What belongs in a technical specification for greenhouse equipment?
A usable specification states performance requirements and interfaces, not brand names. For each package define the duty (what it must achieve, under which ambient conditions), the physical and electrical interfaces, the applicable standards, the documentation required, the spare-parts and service expectation, and the test that proves compliance. If a bidder can meet your text with a materially different product, the text is not specific enough; if only one brand can meet it, the tender is not competitive.
What actually drives the answer
Duty conditions: state design ambient temperature, humidity, radiation, wind and snow loads, water quality and voltage — the same equipment behaves differently under different conditions.
Interfaces: pipe diameters and connection types, cable entries, control protocol, mounting geometry and who supplies what at each boundary.
Standards and certification: the structural, electrical and food-contact standards that apply locally, plus any certification the buyer or lender requires.
Documentation: datasheets, drawings, calculations, test certificates, operation manuals and as-builts — listed as deliverables with dates, not assumed.
Acceptance: the test that determines whether the equipment is compliant, who witnesses it and what happens if it fails.
Spares and service: recommended two-year spares list, availability of consumables and the response commitment for your location.
Variables that change the answer
- Design ambient conditions
- Applicable local standards
- Water and power quality
- Automation level required
- Service availability in the region
Evidence a supplier needs before quoting
- Site climate data and design conditions
- Water analysis and power supply details
- Local code requirements
- Control and automation preferences
What this answer does not settle
- Specification content is procurement guidance. Structural, hydraulic and electrical design values must come from licensed engineers.
Responsibility
- Professional review:
- Owner's engineer and licensed design professionals
- Delivered by:
- Manufacturer or integrator
- Feeds RFQ section:
- Technical specification
Sources
- Greenhouse Horticulture research programmeWageningen University & Research · Secondary source · accessed 2026-08-21
- Good Agricultural Practices for greenhouse vegetable productionFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 2013 · Primary source · accessed 2026-08-21
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