Ter Laak Orchids expands with 5 hectare Daylight Greenhouse

Dutch brothers Eduard and Richard ter Laak are going to expand their phalaenopsis nursery, with a 50,000 m2 Daylight Greenhouse. Since 2013, their Young Plants department has been using a 4,000 m2 greenhouse of this type already. Now, in 2016, Ter Laak Orchids is again opting for a Daylight Greenhouse, thanks to the positive experiences with the existing one. Technokas, constructor of the current location, and sister company Bode Project- en Ingenieursbureau, developed the Daylight Greenhouse concept and will realize this project. Construction starts mid-February 2017, and the greenhouse will be completed in 2018.

Next step
Isn't constructing a new greenhouse risky, especially in light of the recent expansion in Guatemala? Richard ter Laak: "Growth isn't the be-all and end-all at Ter Laak Orchids, but this step suits our ambition and strategy well. The Daylight Greenhouse makes it possible to realize further energy savings, and investing in modern automation provides us with the means to satisfy our customers.”

Daylight Greenhouse
The existing Ter Laak Orchids location is already equipped with installations and technology for an optimal use of energy. With the existing Daylight Greenhouse, this has been further optimized. The first few years, energy savings of more than 50% have been realized in heat, as well as 30% savings on electricity for lighting. Moreover, plant quality has improved as well.

The Daylight Greenhouse is fully glazed with double glass. Energy screens aren't installed, while energy savings are actually higher. The roof has a daylight installation, consisting of lenses (in the double glass) and moveable panels. It works like a screen installation: all the direct sunlight is concentrated into one line and collected by the moveable panels. In case there is too much light, that direct light is diverted, leaving only diffuse light. A screen installation isn't any faster, so this greenhouse doesn't need screens on the outside. The concentrated sunlight heats the panels and collects energy from the greenhouse. That energy is stored in the systems (wells, heat pump, buffer systems) and reused. The result is a greenhouse with little to no net energy use, and that creates an optimal greenhouse climate with perfect light for the plant at all times.

Partnership
Together with Technokas and Bode Project- en Ingenieursbureau, a lot of effort has gone into further developing this type of greenhouse, but also into financial feasibility. The project was realized partly with support from the Dutch government. Like the previous phases, construction management is taken care of by AAB from Naaldwijk,the Netherlands. Bosman Van Zaal from Aalsmeer, the Netherlands, is the partner for internal logistics again.

For more information:
Ter Laak Orchids
Middenzwet 23
2291 HM Wateringen
Netherlands
T +31 174 870 110
F +31 174 870 111
info@orchidee.nl
www.orchidee.nl

Technokas
Leehove 33
2678 MA De Lier
Netherlands
Tel +31(0)174 24 05 45
Fax +31(0)174 24 82 91
info@technokas.nl
www.technokas.nl