Gerbera Entrepreneur Uses DryGair, Screens, and LED Lights to Save Energy
In an interview with OnderGlas magazine, gerbera entrepreneur Joyce Lansbergen discussed her actions to save energy in her greenhouse. One important piece of equipment she uses to do so, is DryGair.
The original article was published in Dutch in OnderGlas magazine.
Greenhouse Energy Savings
Energy is one of the biggest expenses in today’s greenhouse cultivation. When prices fluctuate, as they have over the past years, it can have a great impact on growers’ profitability and ability to remain in business.
Many growers have struggled to adapt to the new energy market. However, many are also using this opportunity to improve efficiency and reduce energy requirements.
“Thanks to the energy crisis, many steps have been taken that were previously very expensive and did not actually materialize. Like many others, we have accelerated the transition to LED lighting.”
A New Way to Grow
Retrofitting a greenhouse with efficient LED lighting is a great way to reduce energy costs. However, it’s only piece of the puzzle, and without further adjustments, may lead to bigger humidity problems.
In order to reap the most benefits, both in energy savings and in improving cultivation, it’s best to integrate LED lights, thermal screens, and dehumidifiers, such as DryGair.
“Changes were made before this winter started, so that growing under LED would work out better. We invested in screens and DryGair dehumidifiers. So if there is too much moisture in the greenhouse, we can extract it. Our greenhouses were drier than ever last winter despite a reduction in gas. The crop has never looked so good, and production was higher than expected.”
By combining these three elements, you can provide the best conditions for the plants, while keeping the greenhouse closed. The plants receive optimal radiation from the grow lights and the screens allow you to retain heat inside. DryGair completes the package by controlling humidity from inside the space and providing its patented air circulation for uniform conditions.
Without dehumidification, a closed greenhouse would quickly reach 100% relative humidity, and would need to be opened, releasing the valuable heat. This is the science behind “A New Way to Grow”, which was developed to optimize production while minimizing energy use.
