GREENHOUSE

Greenhouse Heating

We have several ways of using the sun to heat greenhouses and crop drying sheds. You may choose to use any or all of the following methods:

1. Polybubble Greenhouse Cover

We have sucessfully warmed commercial and private greenhouses and propagation sheds using insulated greenhouse cover material made from multiple layers of 400 micron UV stabilised clear polyethylene film, enclosing an insulating air space in-between. The effects are terrific: warmer environment for the plants without the need for expensive room heaters and blowers.
This technique has also been proven commercially viable for food and coffee drying, growing tomatoes, propagating seeds earlier, and farming fish. We have installed these in Victoria and Queensland.

The Oz-bubble insulated polybubble greenhouse film (for the skin of the greenhouse) minimises heat loss, and allows optimum temperatures to be maintained within the greenhouse, without huge heating costs. It relies on admitting about 80% of the incident sunlight, and minimising temperature loss due to wind and thermal conduction to outside.

The insulation properties of the greenhouse polybubble are so good that tomatoes and other vegetables have been successfully grown in Antarctica using this material.

In the summer, ventilation of the greenhouse is essential to avoid extreme heat, and often shade cloth may also be required, depending on the location. Fast food drying is easy under this greenhouse film, without dependence on fossil fuels, or any problems with hungry birds or insects.

The cover material is expected to last between 8 and 12 years, depending on location and orientation. East-facing covers generally tend to outlive west-facing covers by up to four years in some locations. In this case it may be economically prudent to design a greenhouse cover in two sections, so that replacement times can be optimised.

2. Oz-bubble reflective foil

Oz-bubble reflective foil polybubble is great for insulating against heat loss under propagation benches, and along the lower walls of the greenhouse, where the sunlight would not normally enter. It's light weight (200 micron)polybubble insulation is used around the lower sides of the greenhouse, to retain heat. It is also good for insulating fermentation tanks against heat loss.

Insulated Greenhouse Cover Product Prices

Type	Description	Prices June 2008
Ozbubble Insulated Greenhouse Cover Clear lightweight polybubble insulation Ozbubble reflective foil insulation	400 micron 100 micron 200 micron	$12 per sq m $8 per sq m $10 per sq m

All prices include GST

Covers are made up to any size by welding 1.8 m wide strips together.
Openings for doors and windows may be reinforced, at extra cost.
Eyelets for securing the cover can be supplied, or supplied & installed on the cover, at extra cost.
Zippers or eyelets can be supplied for door openings, etc., at extra cost.
Galvanised tubing frames suited to the greenhouse covers can be supplied as required. Standard width is 4 metres and length is 6.5 metres. Other sizes available upon request.
Delivery, installation & fitting are not included.

3. AMR hydromatt heating mat

AMR hydromatt heating mat, laid out on the benches in a greenhouse or plant nursery, keeps the plant rootzone warm, and therefore keeps the plants propagating and growing much more quickly. Heated water is constantly pumped through the hydromatt tubing to ensure that the root zone of the plants remains at a constant warm temperature throughout the night. The circulating water may be heated by solar, gas or electricity.
Substantial savings to heating costs have been found by using this root zone heating method, as there is no need to heat the entire greenhouse.

The unique features of hydromatt heat transfer mat ensure good heat transfer from the flat mat surface to the plant pots, and it can be neatly installed with plumbing at only one end of the propagation benches, whilst allowing for different temperature zones within the greenhouse by using flow control valves.

Each heating strip consists of 10 flattened tubes connected immediately adjacent to each other so there is good heat transfer to the plants. Each strip is 160 mm wide, and the strips are laid side by side to cover the bench. Each end of the strip is joined to a PVC pipe using a 10-barb manifold that plugs into the PVC pipe via a rubber grommet. Installation is simple, and there are no leaks.

By keeping the roots and soil at the right temperature, plants are relatively unaffected by small variations in air temperature within the greenhouse.

Complete & detailed installation instructions, including plumbing diagrams, are supplied with every greenhouse heating kit.

Hydromatt Greenhouse Heating Mat Prices

Component Prices
June 2008

Heating mat roll (25 m x 0.16 m wide)
Manifold & grommet (1 per strip)
PVC drilled in & out pipe set (1.2 m)
PVC drilled return pipe (1.2 m)
Onga circulation pump (750 watt)
Automatic temperature control
$160
$5
$30
$25
$625
$395

Typical cost for a heating mat to cover a 6 metre x 1.2 metre propagation bench is $445 including manifold pipes.

4. Solazone Air heating collectors

Solazone have a stock of solar air heaters suitable for crop drying in an established shed. The collectors are made from colorbond steel, with heavy glass tops.
They each measure 1.45 m x 2 m, and can be used individually, or fitted together in an array.
The air must be circulated with a fan, either running from electricity, or it's own solar panel.

These solar collectors are located in Queensland, and are heavily discounted whilst existing stocks last.

Description	Prices June 2008
Solar Air Heating Collector (2.8 sqm) Joining Manifold Collector fan & housing Plastic housing Solar panel 20w	$ 795 $ 65 $ 55 $ 35 $ 341

Contact Solazone directly for your requirements.

Mail Order & Credit Card facilities available

We deliver to anywhere in Australia

To Enquire or Order contact us here.

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Component	Prices June 2008
Heating mat roll (25 m x 0.16 m wide) Manifold & grommet (1 per strip) PVC drilled in & out pipe set (1.2 m) PVC drilled return pipe (1.2 m) Onga circulation pump (750 watt) Automatic temperature control	$160 $5 $30 $25 $625 $395