Within a year, Stars Plant will switch from 100% grid power to 100% 'self-powered.' Solar panels have recently been installed on one corner of the greenhouse, the shed should follow next week, and the other half of the power should come from a CHP, which will be installed after the summer.
Stars Plant is delighted with it. Until the beginning of this year, the plant grower had a fixed contract for electricity. Now they rely on the daily price. Because of last year's enormous peaks and the ever-increasing incentive from the government, in particular, to become more sustainable, the investment plans had been on the table for a while.
In the recesses of one corner of the greenhouse, 500 square meters of solar panels have been installed. These panels are the same weight as the glass, so there was no need to reinforce the structure. Closed panels were chosen, as this is a piece of greenhouse that was no longer used for cultivation anyway.
On the barn, there is slightly more space, 600m2 of panels were laid there. The weight factor is also less important here: in both literal and effective terms, heavier panels could be installed here.
HS Tuinbouw service B.V. Tuinbouw Techniek undertook the installation of the panels in the greenhouse deck, while Ariëns Solar Techniek was engaged for installation on the shed.
For more information:
Stars-Plant 
Maarten van Rossumweg 37
5307 HC, Poederoijen
www.stars-plant.nl