Commercial greenhouses and their control systems are an important part of the horticulture industry with nearly 14 million acres globally under a greenhouse covering and over 1 million acres under permanent greenhouse structures. As demand for food, house plants, and even cannabis increases, smart greenhouse automation is quickly becoming the gold standard.
Commercial growers build smart greenhouse automation systems to improve their quality and production. In order to effectively automate a greenhouse you need reliable monitoring and control that scales from small semi-permanent greenhouses to large permanent structures spanning many acres.
Features
- Monitor temp/humidity, and soil moisture sensors
- Control fans, vents, heaters, soil moisture, etc.
- Local & remote, real-time monitoring
- Log sensor data
- Email/text notifications
- And much more…
Problems
Scalable Monitoring & Control
Industrial control systems are prohibitively expensive for small operators, while smaller solutions lack advanced capability.
Data Hosting
Cloud-based solutions require recurring data hosting fees which cut into profits, diminishing the benefits of installing a smart greenhouse in the first place.
Affordable Flexibility
It’s easier to find a solution for one or a few monitoring challenges, but identifying a complete system that is both reliable and affordable is difficult.
ControlByWeb™ Solutions
Scale Effortlessly
Our sensors and I/O devices work as a stand alone device, complete control system, or simply as part of a more advanced industrial control system.
Cloud Optional
Our monitoring and control devices work independently of a cloud so no additional fees are required. Integration with a cloud is optional.
Monitor & Control Anything
Our expandable I/O can monitor any sensor and control motors, lights, fans, vents, valves, pumps, and more. Mix and match while keeping costs low.
FREE SMART GREENHOUSE AUTOMATION CONSULTATION
Case Study: Costa Farms
Costa Farms is a multi-national supplier of house plants that grows $600 million worth each year. Their smart greenhouses represent some of the most advanced automation at scale in the horticulture world. They use ControlByWeb’s I/O products to monitor sensors gathering data on such things as temperature, humidity, light, soil moisture, salinity, and more. Our devices control a variety of greenhouse equipment such as fans, vents, motors, pumps, and valves.
Control Growth Speed and Plant Quality
Their control system, partially powered by ControlByWeb, needs to be precise, reliable, and scalable. We help Costa Farms control growth speed and plant quality in a cost effective way.
Automation Based on Weather
In addition to environmental control, Costa Farms is using ControlByWeb modules to monitor outside weather and sunlight to affect how the greenhouse reacts to external factors. High winds will close vents, sunnier conditions will reduce lighting and, in conjunction with temperature, can activate automated shade cloth covers. Our controllers even help with employee safety by monitoring lightning detectors and sounding alarms. Costa Farms has a wide variety of I/O needs and looks to ControlByWeb and our inherent flexibility to solve them.