Save on energy cost and stabilise crop yields with smart scheduling
Energy price volatility and variable natural light conditions are making greenhouse control increasingly complex. This session shows how data‑driven scheduling uses forecasts for sunlight and energy prices together with grower-defined crop targets to plan lighting ahead in a cost‑efficient way. By making use of the natural flexibility of crops, growers can shift light demand to more favourable moments while maintaining steady crop development. The same scheduling principles enable better coordination between light, heat production, CO₂ dosing and cooling, helping growers make informed, forward‑looking decisions across the greenhouse as energy dynamics continue to change.
Speakers
Founder of Learning Academy Worldwide, Theophilus van Rensburg Lindzter's blend of practical agricultural education experience, focus on relevant technology solutions, enlarging expertise in modern agricultural practices like CEA, strong project management and communication skills, and his ability to facilitate engaging dialogue will serve as moderator.
Energy used to be predictable.
Crop growth used to follow stable patterns.
Today, neither is true and growers are expected to manage both.
Nienke Veenendaal, MSc, is Product & Engineering Director at Priva, working at the intersection of crop science, energy systems, and digital technology. She challenges how the industry deals with volatility: not as a constraint, but as something that can be actively steered.
With a background in Industrial Design Engineering from TU Delft, she brings a systems-thinking approach to balancing energy cost and crop stability. Her focus is on how smart scheduling and predictive insight can turn uncertainty into control.
On stage, she explores a simple but provocative idea:
stability is no longer given - it is designed.