The use of fossil fuels in greenhouse horticulture will continue to decrease until the sector is ultimately fossil-free. But greenhouses still need to be heated. This means that growers must use energy-saving measures and alternative fuels. With the development of the Greenhouse Energy Guide, the Greenhouse Horticulture Business Unit of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has created an instrument with which growers can draw up their own roadmap to fossil-free cultivation. Researcher Gert-Jan Swinkels explains: “With the Greenhouse Energy Guide, every grower can develop his own route to fossil-free cultivation.”
Growers have to deal with a wide range of energy installations, from cogeneration and mechanical cooling to forced ventilation and pad & fan systems in warm regions. In addition, numerous greenhouse covering materials and sustainable energy sources are available, such as heat pumps, geothermal energy, biomass, wind turbines and batteries. This abundance of choices makes it a complex task for growers to find the best solutions, both economically and from a cultivation perspective. Swinkels emphasizes: “Natural gas is becoming increasingly expensive due to legislation and reduced availability. Growers must carefully consider their own roadmap to a sustainable future.”
The Greenhouse Energy Guide: Wiki and Simulator
Commissioned by the Greenhouse as Energy Source program and the Club of 100, WUR has developed a Wiki for growers and the supply industry. This Wiki offers detailed example scenarios for five themes: lighting and heating (Netherlands), cooling in a warm and dry climate (Middle East), cooling in a warm and humid climate (Southeast Asia) and the use of solar and/or wind energy for electricity supply. The Wiki is available online and can be consulted here.
WUR also introduced an interactive simulator. This tool allows users to enter the specific situation of their cultivation company and test possible energy measures within a chosen scenario. The simulator then calculates the effects on, among other things, the greenhouse climate, energy costs, CO2 consumption (including costs for external CO2 purchasing) and water use. The simulator uses WUR's KASPRO model for these calculations. Swinkels: “The simulator is not only useful for the Netherlands, but also for international locations with different climates.”
The basic version of the simulator is available for free and offers the opportunity to work with basic settings. More advanced features require membership to the Club of 100. The simulator can be found here.
The development of the Greenhouse Energy Guide was financed by the Greenhouse as Energy Source program and the Club of 100.
Source: WUR
