Perez started by explaining that the cost price of a greenhouse is influenced by four important factors. He said that before a quote can be made, the location and the climate of the area will need to be examined as it covers one of the most important aspects. Secondly the size of the project matters, just like the type of crop that needs to be grown inside. And then a closer look must be taken at the equipment and technology installed. "This is the basic initial information that is needed before we can even start to calculate any costs."
Climate of the area
While greenhouses are able to fully control and create a micro climate in almost any region, it needs be determined whether the climate in the designated area really requires this. What kind of climate does your business model require and what time of the season do you need the climate? Growers in Southern Spain or North Africa that produce during the winter need another greenhouse than growers that want to produce year round in the same area. "You will need to study the local climate beforehand in order to determine what kind of greenhouse model suits the local climatic conditions of the area."For all these kind of areas and cropping schedules there are several types of greenhouses available. "The differences in required structure and equipment all cause considerable differences in the price of the greenhouse."
Next to this, the local climate also influences the cost of the greenhouses in terms of resistance to local weather conditions. Think not only about temperature, humidity and solar radiation but also big influences like wind, rain, snow or even susceptibility to earthquakes . "A greenhouse in an area with extreme winter conditions causes the price of the structure to rise as it must be engineered in order to withstand heavy snow loads for example. In order to obtain a good quotation, you will need to study the temperature, humidity, wind, snow, solar radiation and other environmental factors throughout the year."
Dimensions of the project
And then there is the dimension of the project. It is obvious that a larger greenhouse costs more than a smaller greenhouse. But have you thought about the dimensions of the area available. It can sometimes be cheaper to build a square project than a slightly smaller greenhouse with non-standard dimensions and that for example has to fit in between existing structures or mountains. "therefore it is essential to indicate the surface and the shape that the project is going to have in order to assess the price of a greenhouse", said Perez. "There is a difference between the price of a greenhouse with an irregular shape and that of a greenhouse with a regular shape. All details that the customer can provide in regards to the crop area, location and other information will be helpful for us to study the project in our engineering department."
Type of crop
Also worth a mention; the type of crop. Flower crops need a different structure than fruiting vegetables. "It is very important to know what kind of product is going to be grown in the greenhouse. This influences the model of structure, but also factors like the density of the crop and the distance between the rows will eventually influence the price of the structure. Each crop type requires different special accessories. There are crops that have a similar production and growth, but other types of crops need a reinforced structure and special equipment (like high wire tomatoes on hanging gutters)."
Equipment and technology
Also the technology required to grow a certain crop in a certain location will cover a big part of the cost price. "Do you need ventilation, heating, cooling, high pressure fog systems, shading screens, energy screens, irrigation, hydroponic systems, artificial lighting, CO2 supply, automation? All this technology increases the price of the greenhouse obviously."Hopefully this short article has explained to you a bit more which data and factors are required before a greenhouse builder can tell you about the needed capital to buy a greenhouse.
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