Dr. Jeremy Ferrell, Nexus Project Leader and Associate Professor at the Dept. of STBE, and STBE graduate student Joe Rebilas conducted a study of 2023 data that compared the environments of different types of greenhouses and analyzed the collected data. This report provides a detailed description and analysis of three types of greenhouses used at Appalachian State University’s Blackburn-Vannoy Farm: the Ceres greenhouse, the Atlas greenhouse, and a high-tunnel greenhouse. The Ceres greenhouse is a state-of-the-art facility featuring a passive solar design, polycarbonate glazing, and a ground-to-air heat transfer (GAHT) system that provides year-round heating and cooling. The Atlas greenhouse, a production-oriented model, uses a dual-layer sheet plastic system and relies on a wood boiler for back-up heating on the coldest winter nights where temps drop below 20F. The high-tunnel greenhouse, primarily for season extension, utilizes single-layer plastic film and is used for growing warm-season crops in the spring and summer months. Interviews with farm managers provided insight into the operational uses and seasonal crop production for each greenhouse. The report also includes an environmental analysis of temperature, humidity, light, and energy use for the Ceres and Atlas greenhouses, highlighting their performance compared to outside ambient conditions. The findings reveal the unique benefits and challenges of each greenhouse type, particularly in terms of energy consumption, temperature regulation, and crop production cycles, and offer recommendations for improving operational efficiency.
Ceres and Atlas Greenhouses with snow at App State Farm in Fleetwood
Ceres CAD drawing front page
Atlas greenhouse in January