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Lans Phase I.
Reference

Lans Phase I.

Location
The Netherlands
Installation
2021
Size
1.5 hectares
Fixtures
1500+

The customer

Lans is one of the largest tomato growers in The Netherlands with 80 hectares of high-tech greenhouses for tomato cultivation. The company has always been on the forefront of innovation and was, for example, the first grower to use a CHP installation in their greenhouse. Lans was also the co-developer of the new and revolutionary LEDFan concept.

The CEO of Lans is also a founding partner in the Harvest House group, which combines the sales power of various growers. Harvest House consists of a group of >70 growers, that together own more than 1100 hectares of greenhouses.

The expectations

The problem with growing tomatoes under full LED is the loss of heat and evaporation in the crop that the infrared in HPS generates. The customer wanted to use the heat waste from the luminaires, so they would not only have savings on electricity that normal LED luminaires offer, but also savings on heating costs.

The solution

Food Autonomy together with Lans co-developed the LEDFan Greenhouse Toplight that utilizes (almost) all the electrical energy. Not only does it profit from the high efficiency of the LEDs, but it also uses the energy losses (heat), by blowing cool air from above the luminaire via the drivers and LED modules back down towards the crop. This creates a warm air blanket, keeping the warm air from the heat pipes longer in the crop. Warming up cold air also increases the amount of water air can hold, improving the evaporation and therefor the photosynthesis.

"20 years ago, we tried CHP’s to make the electricity. That was a total revolution. With the LEDFan we think it’s the same kind of revolution…And even though we are growing with 2 degrees higher temperature in the greenhouse lit by LEDFans, we use less heat compared to the HPS side of the greenhouse...Plants are smiling under the LEDFan, and if plants are smiling, the grower is smiling."
concludes Leo van der Lans

The result

According to Leo van der Lans, who participated in the development of LEDFan (and has +/-100ha tomato greenhouses in The Netherlands), the product saves him 15% on heating.

The 3ha tomato greenhouse is equipped with two different installations on either side of the central aisle. One side (1.5ha) has full SON-T, the other side (1.5ha) has full LEDFan. Even though the LEDFan side had a 17% lower electrical input compared to the HPS side, it still had almost 40% more light.

Even though they were growing with a 1.5 degrees higher 24-hour temperature, the heating costs are lower on the LEDFan side. The idea is that this can partly be explained by the residual heat used, but probably for an even greater part by the improved evaporation and the ability to keep screens and windows more closed.

Watch our video interview with Leo van der Lans:

Objektum doboz

Used products

Greenhouse

LEDFan Toplight

LEDFan Toplight
Wireless Control System

Cultimesh

Cultimesh

Contact our specialist directly:

Keith Thomas

Keith Thomas

Commercial Leader