The Greenovation Award 2021 has been won by Bernhard Plantenkwekerij with their Phalaenopsis Elegant line (butterfly orchid). These are grown entirely sustainably in greenhouses heated by geothermal energy. The Greenovation Award is granted to the best sustainable product or concept introduction within the horticultural sector.
In second place was Ammerlaan The Green Innovator with their geothermal heat project, which makes their nursery CO2 neutral, and in third place was Florius Flowers with their Paper Sleeve concept, a 100% recyclable flower sleeve made of 20% flower stem fibres from their own waste stream.
On 3 November during the Trade Fair Aalsmeer, Bram Bernhard, managing director of Bernhard Plantenkwekerij, received the award from Steven van Schilfgaarde, CEO of Royal FloraHolland.
Steven van Schilfgaarde with flowers for winner Bram Bernhard
Unique combination of energy sources
The geothermal heat that heats the greenhouses is produced by 45,000 floating solar panels in a water basin, where the energy generated by the solar panels is used to power geothermal heat pumps. This combination of solar panels and geothermal energy is unique in the Netherlands. According to the jury, the concept makes an enormous contribution to the floriculture sector's biggest sustainability challenge: becoming climate-neutral.
Bram Bernhard, managing director of Bernhard Plant Nursery: "This is the course for the next fifteen years and we have accelerated it somewhat. We are located in the Flevopolder and therefore have the possibilities and opportunities to combine solar panels and geothermal energy. The fact that we are now winning this prize is a great boost."
Necessary CO2 reduction
Steven van Schilfgaarde on the importance of the award: "This year, we received more than 20 entries, all of them wonderful initiatives to make our sector more sustainable. The winner of the Greenovation Award heats his greenhouses with a combination of solar energy and geothermal energy, and these kinds of solutions contribute to the much-needed CO2 reduction. Nos. 2 and 3 are also great examples of sustainability. The climate conference in Glasgow shows how big the problem is."
Jury
The professional jury and the audience both had a 50% share in the final assessment. This year's jury included Quincy von Bannisseht, Strategic Manager at Glastuinbouw Nederland, Anne-Lotte Boudeling, CSR Officer at FM Group, and Maarten Banki, Manager of Sustainable Development & Quality at Royal FloraHolland.
On the Greenovation Award webpage, you can read the entries of all 10 nominees including the winner again or watch the video.