Horticulture
Connext
Greenhouse Automation
Priva Sensors for horticulture
De Vreede Holland
2022
With their new combined heat and power unit, De Vreede Holland is taking steps towards a more efficient and environmentally friendly use of heat and energy. With Connext, Priva is a partner in this project, providing the automated coordination of the energy management.
De Vreede Holland, supplier of Phalaenopsis orchids, recently had a new combined heat and power (CHP) unit installed in order to be able to deal with energy and heat in a sustainable and cost-conscious way. With this ambitious project, they are now able to generate most of the heat and energy themselves and use it at their three cultivation locations in Bleiswijk.
With the purchase of the new CHP, it was De Vreede Holland’s wish to set up the coordination of the energy management at the cultivation locations to be as efficient as possible. The video shows what physical modifications were made to make this possible. In addition, Priva has made an important contribution by setting up the integration and automation. Marcel Koole, Senior technical Consultant at Priva: “All three of the locations already had a Priva Connext process computer. Since we connected the three computers to the fiber optic network, there is now a network integrating all locations. In addition, we chose to put the energy management from the computers all in one location. Now one computer controls the energy management of all three sites.”
The CHPs are connected to the electricity grid, making it possible to supply power to the grid. For buying and selling electricity, De Vreede Holland works with Enova. The Connext computers constantly communicate about demand and availability, about receiving and transmitting energy. So in a way, they’re the brain of the company.
When electricity prices are high, Enova assesses whether electricity can be sold back. Via a link between Enova and Connext, Connext receives a signal for the delivery of power. Connext then takes the necessary actions to ensure that it can also be sent back. This is always done within the predetermined limits.
De Vreede Holland is a supplier of “orchid centerpieces”: Phalaenopsis in 9 cm pots. With their years of experience and extensive production facilities, they guarantee quality. De Vreede Holland’s “orchid centerpieces” are slightly smaller in size than you might expect orchids to be, but this makes the plants suitable for different places in the house, such as on the coffee table, in the bedroom or on a desk.
