...
Within the Greenhouse Energy Guide project (Dutch: de KasEnergiewijzerKas Energiewijzer), this knowledge platform (wiki) with the same name is developed and contains information about practical solutions for renewable energy sources and smart installations, with the goal to go to a climate-neutral cultivation. Greenhouse Energy Guide contains a roadmap with sensible options and technical-economic considerations for growers and the supplying industry. This can be a collection of existing techniques or novel techniques all applied in an integrated solution.
The wiki describes for all relevant aspects of greenhouse horticulture the contribution to the energy household and resource use of a greenhouses and the possible steps towards sustainable, fossil-free greenhouses. This starts with the big picture of the global climate agreement and the energy transition in
Europe and the Netherlands, including the impact for Dutch suppliers and horticultural entrepreneurs when they consider to invest in new greenhouse equipment and technology. Scenarios can be studied for different geographical locations, different greenhouse types and covering materials. Next the different technical solutions and devices which are commonly used in modern greenhouses are described. Currently this equipment is mostly powered by fossil energy, which means that alternatives will have to be applied when going towards fossil-free greenhouses. For energy commodities there are renewable sources and some adaptations on greenhouse equipment affects the water consumption as well. Therefore, the Greenhouse Energy Guide also keeps track of water use.
...
As an illustration, some detailed scenarios towards fossil free greenhouses are described and quantified. From theseFinally, the possible and most promising roadmaps are derived and discussed in detailpresented.
Simulation tool
The Greenhouse Energy Guide comes also with an interactive simulation tool which enables users to recalculate scenarios from the roadmap for changed assumptions on economical parameters or to explore the perspective of sustainable techniques for other geographical locations than the ones shown in this wiki. The tool consists of a menu with a wide range of technical solutions for designing a sustainable, climate neutral and fossil free greenhouses in order to study their technical and economical viability in dependence of local conditions.
...
A user manual of the tool can be found here.