ClimecoScan

Climate monitoring and Advice

Over the years the trend has been to build greenhouses with bigger cultivation areas. Modern greenhouses offer significant advantages, but there also appear to be risks of the occurrence of unnecessary large temperature differences.

 

Concequences of differences in temperature:

  • An increase in the occurrence of plant diseases such as botrytis, resulting in extra work and loss of production.
  • Reduced uniformity in crop growth.
  • Unnecessary high energy costs.
  • Sustainable cultivation is compromised. 

Common measurements for climate control

The fact that the temperature and the Relative Humidity (RH) are only measured with one control box per compartment constitutes a handicap. In additon to the temperature differences, the Relative Humidity in different parts of the greenhouse will also differ significantly. The results is that cultivation with a higher RH increases the chances of condensation and the risk of fungal diseases. 

 

ClimaScan – climate monitoring and advice

Cimeco specializes in the area of energy and climate technology in greenhouses, which includes the monitoring of temperatures and RH in greenhouses. On the basis of the analyses we advise the grower on possible improvements. In practice we often see that minor issues can have major consequences. This means that significant results can be realized with limited investments.

 

Method

In consultation with the grower Climeco formulates a measuring schedule after which a specified quantity of wireless sensors is installed troughout the greenhouse. 

The wireless sensor network with communication equipment and the software provided by Climeco will register the temperatures and humidity levels in a number of different locations.

Using an Internet connection the grower and the Climeco Consultant can view the measured temperature and relative humidity in real-time, using a PC with Internet connection. The stored data will be graphically depicted in diagrams or short videos, after which we will assess the information.

Heat map view of average temperatures of a chosen period of time:

Heatmap view of real-time measurements of any chosen time, with a graph view to see the trend of the previous 24 hours. 

Conclusion, advice and report

Climeco will discuss the measuring results with the grower in an analysis session.

The report will consist of:

  • An analysis of the measurements.
  • The conclusions and remmondendations.
  • An estimate of te proposed investments with a calculation of the payback time. 

An automated advice generator is being developed during the project of ‘Gezonde kas’. Availability on request.