Since late 2024, Noctis Thermo from Phormium has been installed as the top screen in all departments at Kwekerij Vlasman. It was a deliberate choice by potted plant grower Luuk van der Burg, who has long been focused on cultivating more energy-efficiently. The initial results are promising: "We've definitely noticed a difference in our energy consumption," he says.
Luuk has been working for years to future-proof his nursery, and reducing energy demand is a key part of that mission. "Ultimately, we want to be able to heat the greenhouse using low-grade heat," he explains. "That means you need to retain the energy you bring in as efficiently as possible. High-insulation energy screens go a long way toward making that happen."
All departments equipped
Kwekerij Vlasman spans over 30,000 m², divided across five departments. The first two departments were renovated at the end of 2023 and fitted with Phormium's Noctis Thermo screen. The remaining three followed at the end of 2024.
"Now, all five departments are equipped with Noctis Thermo. Two departments have a triple-screen setup—a clear screen, a diffuse screen, and the Noctis Thermo on top. The other three have a diffuse screen with the Noctis Thermo above it. That also gives us solar shading capabilities." 
Noticeably lower energy consumption
Luuk can clearly see that the Noctis Thermo is doing its job. "We're able to heat at lower temperatures, and energy consumption in those departments has definitely gone down," he says. "We haven't had any prolonged cold spells yet, but even on chillier days, we've been able to keep the departments comfortably warm."
There was a bit of a learning curve, of course. "It's a slightly different approach to screening. At first, you need to figure out things like: what percentage should you close the screens to get the effect you want? But the energy savings became noticeable pretty quickly."
And then the combination with the diffuse screen
In addition to energy savings, Luuk also notices cultivation benefits. "Our plants are quite close to the lower mesh. In the past, we sometimes had to add extra heating to get the temperature right, which caused some plants to dry out faster than others. We no longer have to take such emergency measures. The climate in the section is more uniform, and so the crop is more balanced as well. That's great and exactly what we were aiming for."
The Noctis Thermo is a dark aluminum screen, which initially raised some concerns for Luuk. "We also use the screen for light shading. So naturally, you don't want it to cast shadows on the crop. That was the most concerning aspect for me," Luuk admits. "But we had already seen other growers using it successfully, and the same turned out to be true for us. Every plant receives the same amount of light thanks to the diffuse screen."
Luuk is very satisfied: "Screens are always crop-specific – it depends on your situation and your goals. But with current energy prices, we were looking for the most energy-efficient combination that would also provide good shading. And this setup has worked out quite well."
For more information:
Phormium
Arjan van der Veer
Tel.: +31 6 11 778 796
[email protected]
Peter Ollevier
Tel.: +32 477 773 277
[email protected]
www.phormium.com