Energy

Consequently, Dutch organic greenhouse growers like Ron van Dijk are looking for innovative, environmentally friendly ways of heating their greenhouses without using fossil fuels. These guys are clearly sticking their necks out and investing millions to achieve this goal.

One example is Cogeneration in the Greenhouse. Cogeneration consists of transforming fuel into mechanical, electric energy and thermal energy. Through this double transformation, yields close to 100% can be obtained from the energy contained in the fuel. The exhaust gases of gas-fuelled cogeneration modules contain C02. Once treated, these gases can be mixed with the air in a greenhouse and act on the plants which assimilate carbon dioxide, converting it into carbohydrates. A further advantage is that as a result the productivity increases by around 35%. Due to its great energy utilisation rate and contribution to photosynthesis, cogeneration reaches its maximum level of effectiveness when applied to greenhouses.