A commercial greenhouse protects crops from many external influences, but it does not make production completely independent of the outdoor climate.
Solar radiation, outdoor temperature, humidity and wind continue to affect conditions inside the greenhouse. During winter, additional heat may be required, while on hot days excess heat needs to be removed. At the same time, humidity and CO₂ levels need to remain within the right range for the crop.
These factors continuously influence one another. Ventilation, for example, can help remove heat and moisture, but it also affects the temperature and CO₂ level inside the greenhouse.
The challenge is therefore not to control a single climate factor. It is about finding the right balance between all the conditions that influence the crop.
Year-round growing requires a greenhouse that can respond when outdoor conditions do not match the needs of the crop.
This means keeping temperature, humidity, light and CO₂ within the desired ranges. Heating, ventilation, screen systems, water management and control technology all play a role.
By managing these systems together, growers can respond more effectively to differences between day and night and between summer and winter.
This reduces dependence on seasonal production. Instead of simply reacting to outdoor conditions, the greenhouse can be actively managed around what the crop needs at a specific moment.
Greater climate control should not automatically result in an unlimited increase in greenhouse energy consumption.
The challenge is to create the desired growing climate while using available energy as efficiently as possible. This includes determining when heating is actually required, when screens can reduce heat loss and how ventilation and climate control affect one another.
Local conditions are also important. Available energy sources, outdoor temperatures and solar radiation vary considerably from one region to another.
Energy management should therefore be considered from the start when designing a greenhouse concept. Not as a separate measure added later, but as an integral part of the growing strategy.
Year-round growing cannot be achieved with one installation alone.
The greenhouse structure, heating, ventilation, screening, water management, cultivation systems and software need to work together as one integrated system.
KUBO develops greenhouse solutions based on this principle. The crop, local climate and desired production are the starting points. From there, we determine which combination of technologies is needed to create the required growing conditions as efficiently as possible.
This means that a greenhouse in Northern Europe may require a very different solution from a greenhouse in a hot and dry climate. Technical choices are based on local conditions and the grower's business and production objectives.
This integrated approach reflects KUBO's ambition to achieve more yield and quality while using water and energy more efficiently.
Climate control is not a goal in itself. Ultimately, it is about making the growing process more manageable and predictable.
By limiting major climate fluctuations, crops can grow under more consistent conditions throughout the year. For growers, this can help improve production planning and reduce dependence on favourable seasonal conditions.
The impact on greenhouse yield will vary depending on the crop, location and growing strategy. That is why an effective greenhouse solution always starts with the desired growing result, rather than with the available technology.