36 ways

Retractable Roof Greenhouses

can increase

fresh fruit and

vegetable profit per kg
by

50%-100%

and generate a 2 to 5 year return on investment

There at least 36 ways that Cravo Retractable roof

greenhouses and the Retractable Roof Production
System (RRPS)TM can positively impact on your balance sheet and almost every line on your income statement. The retractable roof will allow you to manipulate the growing environment resulting in an increase
in yield compared to those growing in the open field,
or in tunnels, rain shelters or low tech greenhouses.
The increased yield per hectare or acre will allow you
to reduce the size of your production area resulting in a
reduction in capital investment. Your production costs
will be reduced both by the reduction in the number of
hectares in production, but also through a reduction in
your fixed production costs per hectare. Revenues can
be increased since the retractable roof allows you to
manage light and temperature to improve quality and
manipulate the timing of your harvest ensuring that
you realize the highest revenue for your produce. We
have developed effective return on investment calculators for fruits, vegetables and berries allowing you
to compare the profitability and return on investment
between the retractable roof production system with
your current production system.

36 ways
to profit

Retractable Roof Greenhouses

MANIPULATE

THE ENVIRONMENT

Photosynthesis

Plant Temperatures

Transpiration

Water Stress

WHICH OPTIMIZES

SIZE QUALITY TIMING

WHICH AFFECTS

PRODUCTION
AREA

PRODUCTION
P R OTO CO L S

WHICH IMPACTS

WHICH REDUCES

WHICH INCREASES

EXPENSES

REVENUE

On Income Statement

On Income Statement

WHICH INCREASES

PROFITS PER KILO

WHICH INCREASES

RETURN ON INVESTMENT
C r a v o R e t r a c ta b l e R o o f G r e e n h o u s e s

Wind

PLANT FUNCTIONS

YIELD

THE BALANCE
SHEET

Humidity

WHICH OPTIMIZES

WHICH INCREASES

WHICH REDUCES

C02

Infra Red Radiation

Light

Improving the Balance S heet

The ability of retractable roof greenhouses to increase
yields by optimizing the growing environment and
protect crops from excessive cold, heat, rain, hail, wind
and snow allows grower to modify:
where they grow
how large of a production facility they need to meet
their customer demands.
This provides growers the option to improve their
balance sheet by lowering their overall investment by:
Lowering land acquisition costs.
Reduce the overall investment on the greenhouse.
Eliminate the purchase and installation of other
equipment that is normally required in conventional
greenhouses.

REDUCE THE COST OF

USABLE LAND AND LAND
PREPARATION
c 1. Reduce the overall size
of the production area
The higher yields in a retractable roof greenhouse allows
growers to build few hectares of houses while still
maintaining the same overall yield

c 2. Build where land costs are lower

Retractable roof greenhouses can be built in warmer
climates where land costs could be cheaper since cooling
is no longer a limiting factor.

c 3. Increase land utilization

Land utilization can be maximized since large retractable
roof greenhouse ranges can be built without the need
to break the greenhouse up into smaller greenhouses to
ensure sufficient cooling.

c 4. Reduce the number of

growing locations
For growers wanting to supply year round, the retractable
roof greenhouses can frequently reduce the number
of farm locations that would be required to ensure a
constant supply year round.

c 5. Reduce or eliminate costs to

control fertilizer runoff
The retractable roof greenhouse could cause a reduction
in the investment required to comply with regulations
concerning emission of leachates since the retractable
roof can help reduce both the usage of water usage and
fertilizer due to the ability to manage transpiration rates,
nutrient uptake and leaching due to rain.

c 6. Reduce cost of land preparation

Costs to grade the land could be reduced since
certain retractable roof greenhouse designs allow the
greenhouse to follow gentle changes in the slope of the
land. Grading costs can also be reduced if the crops are
going to be grown in the ground since grades are not as
critical compared to crops grown hydroponically.

c 7. Reduce or eliminate costs for

water runoff studies
The expense of storm water studies and the investment
in water drainage and retention ponds could possibly be
avoided if a flat retractable roof greenhouse using a water
porous covering is built since the rain is not collected by a
gutter system.

c 8. Reduce or eliminate costs of

building permits

Building permits may not be necessary if building a flat

roof greenhouse since local authorities may treat it as a
shadehouse.

c 9. Reduce the total covered area

to compensate for the higher yield
c 10. Construct larger retractable roof
house ranges
The excellent cooling capabilities of the retractable roof
houses allow growers to build larger greenhouse ranges
which reduces the investment in sidewall coverings and
doors.

REDUCE THE INVESTMENT IN

SUPPLEMENTAL GREENHOUSE EQUIPMENT
c 11. Choose the lowest cost
retractable roof greenhouse design
which meets your needs

Build a lower cost retractable flat roof

greenhouse for crops which require protection
from excessive cold and heat, but do not need
to be protected from the volume of rain.

c 12. Reduce the investment for

electrical supply
Costs for power supply, backup power generation and
electrical hook up of motors can be minimized since few
motors are required to power the roofs. (One motor can
power up to .5 hectare of A frame style and 1 hectare of
flat roof )

C r av o R e t r a c ta b l e R o o f G r e e n h o u s e s

REDUCE THE INVESTMENT IN

SUPPLEMENTAL GREENHOUSE EQUIPMENT
c 13. Reduce or eliminate the
investment in a heating system

The retractable roofs allow you to build in warmer

climate where heating systems will not be required.

summer cooling

If growing in a warm or hot climate, choose a white

retractable roof covering which can frequently eliminate
the need to purchase an additional interior curtain
system or black shade cloth for additional cooling.

c 16. Eliminate the need to purchase a

hydroponic system

c 14. Eliminate the need

to purchase horizontal
airflow fans

It may not be necessary to install

horizontal airflow fans to circulate
the air since opening the walls and
roofs allows the wind to circulate the air more effectively
and economically than horizontal airflow fans.
However, if the greenhouse roof is closed for long
periods of time during the winter, then horizontal
airflow fans may still be beneficial.

c 15. Eliminate the need to purchase

stationary or retractable shade for

A hydroponic or NFT system can frequently improve

production yields and quality in a conventional
greenhouse since they can help manage water stress
and eliminate the side effects of increased salinity
levels which tend to build up in the soil media
over several years.
In a retractable roof greenhouse, simple drip irrigation
systems can frequently be used instead of a hydroponic
system since the retractable roof helps manage the
water stress and plant balance by exposing plants
to higher transpiration rates than those possible in a
conventional greenhouse. Salt build up in the soil can
also be reduced in the retractable roof since the roof
can be retracted at certain times to allow the rain to
come into the house and help leach accumulated salts.

IMPROVING THE INCOME S TATEMENT

The income statement can be improved using
retractable roof greenhouses both by increasing
revenues and reducing operating expenses.

In addition, growers explore varieties generate higher

prices but do not perform well in the open field, or in
conventional greenhouses, tunnels or shadehouses.

INCREASING REVENUES

c 17. Increasing the quantity of

produce sold

Retractable roof greenhouses can be used to increase

your revenues by increasing the quality, quantity and
timing of the harvest since they allow growers to create
better conditions than those in:
- The open field since growers can now close the roof
to help time their harvest to come in before and/ or
after those in the open field. They can also eliminate
production losses due to extreme cold, heat,
rain or hail.
- Conventional greenhouses, shadehouses or
tunnels since growers can now cool the greenhouse
more effectively during hot conditions and can totally
retract the roof when outdoor conditions are optimal to
expose plants to higher light and lower humidity levels.
Growers using retractable roof greenhouses have a
greater range of environments that they can utilize to
manipulate crop development to increase revenues by
increasing quantity of fruits harvested, improving the
quality and time the harvest windows to ensure that
maximum production occurs when prices are highest.

C r a v o R e t r a c ta b l e R o o f G r e e n h o u s e s

42

Retractable roof greenhouse can:

- Allow growers to increase plant density due to the
higher light levels and better control over humidity.
Also, plant density can be frequently increased by
around 12% in the retractable roof compared to a
tunnel due to the greater head clearance and
distance between post lines.
- Increase the yield per plant due to the improved
growing environment
- Extend the growing season since crops can be
protected from the winter cold and the
summer heat
- Potentially allow growers to increase the number
of plantings to target the shoulder seasons

c 18. Improve fruit quality so that a

higher price can be charged

Fruit quality can be improved compared to those

grown in the open field or a conventional greenhouse
or shadehouse since the roof can be closed during

adverse conditions to prevent the blemishes which

occur in the open field. Retracting the roof during
ideal outdoor conditions help produce fruit that is
larger, has a higher brix and is firmer than that grown
under a stationary roof covering. Tomatoes grown in a
retractable roof to have proven to have a longer shelf
life and have the appearance of a greenhouse tomato
but are easily sliceable like a field tomato.

c 19. Produce fruits or

vegetables organically

Retractable roofs are very effective for organic

production in warm or hot climates for 4 key reasons.
Plants grown in a retractable roof greenhouse:
1. Develop strong natural defense mechanisms
helping to prevent damage from insects and
foliar disease.
2. Can be protected from rain and be exposed to
the sun to prevent leaves from staying wet over
long periods of time helping to prevent
foliar diseases.
3. Insect reproduction is generally low in a
retractable roof.
4. Transpiration rates are high enough in a
retractable roof to make it easy for the plants to
absorb and distribute the organic fertilizer.

c 20. Supply produce when the

prices are highest

The ability to open and close the roof provides growers

with the ability to speed up or slow down production
to allow the managers to time their peak production to
the window when they can realize the highest prices.
The best prices could be during the winter, being the
first to market in the spring, being able to supply good
quality through the heat of summer, or being able to
supply product in the fall after the cold weather has
limited the field production. It all depends on your
crop and the market that you are competing in.

c 21. Grow more profitable varieties

When new varieties come out that appear to meet a

customer demand, growers do trials to determine if
it can be profitably grown. Many varieties that met
customer expectations did not perform well when
tried in a traditional greenhouse or in the open field.
These varieties may do well in a retractable roof
greenhouse since most of the challenges of growing
in a traditional greenhouse and the open field
can be prevented.

REDUCING EXPENSES
Retractable roof houses can potentially reduce almost

every production expense on an income statement.

The amount to which the cost reductions you can
achieve will vary by crop, geographic location and your
current production practices. Your Cravo representative
can provide you more specific information to factor into
the return on investment calculations.

c 22. Reduce or eliminate chemical

fungicides, pesticides and growth regulators
The frequency of chemical usage can be significantly
reduced when growing in a retractable roof
greenhouse due to the improved growing conditions,
increased plant health and reduced insect reproduction
making it easier to utilize IPM protocols. If chemicals
are required, the volume of chemicals applied in a
retractable roof can be reduced compared to that in
the open field by closing the roof and walls during
the application to prevent wind drift. Growers using
retractable roof greenhouses have experienced a:
50%- 100% reduction in fungicide usage.
50%- 100% reduction in growth regulator usage.
10% - 100% reduction in pesticide usage.
50%-100% reductions in herbicide usage.
When calculating the total savings in reducing chemical
usage, one must consider that in the retractable roof:
Soap and garlic is frequently used for insect control.
There is a reduced cost to purchase and apply
the chemicals.
There is a potential reduction in labor
downtime due to re entry regulations.
There is an increased life of the roof coverings since
many chemicals used in greenhouses are harmful
to polyethylene film coverings.

c 23. Choose from a wider range of

spray application methods

Growers who normally grow in the open field can use

electrostatic sprayers rather than conventional sprayers
to take advantage of the lower cost to operate because
growers can now close the greenhouse roof to block
the wind which helps improves the uniformity of the
fine mist spray.

c 24. Reduce fertilizer usage

Reductions in fertilizer usage or improvements in

fertilizer usage should be achieved regardless of
whether your crops are normally grown outside or
in a greenhouse.
Fertilizer usage on outdoor crops can
improved since the roof can be closed
during rainfall to prevent leaching of
fertilizers. When compared to crops
grown in traditional greenhouses,
fertilizer application rates in retractable

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C r av o R e t r a c ta b l e R o o f G r e e n h o u s e s

roofs can occasionally be lowered

since retracting the roof increases
transpiration levels to normal levels
allowing plants to more easily absorb and distribute the
nutrients that are available to the root system.

c 25. Reduce water usage

Growers of outdoor plants have experienced up to 50%

reductions in water usage during the summer simply by
closing the greenhouse roof 85% during hot conditions.
When factoring in the increased yields, the water usage
per kilo of crops harvested can be up to 85% less than
that of the open field. In addition, water usage can be
further reduced by retracting the roof during rainfall to
naturally irrigate your crops using rain that is free and
has a low PH and salinity. The rain can also be used to
clean off the leaves and help leach salt out of the soil
media.

c 26. Reduce heating costs

Retractable roof greenhouses can help reduce the

cost of fuel for heating systems by:
Building the greenhouse in a location where
average temperatures are warmer.
Accumulating heat in the soil during the daytime by
retracting the roof to allow the sunlight to heat up
the soil directly instead of heating up the air.
Preventing the need to turn on the heating system
in the morning to dry off the plants for disease
control by retracting the roof as soon as outside
conditions permit.
Building larger houses that are more efficient to
heat than many smaller ones.
Installing shading/cooling and heat retention
curtains. Growers can now choose a closed curtain
fabric that offers maximum heat retention without
compromising on the cooling and
ventilation capacity.
In traditionally ventilated greenhouses, growers
sometimes had to choose a porous curtain fabric
to get sufficient cooling and then missed out on
the potential heat savings.

c 27. Reduce electrical costs

Electrical costs can be reduced in a

retractable roof since:
Fans are not required for ventilation.
The motors that power the roofs only run
intermittently. It takes only minutes for one motor
to close or retract anywhere from 4,000 sq m
(45,000 sq ft) to 10,000 sq m (108,000 sq ft)
depending on the roof design.
Horizontal airflow fans are frequently not required
and do not need to operate unless outside

C r a v o R e t r a c ta b l e R o o f G r e e n h o u s e s

62

conditions are cold for extended periods of time.

c 28. Allow production managers to

manage larger areas

Growers that have retractable roofs can manage larger

production areas because they can now effectively
prevent most of the problems that they had in their
conventional production systems by using the
retractable roof to eliminate the problems in:
The open field by closing the roof during adverse
weather conditions.
Their tunnels, rain shelters, shadehouses or low
tech greenhouses by retracting the roof when
outdoor conditions are optimal.
The overall crop management strategy becomes more
proactive instead of reactive. It is always easier and
cheaper to prevent a problem than solve a problem
after it has occurred.

c 29. Reduce the cost for general labor

Retractable roof greenhouses can reduce

labor costs by:
Ensuring the work environment is more
comfortable making workers more productive.
Making employee supervision easier in the large
greenhouses.
Eliminate the labor for extensive pruning of crops
like tomatoes since plants in the retractable roof
tend to naturally have an optimal leaf to fruit ratio.
Allowing larger, more efficient equipment to be
used inside compared to those used in tunnels.
Making harvesting more efficient in the larger
greenhouses.
Reducing labor for spraying of chemicals.
Allowing for a faster reentry of workers after
spraying by creating an outdoor environment.

c 30. Reduce maintenance costs

Maintenance costs with a retractable roof greenhouse

can be reduced by reducing or eliminating the need to:
Spray on and scrub off whitewash since the
retractable roofs typically are never whitewashed.
Seasonally install and remove poly or shade cloth.
Repair damage to the roof covering from the wind
since the reinforced retractable roof coverings are
very resistant to wind. ( Retractable roofs have
survived 7 hurricanes. And not even one
retractable roof covering has blown off in the
last 30 years.)
Change the roof covering
since reinforced poly
roofs typically last 8 12 years
instead of 1 to 4 years for

regular greenhouse film. The extension in the life of

the roof covering also reduces the negative impact
on the environment since there is less waste going
to the landfill.
Clean the roofs since the
retractable roof coverings
are frequently not cleaned in warm climates
since retracting the roof allows plants to receive
more light than plants in a glass greenhouse.
Repair hail damage since reinforced retractable roof
coverings are very resistant to hail
Maintain ventilation fans or cooling pads since they
are not required with a retractable roof.
Maintain roof vent motors since fewer motors are
used than in a conventional roof vent.

c 31. Make it easier to plan production

and rotate crops

Retractable roofs can help the production planning

process since:
A wide variety of crops can be grown in retractable
roof greenhouses making it easy to
alternate crops from season
to season.
It is easier to transplant during the
hot or cold season making it easier
to hit the shoulder seasons.
It is relatively easy to speed up
or slow down the
speed of growth in order to
target production
when prices are the best.
Erratic or unseasonable
weather conditions which
threaten crops can be managed
in minutes.

c 32. Simplify training of workers

Training of growers, maintenance personnel and

general workers is simplified for operations with one or
multiple locations since retractable roof greenhouses
can frequently be used for the entire growing process,
from propagation to production. Having one style
of house simplifies training since employees do not
have to learn the subtle and not so subtle differences
between growing in different types of traditional
greenhouses.
For growers with multiple locations, the retractable
roof greenhouses can frequently be utilized at all
locations since they can easily be used to manage
the differences in temperature, humidity, wind
and rain from one location to another. This allows
standard crop production protocols to be developed
which can be implemented at each of the different

locations, allowing for easier training of workers. In

addition, production staff as well as construction and
maintenance staff will be familiar with the retractable
roof houses allowing for easy transfer of people and
knowledge from one farm to another.
Training of production workers is also positively
impacted since employee turnover is typically lower
when workers are in a comfortable work environment.
The reduced worker turnover reduces the cost of
training and can reduce the losses due to mistakes
made by new employees.

c 33. Reduce the risk of catastrophic loss

Retractable roof greenhouses can reduce the risk of
catastrophic loss to the owner due to:
Crop loss due to a major disease outbreak since
plants grown in a retractable roof tend to be
naturally healthier and conditions inside are
generally not conducive to insect and disease
reproduction.
Crop loss resulting from losing a roof due to the
wind since Cravo retractable roofs have never
blown off even during 7 hurricanes with wind
speeds up to 200kph (130mph).
Structural damage during extreme hurricanes or
typhoons since the roof and walls can be
automatically retracted in minutes.
Fire since the greenhouse roofs can be retracted
during a fire which will limit the spread of fire.

c 34.Reduce the cost of insurance (or make

it easier to get insurance)
Insurance costs may be reduced or insurance
companies may be willing to provide insurance since
retractable roofs can reduce the risk of loss due to fire,
hurricanes, or crop failures.

c 35. Resale value

The resale value of a greenhouse is can be highest

if the greenhouses have a retractable roof
since virtually every crop can be profitably grown
inside it, making it more attractive to buyers.

c 36. Make your greenhouse expansion

easier to finance

Banks should be more interested in financing

retractable roof greenhouses since:
The improved profitability should make loan
repayments easier.
There should be a reduced risk of a catastrophic loss
due to extreme weather or crop failure.
The greenhouse should have a higher resale value
since virtually any crop can be grown inside.

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C r av o R e t r a c ta b l e R o o f G r e e n h o u s e s

30 White Swan Road, Brantford ON., Canada N3T 5L4

T: +(1) 519 759 8226
www.cravo.com
sales@cravo.com
Printed in Canada, September 2012
C r a v o R e t r a c ta b l e R o o f G r e e n h o u s e s