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Project
Opti-Energy: Energetic optimalisation of the Flemish greenhouse horticulture (Opti-Energie)
The high cost of energy for both gas and electricity greatly reduces profitability in most greenhouse farms. This high cost cannot be passed on 1-to-1 in the sale of the crop product. These companies will have to reduce their energy costs to remain profitable. In Opti-Energy we want to save 20% energy through a combination of cultivation measures in the crops of lettuce and strawberry (low energy) and tomato (high energy). In the first years of the project we will form simple implementable advices that will later be supplemented with advices on innovative cultivation techniques such as double screens, dehumidification and ventilation.
By 2030, Flemish agriculture must realize a 44% reduction of energetic emissions (compared to 2005) within the framework of the European Green Deal. This climate objective can be achieved via energy-saving cultivation measures on the one hand and by the transition to alternative energy sources on the other. In this project, we investigate various technologies (wind turbines, solar panels, heat pumps, geothermal energy, etc.) and will also inform growers about the possibilities on their farms. This combined strategy will contribute to an energetically sustainable and profitable Flemish greenhouse horticulture.
Date:1 Aug 2023 → Today
Keywords:Energy saving in greenhouses, Alternative energy sources, lettuce hydroponic, strawberry, Tomato
Disciplines:Sustainable agriculture, Agricultural plant production not elsewhere classified, Agricultural technology
Project type:Collaboration project