Unit Heaters vs. Hydronic Heating

We understand that unit heaters can be an easy default answer in this industry, however with over 40 years of experience, we understand the efficacy and ultimate strategy to go with a hydronic system to be the most advanced and rewarding solution for growers.

100% variable vs. on/off: A properly designed and controlled hydronic top heat system gives the smoothest control possible, with constant water flow and variable water temperatures. Unit heaters are either on or off – so they cycle a lot, with inherent fluctuations in the setpoint as a result.

Forced air increases heat loss: By using moving hot air as the only means of warming the airspace in the structure, the heat loss of the structure is increased because of the “scrubbing” of the air on the glazing. StarFin silently delivers energy into the structure with the combined forces of radiation and convection in a much “softer” manner – and puts the same amount of heat in every square foot.

Perfectly even heat: No plants will experience extra drying out because they are adjacent to a box blasting hot air. This results in a better, more even crop.

Less shadowing: Unit heaters cast big shadows – bright aluminium StarFin heat pipes create minimal shadowing.

Faster and more efficient snow melting: With the StarFin positioned directly proximate to your gutters, snow is melted much faster than with forced air, getting back to optimum light levels much faster.

Hydronic systems are SUSTAINABLE: By using the medium of hot water to deliver energy into your structure, you create a “future-proof” system that allows you to pivot to whatever the cheapest way to make hot water is in the future.

Centralized Maintenance: Having a centralized modular boiler system provides a single point to do maintenance, and in the event of a boiler failure, only a small portion of your overall capacity is reduced. Unit heaters are distributed points of failure – and working on and repairing them is generally an emergency and can be disruptive to growth.

Hydronic Systems are expandable: Setting up the infrastructure in the centralized location, our boiler systems can be sized for future growth with low-cost infrastructure and set up for additional capacity to grow the system along with the facility by simply adding boiler modules to the piping infrastructure.

Hydronic systems use less electricity: Per volume, water carries 3,500 times the amount of energy that air can carry. This means that a small pump can do the work of distributing heating energy throughout a large area – hot air systems require much more electricity because of the much higher volume of air needed to deliver the same heat.

In the end, what we’re talking about is the basic consideration of fuel conversion – hydronic systems are inherently more efficient and tractable as they modulate to match your loads and offer a migration path to other means of heating. Using the medium of water to deliver the heating offers unmatched evenness and efficiency, and while fuel prices are currently low, an efficient hydronic system gives your greenhouse a system that is set up for addressing future challenges, while delivering the best cultivation environment.