How the energy-saving system works
The installer has cleverly designed the system so as to reduce energy costs by at least forty per cent. Our installer thinks that 75% is attainable, but that is something for the future. We would be happy with 40-50%. The amount of fossil fuels used is reduced to zero. From the point of view of sustainable and environmentally-friendly production, this is quite a strong point. In addition to the system of using groundwater for cooling and heating, a heat pump is also used, which produces heat and cold in the same way as an ordinary refrigerator. This pump heats the water in the central heating system to a maximum of 50 degrees Celsius. This takes place during the hours that there is a surplus of electricity, which is usually at night. This is possible thanks to a heat buffer with a capacity of 400 cubic metres, where the heated water is temporarily stored until it is needed in the greenhouse. The working mechanisms of the water pump are explained elsewhere.
We have developed the first “Kas Zonder Gas” (Gas-Free Greenhouse), a unique system. We already had the idea that a boiler or a CHP generator (which produces heat and electricity) based on natural gas was not an ideal solution if you want both heating and cooling during cultivation. It must be possible to find a different and better solution, because in summer the greenhouse is a giant sun collector which has to be managed. Letting all the energy escape through open windows is just too simple.
Now we harvest heat in the summer which we store underground in order to be able to use it in the winter. Yet the installers still had to get used to the idea that a Gas-Free Greenhouse ought to be possible. For a long time they were pushing for a CHP generator, because we do need a lot of electricity for our growth lights. But after doing some figures and drawings, we all realised that the combination of using groundwater for cooling and heating together with a heat/cold pump was by far the best solution for Phalaenopsis cultivation. This is true not only as far as energy use is concerned, but also in terms of climate control within the greenhouse. We can now precisely control all aspects while using relatively little energy
. |
