Greener Greenhouses (Θερμοκήπια - έκδοση στα αγγλικά)

Greener Greenhouses

Συγγραφέας: Keith Garzoli
ISBN: 9780958673594
Σελίδες: 136
Σχήμα: 21 Χ 28
Εξώφυλλο: Μαλακό
Έτος έκδοσης: 2003


Over the last 50 years, there has been enormous expansion in the use of greenhouses worldwide. Much of this growth has taken place in countries such as Australia, where the climate is very different from that in Northern Europe, where the earliest developments in modern greenhouse design and operation first took place.
In recent years, there have been significant advances in the improvement of greenhouse environments, specifically in greenhouse design, covering materials and environmental control technologies. Energy efficiency for heating, ventilation and cooling, and climate control systems that provide growing environments that accord with the plants’ optimum environmental conditions, are now important considerations.
Climate variability, extreme levels of solar radiation and relative humidity present particular problems for Australian greenhouse growers who are, at the same time, experiencing an increasing demand for the production of high quality vegetable, flower and ornamental plants at competitive prices.
Greener Greenhouses is the result of years of research and experience by the author in the field of greenhouse construction, design and technology. Presenting practical advice to help growers identify and attain optimum growing conditions in the greenhouse, this authoritative text is an essential handbook for greenhouse growers located in warm countries.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: BACK TO BASICS
- Greenhouse Origins
- Why have a greenhouse?
- How a greenhouse works
- Plants and their environment
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Solar radiation
- Carbon dioxide
- Air movement
CHAPTER 2: COMPARISON OF VARIOUS DESIGNS
- Gable roof glasshouses
- Curved roof greenhouses
- Sawtooth and skillion
- Gothic arch
CHAPTER 3: GREENHOUSE COVERING MATERIALS
- The sun, solar radiation and its effects
- Greenhouse covering materials & how they react to radiation
- Glass and the ‘greenhouse effect’
- Plastic covering materials
CHAPTER 4: GREENHOUSE VENTILATION & COOLING
- Greenhouse overheating and ventilation
- The ventilation rate
- Buoyancy
- Types of ventilator
- Screened ventilators
- Shading
- Thermal/shade screens
- Evaporative cooling
- The psychrometric chart
- Evaporative cooling systems
- Packaged evaporative coolers
- Fan and pad systems
- Poly duct systems
- Evaporative cooler control
- Evaporative pads, performance and system maintenance
CHAPTER 5: GREENHOUSE HEATING
- Ventilation and air leakage
- Heat loss through the covering material
- Convection from the inside air to the cover
- Condensation
- Thermal Radiation
- Heat loss from the cover to the outside
- Convective heat loss to the outside
- Thermal radiation heat loss to the outside
- Heat loss to the floor
- Overall heat loss
- Greenhouse heating fuels
- Piped hot water or steam
- Greenhouse space heating
REVIEWS
Australian Horticulture, January 2004
Greenhouses: Doing it better
How might a grower go about deciding which greenhouse structure is best for them?
They could follow tradition; rely on manufacturers’ information; or they could use first principles to understand the concepts behind different structures and systems.
Greener Greenhouses, by Dr Keith Garzoli, does this – and does this well.
The impetus behind this new text was a dearth of information.
“Readily accessible and understandable information on greenhouse technology is hard to find. Greenhouse users and those in industries supporting them frequently complain of this difficulty,” Dr Garzoli writes.
Another difficulty has been that, until fairly recently, the Australian greenhouse industry has relied heavily on overseas experience and expertise, particularly from northern Europe.
Dr Garzoli writes in an easy to understand style and he does not assume prior knowledge.
The book is divided into 12 chapters that provide plenty of practical advice on how to attain optimum growing conditions.
The information reflects the many significant advances made in recent years, in terms of greenhouse design, covering materials and environmental-control technologies.
Indeed, Dr garzoli was principal research scientist and leader of CSIRO’s Greenhouse Technology Project, and has recently retired as chairman of the International Working Party on Greenhouse Design.
Greener Greenhouses begins with a comprehensive comparison of various greenhouse designs, with respect to their light transmission, ventilation, and cost-effectiveness to heat.
Other chapters examine: – The function of covering materials, and the way in which solar radiation behaves when intercepted by such materials. Types of covering materials and their properties. – The importance of correctly designed, operated and maintained ventilation and cooling systems. – Methods of ventilating and cooling. – An analysis of traditional and alternative heating systems. – Artificial lighting.
Throughout, it becomes clear that each component can have an impact on the greenhouse environment, plant performance and, finally the grower’s hip pocket.