Intensive collaboration for ultimate greenhouse energy-efficiency Opti-flor, The Netherlands About The most important starting point for Opti-flor is the five-star quality for its Phalaenopsis. That is why Opti-flor and Certhon have been working together intensively since the late 1990s for a mutual exchange of knowledge and expertise. Opti-flor presents the challenges and Certhon thinks along about how these can be tackled as efficiently as possible, in order to subsequently make processes smarter and more reliable and/or cheaper. The main aim is to optimize energy supply and reduce energy consumption. By bringing together various fields of expertise, we work together on issues such as: ‘what is the most energy-efficient way of cooling down?’, ‘how can we keep the temperature of the return water as low as possible when heating up?’, ‘how can we dehumidify the air in the most efficient way?’ and ‘how can cooling be realized and how can the costs for this be reduced?’ Crop Phalaenopsis Client Opti-flor Location The Netherlands Type Energy solutions Unique results With every project, we give everything we have. We think along and we think further. In this project, too, that results in special highlights: Accurate climate with JSK JSKs are used to cool from under the tables so that the plant can be maintained at a better and more accurate temperature. This direct form of cooling eliminates the need to cool the entire greenhouse. Heat and cold storage If the extracted heat cannot be utilized immediately, it is stored in the two existing heat storage tanks and deployed when it is needed. This makes better use of the off-peak hours in the energy market. Air handling units Air handling units regulate the indoor climate conditions in the greenhouse with air drawn in from outside. It combines ventilation, heating, cooling and humidity management to achieve optimal growing conditions the plant. Advanced control techniques and sensors ensure energy efficiency by applying only the required treatments, contributing to more sustainable greenhouse operations and faster crop drying. Renewable energy through heat pump The heat pump cools the flue gases from the CHP plants even further (up to 20°C). The released heat is used for heating. The extracted heat can then be used in the nursery departments. A second application is to produce cold for cooling the greenhouse. Reducing energy costs By connecting and renovating existing systems as well as developing new systems, we ensure that Opti-flor's greenhouses are heated and cooled as efficiently as possible. We have connected all locations, directly or indirectly, to the geothermal network, which has significantly reduced energy costs. "The long-term cooperation between Certhon and the Hendriks family of growers goes back 40 years. That is how long they have been intensively involved in the heating and cooling of our high-quality greenhouses. The mutual trust forms the basis and their excellent solutions make that our satisfied teams of growers can work with them optimally." René Hendriks Grower and co-owner Opti-flor Interested? Do you also want to achieve a great result for your company? Simply contact us; our international team will be happy to help: +31 174 225080. John van der Sande Chief Innovation Officer (CINO)