The 'Peppers resilient towards fossil fuel free' project at Delphy Improvement Centre is showing good results so far. The crop is developing well, and crop health and pest pressure are well under control. Although the energy input has been reduced significantly, there are still some challenges in this area, Bas Oudshoorn of the Delphy Improvement Centre shares in an update on Kas als Energiebron.
The aim of the trial, which involves growing without a 'tube' and keeping the 24-hour temperature 'lower than normal,' was to use a maximum of 10m3/m2 of gas equivalents during this project. The remaining energy required should be generated in a sustainable manner. This is done through active dehumidification, where latent heat is extracted from the greenhouse air.
The gas target has not been met. "Currently, 12.6m3/m2 has been used, but we still see plenty of opportunities to save more energy in the first weeks of cultivation," he says. The amount of energy harvested is 10.6m3/m2. This puts the net energy input at 2 m3/m2, and it continues to drop. To realize this in practice, however, it is necessary to have long-term storage."
