This study aims to provide information and theoretical support for the development planning of facility agriculture in desert areas. Using sensor monitoring, USB cable, and computer connection record, we measured the temperature, humidity, and heat transfer distribution of ordinary brick wall greenhouse (G1), composite wall greenhouse (G2), and assembled solar greenhouse (G3) in the Aksu desert area of Xinjiang. The results showed that G3 had the highest average temperature among the three types of greenhouses in the cold season; no difference was detected between G1 and G2 in the night temperature, while G3 has the characteristics of fast heating and cooling. On a sunny day, the heating rate of G1, G2, and G3 is 3.62, 4.4, and 4.77 °C/h, respectively. The cooling rate for G1 is 2.66 °C/h; 2.96 °C/h for G2; and 3.93 °C/h for G3. The heating rate for each greenhouse is nearly identical when it is cloudy outside, and the cooling rate of G1, G2, and G3 is 2.71, 4.2, and 4.34 °C/h, respectively. Moreover, the G3 north wall’s thermal insulation performance has clear advantages. Its wall surface can reach a temperature of 59.1 °C (G1 is 42.7 °C and G2 is 41.6 °C). This study showed that G3 possesses the virtues of effective thermal insulation; the rear wall has a small footprint and preserves the arable land; it also achieves the necessary environmental conditions for crop growth without the use of auxiliary heating.

The shitake mushroom (lentinula edodes) industry in the Gobi Desert region of southern Xinjiang has experienced rapid development and has reached a certain scale. To clarify the laws governing different cooling methods in greenhouses and identify suitable cooling methods for mushroom production in the Gobi Desert region, this study focused on monitoring the environmental changes in greenhouses using three different cooling methods: natural ventilation cooling, water-sprinkling roof cooling, and a fan and pad cooling system. The results showed that when combined with external shading (shade netting), natural ventilation cooling, fan and pad cooling, and water-sprinkling roof cooling, respectively, reduced the air temperature by 8.6 °C, 14.0 °C, and 15.2 °C. They also increased the relative humidity by 15.3%, 43.3%, and 51.2%, resulting in cooling efficiencies of 28.5%, 56.3%, and 68.1%, respectively. The water-sprinkling roof cooling system demonstrated the best cooling effect and temperature uniformity and had higher economic benefits. Therefore, the use of the external sprinkler cooling method in double-skeleton greenhouses is suitable for summer lentinula edodes production in the Gobi Desert region of southern Xinjiang.

Analysis of solar radiation changes in Chinese solar greenhouses with different roof structures based on a solar radiation model