Converting sunlight into crops can be seen as the ultimate example of renewable energy in action. Adapting this natural system in the most efficient and sustainable way is something that commercial glasshouse growers have continually developed for generations.
Growers are acquiring heat and power from a holistic range of onsite power sources and solutions such as biomass, biogas, solar, CHP plants, and ground source heat pumps.
With less reliance on the grid, this reduces the pressure on our energy system as it takes on more intermittent renewable power. Modern glasshouses are creating a network of distributed energy sources that can provide energy to the grid and become more self-reliant during times of high demand and low generation.
Evesham Vale Growers (EVG)
As a family-owned business with over 4,500 acres, EVG is one of the largest farming businesses in the Midlands supplying tomatoes 52 weeks of the year.
EVG owns Vale Green Energy that operates a 40-hectare solar farm, 2 anaerobic digestion (AD) plants, and 3 combined heat and power (CHP) engines.
The anaerobic digesters break down crop and food waste into digestate and biogas. The digestate produced is used as soil conditioner and fertiliser. The biogas is then made into biomethane and is used onsite and injected into the gas grid.
The La Serra glasshouse uses gas turbine combined heat and power (CHP) engines to produce heat and electricity, and recycles the CO2 emissions for growing tomatoes and powering an 8 hectare LED lit glasshouse, with surplus power exported to the National Grid.
Flavourfresh Salads
Based in Lancashire, Flavourfresh Salads is one of the leading British commercial glasshouse growers. With three sites under 17.3 hectares of glass Flavourfresh grows Tomatoes, Strawberries and Blackberries.
Using hydroponic growing methods Flavourfresh uses gas powered combined heat and power (CHP) engines, with the CO2 emissions recycled and used to aid the photosynthesis and yield of the plants with the heat generated by the engines used to keep the greenhouses warm.
LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights supplement natural light levels throughout the winter. Producing locally all year-round helps to reduce food miles during the colder darker months. Blue and red lights give the plants the optimum combination of wavelengths they need to grow with thermal screens used to prevent heat loss.
Flavourfresh have solar panels on all their sites and have upgraded their maintenance fleet vehicles to electric.
Abbey View Produce
Abbey View Produce has supplied salads to the UK market for over 50 years. By forming a producer organisation and developing a network of growers overseas, Abbey View Produce can extend the seasons of available produce throughout the year.
Their headquarters has solar PV panels covering the south facing side of a recent extension. They operate a 3 MW gas powered CHP engine to generate electricity with surplus energy sold to the grid, while using the by-products, heat and CO2, to grow the plants.
A pioneering energy innovation includes water-to-water heat pumps connected to a wastewater project for consistent year-round temperatures. With a 1920 square metre energy centre, 13 heat pumps, 2 CHPs, and 2 boilers, this closed-loop system enhances sustainability by exchanging heat without mixing water supplies, returning cooled water to the local ecosystem, benefiting the environment.
Guy and Wright
As a family-run business based in Hertfordshire, Guy and Wright has specialised in commercial tomato growing since 1927.
Organic waste delivered to the site is fermented in an anaerobic digester which captures methane gas to power generators that can produce enough electricity to export to the public grid after meeting the power needs of the business.
Guy and Wright is an example of how growers are becoming energy producers with the majority of their generated electricity exported to the grid.
Conclusion:
As modern glasshouses integrate into an evolving energy sector, the success stories of these growers serve as inspiring examples of how distributed energy sources can effectively balance the grid, fostering a cleaner and more resilient energy future.
By harnessing a diverse array of on-site power sources, growers are not only meeting their internal energy demands but are actively engaged in supporting the broader energy system.
