Project

Flexcrop

Rigid climate control in greenhouse demands a large amount of energy. Dutch greenhouse power demand was 100 PJ in 2018. Temperature and light integration are energy-saving strategies that allow climate set points to fluctuate within certain bounds. Flexibility around climate set points is estimated to reduce energy consumption by 10 – 20%. Temperature and light integration is possible due to the ability of the plant of accumulate sugars under high light or cold temperatures and later on remobilize them when temperature rises - sugar pool. By applying the plant’s integration capacity in the greenhouse, energy buying may be done flexibly to reduce grid strain and overall demand.