Focus on efficiency, climate uniformity and sustainability

Greenhouse managers are adapting to climate variability, rising energy costs, and shifting consumer preferences for year-round fresh produce. With increasing demand for locally grown berries and heightened transparency expectations, growers are optimizing production methods. Vincent Douville of Harnois Greenhouses notes that investors and financial institutions often equate controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) with vertical farming, overlooking heated poly greenhouses’ economic and operational advantages. "These cost-effective structures offer year-round production, high product quality, and utilize natural sunlight. Many growers are evaluating how to upgrade existing production sites rather than building new locations."

Pressure to produce
Harnois Greenhouses specializes in the poly greenhouse market and manufactures its structures in North America, ensuring fast delivery across Canada, the United States, Central America and Mexico. Its network of installers and after-sales support is set up to provide expert service from installation to ongoing maintenance.

As the North American greenhouse industry is under pressure to produce more, Vincent explains that expanding operations, modernizing infrastructure, and integrating new technology improve efficiency and output. "With labour shortages, building with modern structures and technologies allows for more automation with mobile gutter systems or flood tables. At the same time, retrofitting for efficiency by upgrading ventilation, lighting, and heating systems enhances greenhouse performance without significant capital investment."
Vincent notices that sustainability is a key driver of modern greenhouses. "Operations are reducing water and chemical use while sourcing materials locally to lower carbon footprints." Also, the adoption of renewable energy through solar, wind, and electric heat pumps is being explored, though integration costs remain a barrier. Heat recovery systems that capture and redistribute heat lower energy costs and emissions. Using greenhouse components within 100 km reduces environmental impact, and closed-loop irrigation systems optimize water use and nutrient delivery; that’s what we are trying to do at Harnois."

Furthermore, open-field growers are transitioning to protected agriculture with high tunnels, balancing cost and environmental control. "As weather unpredictability increases, field-scale high tunnels offer a cost-effective way for farmers to improve predictability and yields. High tunnels add up to three months to production cycles in Canada and the northern part of the USA, reduce exposure to frost, wind, and hail, and improve crop quality. Lower pesticide use results from fewer pest and disease pressures, requiring less chemical intervention. Around $2/sqft high tunnels provide affordability and operational benefits while being a cost-effective entry into CEA."

Innovators in the industry drive these developments, and when asked for some examples, he refers to Blackmore Company, with their Airtray enhancing root airflow and pruning, optimizing container-based production, or American Hydroponics (AmHydro), with expertise in hydroponic systems (NFT), helping growers reduce resource consumption. "Hydroponic systems enable resource-efficient, high-quality crop production as they use up to 90% less water than soil-based farming while providing direct nutrient delivery that maximizes plant health and minimizes waste" That’s why they also collaborate with DuBois Agrinovation, one of North America’s leading providers of horticultural solutions and customer irrigation systems, and with companies like Viemose DGS, a modern engineering house concerned with the development and manufacturing of current-day products, technology and practices. "Reduced dependence on soil and weather conditions ensures year-round supply, and thus, eliminating soil reduces exposure to pests and pathogens. Automation and data integration streamline decision-making and labour management. Precise climate control by managing temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels improves yield while minimizing energy use. Many growers are focusing on doing more with what they already have."

As Vincent concludes, CEA 2025 will emphasize efficiency, resource optimization, and sustainability. "Expanding greenhouses through modernization and integrating renewable energy and advancing soilless systems. Educating farmers to adopt high tunnels will also shape the North American market. The shift towards efficient and adaptable growing systems defines greenhouse agriculture’s future."

For more information:
Harnois Greenhouses
harnoisgreenhouse.com