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Air Movement & Humidity
Introduction Continuing the theme of humidity control, this article goes into the detail on the value of air movement with respect to greenhouse humidity. For more information on dehumidification and plant empowerment, see our recent articles on Greenhouse Dehumidification and Plant Empowerment & Dehumidification. Thermodynamics As outlined in our previous articles, plant activity requires water…
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Energy Market Update – November 2024
October Recap In October, gas and electricity prices saw a continued rise from September, then plateaued, before spiking towards the end of the month. The main factors driving these increases were significant developments in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. In Israel, military action intensified as troops moved into Lebanon to expel Hezbollah…
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Plant Empowerment & Dehumidification
In a previous article, we discussed the terms related to humidity, as well as the benefits of active dehumidifiers compared with raising pipe temperatures and opening vents. This article will instead focus on the principles of Growing by Plant Empowerment (GPE) and the benefits of optimising humidity control. Plant Empowerment “Optimisation of plant growth and…
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Energy Market Update – October 2024
September Recap Contrary to the last update written a few days before month close, a late surge in wind generation saw our turbines beat gas to the final post for the top generator, albeit it was close. September typically marks the second round of Norwegian maintenance. After a somewhat turbulent 2023 maintenance window, the markets…
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Energy Market Update – September 2024
August Recap: August represented a solid month for the fundamentals in the market. Despite the beginning of intense Norwegian gas maintenance at the end of the month, gas supply was healthy throughout the month with little demand, meaning large volumes of surplus gas were redirected into storage. This represented a ~5,000GWh increase on last year’s…
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Alternative Greenhouse Materials
Introduction Glass has been used as a greenhouse covering material for centuries, and for good reason. Light transmission, chemical stability, resistance to ultraviolet (UV) degradation, structural integrity, and ease of cleaning are all properties that make it very well suited to the task. However, fragility and heat transmission remain poor. Considering the cost of heating…
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Carbon Calculators in Horticulture (extension)
Introduction Although carbon emissions calculations are, in principle, simple to do, requiring only quantitative activity data and an appropriate emissions factor, carbon reporting very quickly becomes complex. To simplify the process, there are a plethora of online calculators designed to deliver a quick and easy answer to the question “what are my carbon emissions?”. Unfortunately,…
