Although The Netherlands is known for its agricultural expertise, it is also common knowledge that Holland does not have as much warm sunny weather as some of her Mediterranean counterparts

Consequently, Dutch organic greenhouse growers, like Ron, are looking for innovative, environmentally friendly ways of heating their greenhouses using a minimum quantity of fossil fuels. At Groenland two major investments have taken place

1. The greenhouse has been equipped with an insulation shield, a horizontal curtain, which is closed every night to keep in the heat and thus preserve energy.
2. A CHP has been installed. CHP stands for Combined Heat & Power system and is  known in Holland as WKK, from the Dutch warmte kracht koppeling. Since CHP was first implemented in the late eighties, the concept has changed little: electricity is produced for the national grid by burning fuel and an additional benefit is that the greenhouse is heated by the warmth that is released. Added benefit for the grower is that he can pump the C02 into the greenhouse, which is taken up by the plants.  Energy-saving measures are therefore not only beneficial for the environment, but also help growers cut costs. Ron is happy with the new system “ for me it is the most efficient manner to make use of the natural resources.”

Ron will continue to look at ways of reducing his dependence on fossil fuels. We will keep you posted of the developments.