In simple terms, for the vast majority of greenhouses used for planting purposes, ultra-clear glass is a better and more professional choice than anti-diffusion glass.
The core conclusion comes first
Ultra-clear glass: It is a professional material tailored for greenhouse agriculture. Its core objective is to maximize light transmittance, promote photosynthesis in plants, and enhance the quality and yield of crops.
Anti-diffusion glass (also known as embossed glass) : It is mainly used in the construction field, such as bathrooms and partitions, with the core goal of allowing light to pass through but not images, and protecting privacy. Its optical properties are detrimental to plant growth.
Why are light transmittance and light type so important?
The photosynthesis of plants depends on the energy in sunlight (mainly the visible spectrum of 400-700nm, known as photosynthetically active radiation PAR). The light transmittance directly determines how much solar energy enters the greenhouse.
Light transmittance: The light transmittance of ultra-clear glass is over 5% higher than that of ordinary glass, which means that more hours of sunlight enter the greenhouse every day. Over time, this has a huge impact on the growth of crops.
Direct light vs. diffused light:
Direct light: With concentrated energy, it can penetrate the canopy and reach the middle and lower parts of the plant, serving as the primary energy source for photosynthesis. It is particularly crucial for light-loving crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and flowers.
Diffused light: Energy dispersion. Although diffused light can prevent burns and evenly distribute light in some cases (such as in areas with high sunlight), this comes at the expense of total light intensity. The diffused light produced by anti-diffusion glass is "passive and inefficient" scattering, which is far less controllable and scientific than that of specially designed diffused glass or sunshade nets.
Therefore, using anti-diffusion glass is equivalent to constantly drawing a thick and dirty curtain for the greenhouse, seriously wasting the free solar energy resources.
Special application scenarios
Anti-diffusion glass is not completely useless in greenhouses, but it should by no means be used as the main top covering material. Its possible application scenarios are:
Greenhouse side walls: Used as the enclosure structure around, they can ensure a certain amount of lighting while blocking the external view, protecting the internal crops and equipment, and have a relatively low cost.
Non-productive areas: Partitions used for office areas and rest areas.
More advanced option: ultra-white anti-reflective (AR) glass
This is currently the preferred material for high-end greenhouses. Based on ultra-clear glass, it reduces the light reflection on the glass surface through coating technology (from 8% to below 2%), further increasing the light transmittance to over 97%. It also has excellent self-cleaning function and can maintain a high light transmittance state for a long time. Although it has the highest cost, the increase in production effect it brings is the most significant.
Summary and Suggestions
Pursuing output and quality: There is no doubt about choosing ultra-clear glass. This is one of the most important investments in production. If the budget is sufficient, ultra-white anti-reflective (AR) glass is highly recommended.
It is absolutely necessary to avoid using anti-diffusion glass on the top light-transmitting surface of greenhouses, as this will seriously lead to reduced yields and a decline in quality.
When the budget is limited: Even if ultra-clear glass is not used, ordinary float glass with higher light transmittance should be chosen instead of anti-diffusion glass.
Consider the environment: In areas with extremely good lighting conditions (such as highlands and northwest regions) where high temperatures and strong sunlight in summer may cause burns, external shading or specially designed diffused glass can be used to actively adjust the light, rather than passively using anti-diffusion glass.
I hope this detailed analysis can help you make the most suitable choice!
