The general design aspects of the modern greenhouse have not changed much in the last century. The idea is still to capture sunlight as a means of heating and of growing a variety of plants. However, there have been a number of innovations that have made today’s greenhouses more effective and less costly.
Before the invention of plastic, greenhouses were primarily built from glass, which required a heavy steel or iron framework. The modern greenhouse, conversely, utilizes plastic composite sun panels and lightweight aluminum or composite framing materials. This makes them not only easier to build, but they can be constructed for a fraction of their predecessors.
Other technological advances have made the modern greenhouse much less labor intensive. Irrigation and lighting systems that are operated by timers have automated many of the functions that previously had to be carried out by hand. High tech environmental systems have allowed greenhouses to operate year round in climates that were once far too cold for such activity.
