ENERGY SAVING WITH “HORTIPLUS” GLASS

Since 1974, all over the world, research has been concentrated primarily to realise a reduction on the use of energy.
Although several methods were very efficient and practical, they were applicated rather scantily.

The main factor, apart from higher investments, was the fear that light reduction in yield.

The use of rolling trays for production of ornamentals, which saves energy without loss of light intensity, is already being applied in other countries.

At the Experimental Station for Vegetables at St.
Katelijne-Waver, we opted for two forms of energy saving in our research.
On the one hand we investigated the nutrient film technique (NFT) in which case the energy-consuming reising and maintaining of the temperature of greenhouse soil was unnecessary and on the other hand the possibility of Hortiplus-glass.

In this last instance it was principally our aim to see how far this glass would influence the use of energy and also the yield of tomato cultivation in different seasons.

Optimalisation of Plant Growth under Protected Cultivation through Microclimate Control

Ir. F. Benoit, Ir. N. Ceustermans

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1981.107.10