Greenhouse Surface Area

The  Surface Area of a Greenhouse (gabled roof) calculator computes the exterior surface area of a greenhouse based on simple measurements.   Gabled Roof Structure 

INSTRUCTIONS:  Choose units and enter the following:

• (W) Width of Greenhouse (under the gable).
• (L) Length of Greenhouse (perpendicular to gable).
• (H₂) Height of Gable
• (H₁) Height of Main Area

Greenhouse Surface Area (SA):  The calculator returns the surface area in square feet.  However this can be automatically converted into other area units via the pull-down menu.

The Math / Science

The surface area calculation is a simple computation using the sum of the surface area components:

• End gables =(1/2 * H₂ * W) * 2
• Roof Area = 2 * L *  sqrt( (W/2)² + (H₂)² )
• Side Walls = 2*W*H₁ + 2*L*H₁

Note:  The formula above is accurate whether the greenhouse has even gables (isosceles triangle) or uneven gables as in the second diagram.  Both gable areas are triangles with a surface area of base times height. In the latter case, the base is the sum of the two widths (W = W₁ + W₂) 

A greenhouse, aka a glasshouse or a hothouse, is a building or complex in which plants are grown.  A miniature greenhouse is known as a cold frame.  Related to a greenhouse is a high-tunnel which is a greenhouse build over soil directly.

Greenhouse structures range in size from small sheds to industrial-sized buildings with different types of covering materials, such as a glass or plastic roof and frequently glass or plastic walls. A Greenhouse is designed to warm as incoming sunshine is absorbed inside the structure. Air warmed by the heat from warmed interior surfaces is retained in the building by the roof and walls.  By using non-porous materials such as glass or plastic, the air that is warmed near the ground is prevented from rising indefinitely and flowing away.

Commercial glass greenhouses are often high-tech production facilities for vegetables or flowers. The glass greenhouses are filled with equipment like screening installations, heating, cooling, lighting and airflow systems and also may be automatically controlled by a computer to maximize potential growth.

vCalc's Greenhouse category (tag) contains equations and calculators pertaining to greenhouse calculations, metrics and other data.

Greenhouse and High-tunnel Calculators

• Volume of a Gabled Greenhouse: Enter the dimensions of a gabled building and compute the cubic feet volume.
• Volume of a Curved Dome Greenhouse: Enter the dimensions of an arched roofed building (see diagram) and compute the cubic feet volume.
• Volume of a Quonset Hut Greenhouse: Enter the dimensions of the Quonset Hut and compute the cubic feet volume.
• Surface Area of a Gabled Greenhouse: Enter the dimensions of a normal gabled building and compute the square feet surface area.
• Surface Area of a Curved Dome Greenhouse: Enter the dimensions of an arched roof building and compute the square feet surface area.
• Surface Area of a Quonset Hut Greenhouse: Enter the dimensions of a Quonset Hut and compute the square feet surface area.
• Bell-shaped Greenhouse Volume and Surface Area: Computes volume, surface area, floor space and height based on dimensions.
• Greenhouse Air Flow: Computes the air flow volume at the fan, middle and end of the greenhouse and the Evaporative Cooling Efficiency
• Conductive Heat Loss:  Enter the surface area, the heat loss coefficient for the surface material and the maximum heat range, and the calculator will compute the BTUs per hour needed to heat the inside.