Rotating your lighting and still getting a uniform crop

The Noordvliet branch of tomato company CombiVliet in Wieringermeer has a strong need for the controllability of processes. This need includes the rotation of lighting without getting uneven crop. To achieve this, location manager Roy van Vliet sought the advice of Priva. 

"We want to distribute the available power as evenly as possible among the assimilation lamps," says Van Vliet. "In addition, we want the lights to rotate around the greenhouse. Both prevent cold spots and keep the crop uniform.”

“It was a request we hadn’t received from CombiVliet before,” says Edwin Dekker of Priva. “Even though they have been a trusted customer for a while now. NoordVliet pretty much guides its whole process using our Priva Connext process computer. It took a lot of consultation and finally we designed a suitable algorithm."

The control program received the obvious designation 'Roulerend Belichten' (literally: ‘Rotating Lighting’). Noordvliet has the system in use since January 2013, a period in which few electricity shortages have occurred. "But if it occurred, it functioned well. The crop is indeed more uniform,” says the grower. 

Since its debut, Priva has already sold several units to other companies.