In the world of building greenhouses, glass is a top choice. It’s great because it lets lots of light through, lasts a long time, can handle the heat, stays clean, and stops dew from forming. These features make glass the go-to material for many greenhouse experts. This article explores the different types of glass used in glass greenhouses and their key features, helping you build a better commercial greenhouse.

First, let's talk about the Essentials for Greenhouse Glass

Picking the right glass for your greenhouse means looking at several factors that affect how well your greenhouse works and how your plants grow. Glass is more than just a barrier; it’s key to controlling the environment for ideal plant growth. Here are some crucial things to consider when choosing greenhouse glass:

1. Light Transmittance

Plants need light for photosynthesis, which is all about the quality and amount of light. Glass with high light transmittance makes sure your plants get plenty of sunlight, boosting their growth and yield. This leads to healthier plants and more harvest. There are three main types of glass based on light transmittance: 90.5%, 91.5%, and 97.5%. The 90.5% is typical ultra-clear tempered glass, 91.5% is ultra-clear diffuse glass, and 97.5% is ultra-clear anti-reflective glass.

Ultra-clear anti-reflective glass is best for increasing yields but costs more. It’s mostly used in experimental and seedling greenhouses. Ultra-clear diffuse reflective glass, cheaper and widely used in planting greenhouses, is the standard in the industry. Ultra-clear tempered glass, less common, is often replaced with the diffuse type during greenhouse upgrades.

2. Strength

Greenhouse glass needs to be tough against nature’s challenges, like strong winds and heavy rain. Strong glass protects plants from bad weather and cuts down on repair and replacement, saving money and time. Many modern greenhouses use tempered glass, which is very strong and can last over 20 years.

3. Insulation

Good insulation glass keeps the greenhouse warm, no matter the weather outside. This creates a perfect environment for plants, reduces energy use, and cuts costs. For the walls of our greenhouses, we usually use standard insulated float glass to insulate better and keep the warmth in.

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4. Scattering

Scattering is about spreading sunlight evenly inside the greenhouse. It’s crucial everywhere. In sunny places like the Middle East, scattering glass spreads light evenly, reducing stress on plants from direct sun and lowering leaf temperature by about 5 degrees Celsius. It’s also great in places like Africa, preventing crops from getting too much sun. In colder, less sunny areas, scattering helps plants get enough light.

5. Haze Value

The haze value depends on the climate where the greenhouse is. It adjusts the strength of light through the glass. In sunny places like the Middle East and Africa, high haze value glass lowers light intensity to keep crops safe. In colder, darker areas, a lower haze value is better to use as much sunlight as possible.

6. Light Transmission Over Time

Over time, the way you clean and use high-transmitting glass can change how much light it lets through. For example, rough cleaning can wear down the glass coating, reducing light. Etched anti-reflective glass, which is more durable, keeps its light transmission almost the same for about 20 years. This means it stays effective even after long use.

The next article will cover what type of glass to use for the roof and side walls of a greenhouse. 

The diffuse glass and AR-coated diffuse glass produced by Yuhua have cooperated with many large commercial greenhouses in agriculture, horticulture, nurseries and experiments. We have cooperated with large greenhouse project companies such as Havecon, Van Der Hoeven, Kubo, etc. for many years. Yuhua greenhouse glass has a light transmittance of up to 99%, and haze 5/10/20/30/50/70/75 greenhouse diffuse glass is available!

Need more detailed information or a solution of greenhouse glass? Need guidance on how to choose the right glass for your greenhouse?

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