. A greenhouse is an open structure that allows people to grow special plants. The sun shines through the greenhouse, but plants are shielded from wind and cold. This image shows basil growing in large greenhouses. Hothouse and glasshouse are sometimes used interchangeably with greenhouse. These can be small or large structures that people use in their garden, as well as huge industrial buildings. The greenhouse’s interior is warmer when the sun shines than outside. Today, many structures are outfitted with LED greenhouse lighting. Artificial lights can be turned on when there’s not enough sunlight, like at night, or during cloudy days. This increases yield of many types of crops. Artificial light sources are also known as plant lights, grow lights, or lights for plants. These lights are intended to encourage growth. Grow lights can be found in many greenhouses, even though they are located far away from the Equator. The winter months have less sunlight than the summer. SolarSystem 1100 (SS 1100)) is one of the strongest horticulture LED lighting systems we have ever created. (Image source: https://californialightworks.com/) According to Wikipedia: “Grow lights either attempt to provide a light spectrum similar to that of the sun, or to provide a spectrum that is more tailored to the needs of the plants being cultivated.” “Outdoor conditions are mimicked with varying color, temperatures and spectral outputs from the grow light, as well as varying the intensity of the lamps.” Short history of greenhouses Growing plants and cultivating crops in environmentally controlled spaces has existed since Ancient Roman times. Tiberius was the Roman second emperor. He ate cucumbers daily throughout his reign from 14 AD until 37 AD. Tiberius’ gardeners planted cucumbers on wheeled carts that they pulled outside during the day. They brought their carts into the warm rooms when the sun set. They covered the vegetables with a transparent, cloth-like material. Crystal Palace was built in London in 1851, and it was at that time the largest greenhouse (or glasshouse) in the world. Image: Wikipedia. There were heated greenhouses in the 1450s during the Joseon Dynasty. The 17thcentury was the first time greenhouses were created. The first greenhouses were built in the Netherlands, then they moved to the United Kingdom. Today, the Netherlands has many large greenhouses that produce thousands of tonnes of vegetables each year. California Lightworks makes LED grow light bulbs. Variable spectrum LEDs are more efficient that white LEDs. Both lights offer the same energy-saving advantages that are known to be the hallmark of all LED lighting. However, white LEDs use too much energy for the green spectrum. Plants can absorb and reflect a lot of the blue and red light. Some of the green light is absorbed by accessory pigments in plants like carotenes or xanthophylls. Variable spectrum LED lights use less green light. California Lightworks says that variable spectrum LED lighting offers more control over yields, chemical profiles, flavors, and overall quality.
The Next Big Thing to Change the World Could Be Greenhouses
