Anyone looking out from the mobile canteen at bell pepper raiser Duijnisveld in De Kwakel on Friday afternoon would have date readable blue sky and hopeful sunshine . Ideal weather for solar panel , excellent for plant outgrowth — and perfect conditions for a thermal bombardment . Inspired by the century - old concept of the yield rampart , the company Thermeleon has develop a system capable of both warming and temperature reduction .
" flop now , growers are simply venting away costless solar energy , " take note Peter de Munck , a agriculturalist since January 1 who is well acquaint with Thermeleon ’s technology . " And when you air , you also lose CO₂—a imagination that ’s becoming increasingly valuable for works maturation . sunshine alone is n’t enough . In fact , too much Sunday can really be counterproductive . "
A few old age ago , Peter think investing in the system rise by the Rotterdam - based weighing machine - up but in the end decided against it . Koppert Cress , however , chose to proceed and has had the system in operation for a yr and a one-half . On the afternoon of Friday , April 11 , during a knowledge café at Greenport Aalsmeer , Thermeleon founder and manager Jildou de Jong , along with Peter , shared the first results of the organisation ’s performance .
peaceful technology for smarter greenhouses"Raise your hands , " says Peter , as five fundamental reason to invest in a thermal battery appear on the display screen . Just like in a minor survey conducted by Thermeleon in 2022 , most raiser raise their manpower for the same top priority : a quick return on investment . Other major reasons let in improving harvest tone and the environmental benefits of reducing dodo fuel and electrical energy use .
Thermeleon ’s thermal battery is a passive applied science . It works without electrical energy or moving parts , using special Phase Change Materials ( PCM ) placed inside the glasshouse . These fabric take advantage of the natural heating system buildup get by the glasshouse consequence . They stash away heat when temperatures are high and release it slow when it cools down . No power cables are demand , and no harmful chemicals are used , making it a secure and sustainable answer — very different from traditional batteries , as founder Jildou de Jong point out .
Heating and cooling in one systemThe introductory idea is simple : stored oestrus can be reuse to warm up the greenhouse . Thermeleon ’s PCM storage 13 times more heat than the old - fashioned brick fruit paries . This stored warmth is then gradually release , helping to maintain the optimal climate that agriculturist can set in collaboration with Thermeleon .
Peter , sharing early results from a full hectare of greenhouse outer space , highlights the cooling power of the system of rules . At Koppert Cress , they equate two nursery — one with a thermic shelling , one without . The one using the battery stayed perceptibly cooler during the summer . Even a few degrees of difference of opinion can make a great encroachment , Peter read . And in the surrender , heating system can be postponed , save even more energy .
Smarter Energy exercise
It ’s a common misconception that instal a thermal stamp battery means the steam boiler can be take away . In realism , like many new energy technologies , Thermeleon ’s thermal battery is design to complement existing organization — not replace them . It becomes part of a broader energy mix , assist agriculturalist cover their base vim load more efficiently .
By compound multiple technologies , growers bring in flexibility and shrink vigour demand during peak times . This flexibility is increasingly valuable , particularly with on-going changes in government energy policies . With new rule constantly emerging from The Hague , long - term provision has become more difficult .
After the principal presentment , around thirty cultivator and other visitor gathered with Jildou , Peter , and engineer Wouter Bentvelsen for a deeper discussion . One primal dubiousness : Can the thermal battery charge in wintertime ? The answer , ground on data from Koppert Cress , is yes — there are still sunny days in wintertime that furnish enough energy , and the system is designed to retain heat well , even in insensate full point .
Another vulgar question is how to best integrate the scheme into existing greenhouses . " That calculate on the type of craw , " explains Wouter . " The organisation can be put in in different parts of the glasshouse to help maintain an even climate . " The technology aligns well with the principles of Next contemporaries Growing — a more closed in growing scheme that reduces get-up-and-go loss . For agriculturalist aiming to fix venting , especially during spicy periods , the cooling effect of the thermic barrage is a major vantage .
Jildou in conversation with a board full of interested people .
Minimum heating temperaturePeter encountered many of the same questions from growers that add up up during the session on Friday . But seeing the organisation in action only strengthened his self-assurance . " There are benefits to be gather for every craw type , " he said . " The biggest advantages seem in bounce and summertime , but the encroachment during autumn and winter should not be overlook . "
Thermeleon check the most potential in crops that require a warming temperature around 17 ° coulomb . " The system is also a large fit for growers who on purpose follow modest - energy cultivation strategies , " adds Jildou . " In those cases , retaining heat becomes even more significant . "
When subsidy are applied , the system can pay for itself within just a few years . The accurate payback full stop depends on the case of craw and how the arrangement is integrated into the greenhouse , Jildou remark . " Since the organization is passive , there are no ongoing operating price , and agriculturist lay aside on energy each year after instalment . summate welfare let in improved CO₂ retentivity and a more unchanging greenhouse climate — key constituent for long - terminus plant life wellness and productivity . "
For more entropy : ThermeleonVan Nelleweg 13044 BC Rotterdam[email protected]www.thermeleon.nl
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