How Greenhouse Ventilation Impacts Customer Comfort and Sales
A retractable/open-roof greenhouse. | Prospiant
On a hot day, a retail greenhouse without good ventilation and cooling feels more like a sauna than a store. Nothing drives customers out faster than stifling heat that makes shopping unbearable. That’s why:
Retail Greenhouse Ventilation Matters More Than You Think
Retail greenhouse ventilation is about more than just keeping plants looking good to attract sales. It plays a direct role in customer comfort, and customer comfort drives sales.
Excessive heat in the greenhouse leads to:
- Shorter visits
- Fewer impulse purchases
- Frustrated customers who don’t return
A well-designed greenhouse ventilation system helps keep temperatures manageable, reduces humidity, and creates an environment where customers actually want to spend time.
How Hot Is Too Hot for a Garden Center?
In many garden centers, shoppers start to feel uncomfortable as temperatures climb past 80°F, especially when humidity is high. Opening doors or cracking vents may help a little, but without a coordinated ventilation strategy, heat quickly builds back up, particularly on calm, sunny days with little cloud cover.
Retail Greenhouse Cooling Options: Natural vs. Mechanical Ventilation
Growers have two main options for cooling garden center greenhouses: natural (passive) ventilation and forced (mechanical) ventilation.
Natural Ventilation for Retail Greenhouses
Natural (passive) ventilation relies on ridge vents and side or end wall vents to let hot air escape while drawing cooler air inside. Shade curtains are often used along with venting to block excess sunlight and reduce heat buildup. This method is quiet and energy-efficient, but its effectiveness depends on outdoor conditions, such as wind and temperature, as well as the greenhouse’s design.
With proper natural ventilation, growers can hope to get the greenhouse temperature to be at or slightly above the outdoor temperature. If there is little to no wind outside, the greenhouse tends to get warmer inside than outside.
Mechanical Ventilation for Garden Center Greenhouses
Mechanical (forced) ventilation uses exhaust fans and inlet vents/louvers, shade curtains, and, sometimes, evaporative wet-wall cooling (pad walls) to move air around and cool retail greenhouses. HVAC systems are also used in hard goods areas or cash register areas.
Forced systems move air consistently, no matter what, regardless of the weather. Growers get more reliable results but that often comes with higher upfront costs and ongoing energy expenses. Additionally, forced ventilation systems can get the inside greenhouse temperature at or below the outside temperature, based on relative humidity (with a pad wall). The main drawback is fan noise.
Today, mechanical ventilation is the go-to cooling/ventilation solution for growers in much of the Western U.S., and it’s steadily gaining ground further East each year. Climate, humidity, and seasonal heat patterns play a major role, so this rule isn’t absolute, but it’s a useful starting point.
For additional information on retail greenhouse ventilation strategies, including structure considerations and a look at cooling costs, please read the original article written by Janeen Wright and found on the Prospiant website.
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