The Latest in Structures: New Greenhouse Systems Offer Easy Maintenance, Better Weather Protection
Structures manufacturers and suppliers say their grower customers are asking for new models that can accommodate a diverse crop mix, while providing flexibility in design, maintenance, and control of the environment. Check out the slideshow above for a closer look at some of the latest models, and a comparison of some supplier offerings.
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Nor’Easter Greenhouse (Rimol Greenhouse Systems)
The Nor’Easter greenhouse is designed to be tough enough to withstand the storms from which it takes its name. Constructed on a design featuring a truss assembly with every bow, the Nor’Easter is designed to offer unmatched strength through tough winter storms and heavy snow loads. The height of the Nor’Easter can be raised with an extended ground post option, and its purlins connect to the bows using a cross connector, which prevents unnecessary drilling into the bow, minimizing construction and maximizing durability. RimolGreenhouses.com
Technical Details:
• Widths: 30 feet or 34 feet
• Lengths: 48 feet, 72 feet, or 96 feet
• Bow Spacing: 4 feet, 5 feet, or 6 feet
• Wall Types: Polyethylene Film, Polycarbonate -
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GrowSpan Series 500 Tall Greenhouse (GrowSpan)
The GrowSpan Series 500 Tall Greenhouses provide growers with a maximum amount of usable space, while the extra overhead space improves ventilation. Available in multiple sizes and custom designs, the structure’s versatile design uses a durable, triple-galvanized steel frame that is covered by a double-layer film to ensure growers have the utmost control over the greenhouse environment. Growers can also choose between roll-up or drop-down sides that can easily be operated by one person. The greenhouse can also be outfitted with GrowSpan’s fully automated light deprivation system, allowing users to gain complete control over the light cycle. GrowSpan.com
Technical Details:
• Widths from 20 feet to 42 feet
• Heights from 16 feet to 19 feet
• The 20-foot to 35-foot width models have premium 2.375-inch outside diameter (OD), 16-gauge galvanized-steel frames
• The 42-foot model has premium 3.50-inch OD, 14-gauge galvanized-steel frames. -
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GrowSpan Series 1000 Greenhouse (GrowSpan)
The GrowSpan Series 1000 Greenhouses are designed to economically produce crops of any kind on a commercial scale. The Series 1000 complements all kinds of growing, including hydroponics and aquaponics, and the arched-roof design minimizes snow, ice, and water buildup, saving valuable time and money. Featuring galvanized-steel frames that ensure durability, these greenhouses are designed to be cost-effective, versatile, and energy-efficient.
Technical Details:
• Widths from 21 feet to 42 feet
• Extra-tall 10-foot sidewalls provide maximum usable space
• The roof is made from double poly -
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GrowSpan Series 2000 Greenhouse (GrowSpan)
GrowSpan Series 2000 Greenhouses are ideal for bedding plants, modernized vegetable production, hydroponic production, and more. The peak-roof design allows for ventilation during almost all weather conditions. With a 6/12 roof design, any snow, ice, and water buildup will be minimized and air flow will be maximized. Specialists can help design structures with specific sizing and accessories to accommodate a grower’s needs.
Technical Details:
• Widths from 20 feet to 50 feet
• Extra-tall 10-foot sidewalls provide maximum usable space
• Energy efficient 6/12 roof design
• Gutter heights available up to 20 feet and gutter supports up to 12 feet. -
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Flexible Shipping Facilities (Nexus)
In recent years, Nexus has designed a number of shipping structures that have multiple uses. One variation makes the structure also produce revenue while functioning as a shipping facility at the same time. The company designed the building with a clear roof and basket systems, giving the owner 35,000 hanging baskets. The company also offers variations to standard models, such as a traditional Vail structure that is covered in metal and can include a staging area for shipping, a storage area, warehouse, an isolation area, mechanical room, offices, breakroom, and bathrooms. In recent years, Nexus has also added the option to include solar panels on the roof, reducing utility costs in an environmentally friendly way. NexusCorp.com
Technical Details:
• Available widths: Wide spans are available up to 60 feet, and tall gutter heights for space optimization.
• Shipping structures can be built with the same design profile as other greenhouses to give growing operations a consistent look.
• Several color options for the metal covering, as well as multiple profiles and insulating properties.
• Many door styles, sizes, and shapes are available.
• Roof coverings can be glass, polyethylene, polycarbonate, acrylic, metal, and solar panels.
• Always constructed to meet regional snow and wind load requirements. -
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Continental (Agra Tech)
Agra Tech’s Continental Greenhouse is a gothic arch, polyethylene-covered, gutter-connect structure. It is designed for high performance in all climates and can easily withstand snow, rain, wind, and extreme heat. A ridge vent can be added for natural ventilation. The Continental’s gothic peak and steep roof pitch captures low-angle winter light. The extra-large gutters add strength and carry 60% more water runoff compared to Agra Tech’s other structures. There are two widths available: 31 feet, 6 inches, and 40 feet (more widths to come in the future). The Continental is best for mid- to large-sized crops that thrive under polyethylene. AgraTech.com
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North Slope (Agra Tech)
The North Slope is a commercial grade Quonset high tunnel greenhouse. Its unique arch design provides maximum strength while shedding condensation. The North Slope is good in any climate, offering excellent natural ventilation for heat and strength for snow. It is ideal for small to mid-sized crops and can be outfitted with curtain, heating, and cooling systems, etc.
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Solar Light (Agra Tech)
The Solar Light, also known as the Dry House due to its built-in condensate removal system, is an all-season greenhouse that is best for maintaining a critically sensitive environment for high-quality, high-value crops. The Solar Light features an efficient, strong, and spacious design. For insect exclusion and environmental control, pair the Solar Light with Agra Tech’s Agra Kool II Positive Pressure cooling system. It is ideal for natural ventilation, and single or double ridge vents are optional.
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Half-Open Roof Greenhouse (GGS)
GGS has created a half open-roof design in response to growers’ increasing concerns about ventilation with drip control. The GGS open-roof greenhouse design provides an optimal system to both maximize ventilation while maintaining a smooth surface on the poly and providing a good roof pitch for condensation control. Not only does the house stay dry, the open-roof greenhouse can keep crops cooler than a gutter-vented design. The gable ends include venting and are made of long-lasting acrylic. GGS-Greenhouse.com
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CS3 (Stuppy)
The CS3 is one of the most flexible A-frame greenhouses on the market. Growers can choose from 22-foot to 50-foot wide, and they can configure equipment and growing space however they need with features like 12-foot column spacing and 10-foot or 12-foot sidewall height. Stuppy.com
Technical Details:
• 4 inch x 2 inch — 11-gauge columns
• 12-foot column and truss spacing
• 3 inch x 2 inch — 15-gauge top chords
• 3 inch x 2 inch — 15-gauge bottom chords
• 10-foot sidewall height (12 foot available)
• Stuppy aluminum gutters
• Very versatile; ideal for vegetables, nursery, citrus, bedding plants, and retail
• Widths available from 22 feet to 50-plus feet
• Ability to integrate any and all equipment and automation (i.e., boom irrigation, rail heating, etc.) -
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Rainbow Plus (Stuppy)
The Rainbow Plus helps growers expand their greenhouses in any direction indefinitely, grow virtually any crop, and meet building codes. The versatile, gutter-connectable greenhouse is designed for new and seasoned growers.
Technical Details:
• 2.875 inch outside diameter (OD) — 13-gauge 60/70 KSI Columns
• 6-foot column and truss spacing
• 1.90 inch OD — 14-gauge 50/65 KSI Arch Steel
• 1.315 inch OD — 16-gauge 50/55 KSI
• 8-foot sidewall height (10 foot available)
• Ideal for perennials, transplants, and bedding plants
• Gutter connectablity eases future expansions
• Low-profile roof line to help stratify the air -
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Stuppy Rainbow Super (Stuppy)
Growers can customize space, structure, and crop capability to their needs with this high-volume, gutter-connectable greenhouse. Tall sidewalls can grow taller crops and keep everything cool. Twelve-foot column spacing reduces installation time and provides more room for growing and maneuvering. Rainbow Super offers maximum efficiency, flexibility, and ease.
Technical Details:
• 4 inch x 2 inch columns — 14-gauge 50/55 KSI
• 12-foot column and truss spacing
• 2.40 — 16 gauge 60/65 KSI Top Chords
• 1.91 — 14 50/55 KSI Bottom Chords
• 12-foot sidewall height (14 foot available)
• Pre-punched galvanized gutters
• Ideal for nursery, citrus, and vegetables
• Tall sidewalls reduce heat at plant height and expand air volume for consistency
• Intermediate column design opens the growing space and allows for more plants -
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Grand Peak Gutter Connect (Atlas Manufacturing)
The Grand Peak Gutter Connect structure is available in 20-foot, 24-foot, and 30-foot width bays, and its pre-welded truss design saves time and money on installation costs. With its wide-width galvanized gutters and 8-millimeter polycarbonate roof covering, the Grand Peak offers years of maintenance-free use with a sleek, upscale design. It can be equipped with sidewall curtains, mechanical ventilation, or with an Atlas roof vent. Its 12-foot column spacing also allows for this structure to be equipped with an automated retractable shade system to provide a greenhouse with the proper light levels for optimal growing conditions. AtlasGreenhouse.com
Technical Details:
• Pre-welded rafters allow for easier installation
• Option of concrete slab or pier installation
• 2-inch x 3-inch (14-gauge) welded clear-span rafters (12-foot spacing)
• 4-inch x 4-inch (13-gauge) column posts (12-foot spacing)
• 2½ square (14-gauge) roof purlins
• 14-gauge galvanized gutters
• Extruded aluminum profiles for polycarbonate covering -
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Pro-Com Gutter Connect (Atlas Manufacturing)
The Pro-Com Gutter Connect series is the greenhouse of choice for large commercial ornamental growers. Its low cost per square foot allows growers to cover large areas economically. It works well with Atlas’ EZ roll-up curtains to provide natural ventilation. Available in 22-foot, 28-foot, and 30-foot widths, the Pro-Com is constructed using 3-inch by 3-inch square column posts, spaced every 12 feet, 1.90-inch bows spaced at 4 feet or 6 feet, and trusses every 12 feet. The Pro-Com will significantly reduce set-up costs with extruded aluminum gutters and built-in poly lock, which allows for fewer pieces and parts overall. It is designed for poly-film roof covering and the standard model is engineered to meet the building codes in more than 75% of the U.S.
Technical Details:
• 3-inch x 3-inch square column posts (12-foot spacing)
• 1.90-inch (14 gauge) bows
• 1.315 (17-gauge) purlin
• Extruded aluminum gutters
• Overhead cable and sidewall bracing -
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RT Gutter Connect (Atlas Manufacturing)
The 21-foot, 24-foot, and 30-foot wide Atlas RT Gutter Connect uses an all rectangular tube frame that offers strength, versatility, and labor-saving construction. With gutter heights from 8 feet to 12 feet, growers can get the height they need to accommodate tomatoes, cucumbers, and other vining crops. It also features an extruded aluminum gutter, double-bolt track on each side for easy bow attachment, and poly fasteners extruded inside the gutter, eliminating screws and bolts that are usually required to attach the lock. Atlas’ 30-foot wide structure has an arched-style roof design that offers an 8-inch rise from the truss to peak, and accommodates a ridge vent to complement sidewall curtains. The 21-foot and 24-foot wide structures incorporate a Quonset-roof design.
Technical Details:
• All rectangular tube construction
• Extruded aluminum gutters with built-in snap lock
• Labor-saving construction
• 12-foot column spacing
• 4 foot to 6 foot bow spacing
• 2-inch x 4-inch column post
• 1-inch x 2-inch rectangular bows
• 1-inch x 2-inch trusses -
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X-Frame Retractable Roof Greenhouse and Shadehouse (Cravo)
The X-Frame is a low-cost retractable roof house that is ideal for protecting outdoor growing areas of perennials, bedding plants, vegetables, and berries from excessive cold, heat, hail, wind, and rain. The roof is supported from rods instead of trusses. Water drains to the valley in the roof and then falls to the ground unless optional gutters are installed. It can withstand 75 mile-per-hour winds with the roof and walls closed and can handle significant snow or hail loads. Cravo.com
Technical Details:
• Standard width: 31½ feet wide
• Under-Gutter height: 14 feet
• Post/column spacing: 12 feet by 31½ feet
• Glass details: Clear or white reinforced polyethylene roof covering
• Sidewall height: 14 feet
• Extras: Computer-controlled automatic retractable roof -
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HopsHouse (Rough Bros.)
The HopsHouse is designed to optimize hops yields through integrated systems and precision farming. It is the first single-solution hydroponic greenhouse for year-round hops growth and harvest. A controlled-environment design, fertigation system, and blackout shade system allow hops to grow and flower after three months. HopsHouse offers a competitive advantage, supplying a fresher and more local product straight from the bine to the brewery. YourHopsHouse.com
Technical Details:
• Available in 30 feet by 60 feet, or 30 feet by 108 feet options
• 12-gauge square tubing for its 2¼-inch galvanized ground stakes, and 16-gauge square tubing for its 2-inch square galvanized bow assemblies -
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Flat Roof Fixed Shade (Rough Bros.)
Plant material in the Flat Roof Fixed Shade model is exposed to an environment most like the outdoors with the needed protection to thrive. It provides protection from frost, wind, sun, and less than desirable temperatures. Higher light levels combined with the ability to maintain uniform desired temperatures increase plant growth and quality. Natural ventilation eliminates the need for fans.
Technical Details:
• 24 feet x 24 feet grid, 11 feet, 4 inches overall height
• Variety of shade percentage covers can be used -
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Solar Glass Greenhouse (Westbrook Greenhouse Systems)
Ideal for all types of crops and those planning their growth in stages, the Solar Glass house is for the grower or retailer who wants maximum light and longevity. Glass panels that are up to 6 feet wide mean increased durability, less maintenance, and the highest possible light levels. This greenhouse is available with continuous double-ridge vents for maximum natural ventilation or with exhaust fans for mechanical venting. WestbrookSystems.com
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Skyline Greenhouse (Westbrook Greenhouse Systems)
The Skyline is designed for crops needing a hardening off period, or those grown in late summer/fall seasons. Exposing your crops to outdoor conditions has never been safer or easier. The Skyline greenhouse not only gives growers the ability to put a crop outside within minutes, but it also functions as a fully sealed greenhouse all winter long. To be financially strategic, some growers choose to start with a double-poly cladding and convert to a glass or other, harder cladding after a few years, as their business grows.
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Venlo Greenhouse Westbrook (Greenhouse Systems)
Made for all types of crops, the Venlo greenhouse is fashioned after the traditional European style greenhouse, but was developed by Westbrook to specifically address the extreme climate and snow loads faced by the North American grower. This house provides an ideal year-round growing environment for all types of crops. The standard tempered-glass roof cladding with sealed glazing system minimizes light loss while maximizing strength. The Venlo is engineered for high crop yields, while providing up to 30% ventilation with alternating continuous roof vents.
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Appalachian Gutter Connect (The Greenhouse Company of South Carolina)
Covered with polycarbonate, the Appalachian’s crisp lines and finished details come with a standard 90 mph wind load, and upgrades are available for hurricane-force winds. Its 30-pound roof load handles heavy snow, plus hanging baskets. The ability to join multiple bays together of any width and length makes it possible to fit most any situation. The Appalachian structure can be installed with its columns set into the ground with concrete footings or plated and bolted to a pre-engineered, pre-poured concrete pad. TheGreenhouseCompany.net
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Jaderloon Freestanding (The Greenhouse Company of South Carolina)
The Jaderloon Freestanding greenhouse is The Greenhouse Company’s standard multi-use greenhouse. It can be used in all climates and in various applications. The Jaderloon Freestanding greenhouse can be used as a cold frame, heated growing greenhouse, propagation greenhouse, hardening off greenhouse, or a high tunnel. It is very efficient and can be used to get a grower started or to expand a growing operation. Freestanding greenhouses are engineered for strength and dependability. The original cross connectors securely clamp frame members without weakening them with drilled bolt holes. Diagonal braces are computer designed to provide maximum strength with minimum shadow. The cross-brace assembly at every intermediate bow more than doubles the frame’s strength on the 22-foot, 24-foot, 28-foot, and 30-foot widths.
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Jaderloon Classic (The Greenhouse Company of South Carolina)
The Jaderloon Classic Greenhouse is The Greenhouse Company’s premier growing structure. The Jaderloon Classic is made of strong yet economical materials. The gutter-connected greenhouse can be used as a naturally ventilated or mechanically ventilated structure. The Jaderloon Classic greenhouse is extremely versatile and will provide growers with a functional and efficient greenhouse for years. The Classic’s arched roofline, multiple bay widths, and strong exterior bracing make it a strong investment for commercial growers.
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View all
Nor’Easter Greenhouse (Rimol Greenhouse Systems)
GrowSpan Series 500 Tall Greenhouse (GrowSpan)
GrowSpan Series 1000 Greenhouse (GrowSpan)
GrowSpan Series 2000 Greenhouse (GrowSpan)
Flexible Shipping Facilities (Nexus)
Continental (Agra Tech)
North Slope (Agra Tech)
Solar Light (Agra Tech)
Half-Open Roof Greenhouse (GGS)
CS3 (Stuppy)
Rainbow Plus (Stuppy)
Stuppy Rainbow Super (Stuppy)
Grand Peak Gutter Connect (Atlas Manufacturing)
Pro-Com Gutter Connect (Atlas Manufacturing)
RT Gutter Connect (Atlas Manufacturing)
X-Frame Retractable Roof Greenhouse and Shadehouse (Cravo)
HopsHouse (Rough Bros.)
Flat Roof Fixed Shade (Rough Bros.)
Solar Glass Greenhouse (Westbrook Greenhouse Systems)
Skyline Greenhouse (Westbrook Greenhouse Systems)
Venlo Greenhouse Westbrook (Greenhouse Systems)
Appalachian Gutter Connect (The Greenhouse Company of South Carolina)
Jaderloon Freestanding (The Greenhouse Company of South Carolina)
Jaderloon Classic (The Greenhouse Company of South Carolina)
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Brian D. Sparks is Editor of Greenhouse Grower and GreenhouseGrower.com. See all author stories here.