Energy efficiency

Jesse Verbeke plays a key role at Phormium Climate Screens, where he supports customers in selecting and using climate screens in the most optimal way. He has extensive knowledge about screen properties and is actively involved in the development of new screen types, helping to innovate and refine solutions that meet the evolving needs of the horticultural industry.

David de Best is a scientist at the Data Science department of TNO since 2023. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics (2020) and computer science (2020) and a master’s degree in mathematics (2023) from Utrecht University, focusing on graph theory, graph algorithms and parallel algorithms. Within TNO he works on semantic interoperability, ontology engineering and applications for knowledge graphs in the agricultural and other domains.

In practice, the goal is often to connect many different sources in a semantically standardised way, such that communication of data becomes unambiguous and well aligned. This allows for easy integration of new data sources into a network. The main use case within in the greenhouse domain is his work on the Common Greenhouse Ontology and its application within the CODIT project.

Feije de Zwart is working in the field of greenhouse horticulture for more than 30 years.
He started his work with an PhD from 1989 to 1996 on simulating the greenhouse climate to energy saving perspectives of various techniques in horticulture. This model was built from standard physical relations to describe the physical processes in the greenhouse envelope and includes a complete practical-like greenhouse climate controller. In the period from 1996 till today, this simulation model has been continuously evovolved in its use for ongoing research projects and constantly updated with the newest climate control equipment (especially cooling devices) and the latest insights in greenhouse climate control.
In the past years, this model is gradually transformed to an on-line applicable system for all kind of educational and design purposes.
In the past decade, his expertise on energy aspects of horticulture has been extended with solar energy and other sorts of sustainable energy. This expertise covers both the theoretical, as the practical aspects of standard solar panels and concentrated solar power.

The last decade, H.F. de Zwart is also involved in a number of international consultancy and demonstration projects (China, Japan, Abu Dhabi, Korea, Saudi-Arabia). The purpose of these projects is to teach local greenhouse managers and researchers on the ins and outs of modern greenhouses and the latest horticultural insights. These projects do not only address climate and energy-issues, but also water and nutrition and crop handling.

In the past years, also the role of horticultural production in the wider perspective of sustainable food supply for urban communities was added to the field of expertise.

The work of H.F. de Zwart is carried out in the framework of consultancy projects and research programs, from which a number are managed by himself. The management qualifications involve the contacts with stakeholders, financers and co-workers.

Egon Janssen is Manager Greenhouse horticulture at TNO. In this function he is a broker between innovation needs of growers, suppliers and TNO’s experts. The main drivers of Egon Janssen are a broad interest in technology, the ability of making connections between people and a lot of enthusiasm. After finishing his Msc Structural engineering in 1998 he started his career at TNO. Remarkable projects are Greenhouse of the future, presented on the Floriade 2002, the development of a Food production unit for use on MARS (2004) and the development of energy indicators to reduce energy use of greenhouses. In 2004 he formed the greenhouse horticulture team within TNO, combining all relevant technologies (greenhouse structure, water technology, energy, light, CO2, ICT, Robotics and logistics). To make an easy entry to the knowledge of TNO he founded the Fieldlab greenhouse horticulture in 2007. This facility, nowadays known as World Horti Centre is a marketplace for innovation where growers, suppliers and TNO meet and discuss innovations. In greenhouse units new technologies are demonstrated on small scale, where after research and development projects are started. In 2017 he started a strategic partnership with Hortivation. TNO is developing new knowledge and transfers this to the companies associated with Hortivation.