Thursday, 14 November 2019
by Ed Hardy
The changes to the trade markets
As the Brexit deadline is further delayed and details of a trade deal with Europe remain unknown, the potential impact of the UK’s departure from the EU on the country’s agricultural industry is still unclear. The recent BBC series ‘What Britain Buys and Sells in a Day’ gave a good insight into how Thursday, 31 October 2019
by Jon Swain
The nights are drawing in – time to be energy efficient
This weekend we moved out of BST meaning that it’s starting to get dark earlier. This isn’t the only effect of the hour change however, any equipment that you have that is controlled by a timeclock may well now be out of sync with your expected pattern of use. Now is the time to check that these Tuesday, 08 October 2019
by Oli Coe
Can we meet the energy demands of automation?
With the rise in robotic solutions in horticulture, our GrowSave* project considers how this might impact your energy use and costs. As more and more technology is introduced to the horticultural world, energy demand is also very likely to rocket up. Thursday, 26 September 2019
by Anonymous
The hot topics at GreenTech 2019
Back in June this year Oli and I visited the GreenTech horticulture exhibition alongside many in the greenhouse industry that was held in Amsterdam. Whilst there was a lot to see the stand out themes with an energy twist were: Tuesday, 24 September 2019
by Joshua Robinson
Are smart meters finally smart enough?
Although smart meters have been installed since 2009, it wasn’t until 2016 that the official smart meter infrastructure went live. The aim of this was to have every UK household offered a smart meter by 2020. However, last week this target was pushed back to 2024 at a total cost expected to exceed Tuesday, 03 September 2019
by Jenny Beynon
Make hay while the sun shines
Any time is a good time to take stock of your energy costs, but as we look ahead to colder weather and less daylight, now is an especially good time to assess things and ensure efficient energy use this winter. Tuesday, 27 August 2019
by Jenny Beynon
Glasshouse climate optimisation
The use of sensors within horticulture is hardly a recent development, with thermometers, measuring boxes and CO2 sensors having been used for decades. However, the advent of wireless sensing technology, as well as the reduction in prices of such equipment, means data collection is now cheaper and Tuesday, 06 August 2019
by Jenny Beynon
Improve light transmission in your glasshouse
You may be familiar with the research – a 1% increase in light can lead to a 1% increase in production – but do you know how to realise the maximum benefit? Even the best glasshouses only transmit somewhere in the region of 60% of sunlight to the crop inside, with many achieving far less. So, what Tuesday, 23 July 2019
by Jenny Beynon
How to achieve good air movement in a glasshouse
Optimising production methods is one of the aims of many greenhouse growers. Determining what makes an optimal climate for crop quality and production, however, can be challenging, and it’s certainly worth bearing in mind that what feels comfortable to a person may be less than ideal for a crop. Thursday, 11 July 2019
by Oli Coe
