WEB EXCLUSIVE
Geothermal goals in the Netherlands
By 2020, the Dutch floriculture sector aims to heat at least 500 hectares of glasshouse cultivation using geothermal energy.
Dec. 15, 2010, the Netherlands – The Dutch floriculture sector aims to heat at least 500 hectares of glasshouse cultivation using geothermal energy by 2020. Earlier this year, a potted tropical plant operation became the latest company to tap into this heat source.
The use of geothermal energy is a typical example of the sector-wide co-operation that has so often proved to be the driving force behind innovation throughout the Dutch industry. Geothermal energy projects receive support from a program in the Netherlands designating greenhouses as energy sources.
Newly acquired knowledge from the project is made widely available. The result is the emergence of an increasingly detailed, experience-based script for new projects.
Research has shown that a large proportion of Dutch glasshouse cultivation is located in regions where geothermal energy could be used. A feasibility study indicates that the use of geothermal energy in glasshouse cultivation could lead to a reduction of more than 10 per cent in natural gas consumption.
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