Powering the Greenhouse Revolution

Other structural upgrades include diffused glass, to reduce hotspots of light and heat, and energy shields to provide an additional layer of protection for regulating heat. Some facilities are experimenting with light sources, to either supplement or replace natural sunlight.

Perpich relies on LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs supplemented by solar power. “Ten years ago, it wouldn’t have been possible to do this economically, but we can now.” In a containerized system such as Vertical Harvest’s, the overall design is critical to prevent hot and cold pockets, rust, poor water or air circulation, as well as protection from exterior temperatures, which range from 60 degrees below zero to a sweltering 90 degrees in the summer.

The use of hydropower is another energy option, but not in widespread use. Wowryk believes there would be much more greenhouse production in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada if it wasn’t so cost prohibitive. Such is the case in Leamington, where he says growers are working with the government to come up with better energy rates, since most of the region currently lacks the necessary infrastructure to harness hydropower.

Lazarski of MightyVine notes that his company is looking into co-generation, where the excess energy generated by greenhouses can be sold back to the community’s grid, reducing lighting costs and promoting sustainability.

Even with a high-tech system, it still takes a lot of work to ensure everything runs smoothly. Both Perpich and Wowryk acknowledge labor as a major cost. “Labor is a very high-cost component in our farm operations,” Wowryk concedes, but says Nature Fresh is already looking to the future and the possible use of robotics for packaging and distribution.

New Varieties
Despite an upfront investment that can run up to $1 million per acre to build a high-tech greenhouse, most experts believe sales of controlled-climate produce will continue to increase—with more structures being built, better technology, and more types of produce being planted.

“Greenhouse crops are one of the fastest growing in terms of new and innovative products,” says Stone. “The volume and primary focus may be on tomatoes, peppers, and English cucumbers, but that’s just the beginning.” Paivarinta agrees, noting, “We’re also expanding to other produce items that are very susceptible to adverse weather conditions.” While some commodities, such as tropical fruits, potatoes and carrots, or corn, are unlikely candidates, growers in the U.S. Northeast and other regions are experimenting with strawberry varieties as their Ontario counterparts diversify into cherries, grapes, and eggplant. Another item under consideration, by customer request, is asparagus.

Expansion Ahead
Most observers expect the United States to follow Canada’s lead and build more greenhouses in the coming years. “I think you’ll continue to see more regional greenhouses across the United States, built to support increasing consumer demand,” comments Paivarinta. At the same time, he warns, “I think you’ll see a few older farms coming offline and ‘mothballed’ over the next few years as they’re unable to operate as efficiently as new greenhouses.”