types of plants, different biological processes 2 - C3 plants: the importance of CO2 supplementation 3 - Supplying CO2 - Considerations 4 - Injection techniques 5 - Estimating the cost of CO2 6 - Injecting CO2 can be more cost effective than supplement…
By Hervé Maumus-Hue Managing a perfect growing environment is challenging and is the topic of much research. We know that the environment dictates the efficiency of these chemical and physical processes/reactions. As shown below, the environment can be divided into 9 main parameters called the nine cardinal parameters: CO2, temperature, humidity, light, wind, oxygen in…
At Ceres, we help our clients become smarter growers by staying at the forefront of greenhouse technology. We conduct our own research on greenhouse systems and collaborate with research institutions so we can continue to optimize our structures. The following is an overview of Red and Far Red light radiation and its effects on plants.…
For the second installation of our greenhouse lighting series, we will be discussing the difference between the two most commonly used artificial lights in commercial greenhouse operations - HPS (high-pressure sodium) and LED (light-emitting diode). A Brief Introduction HPS bulbs create light by sending electricity back and forth through an “arc tube”. An external…
