The solar greenhouse: technology for low energy consumption

In conventional greenhouse crop production the high level of inputs conflicts with consumer demands for safe products and with restrictions to environmental emissions. In Northwest Europe the main problem is to reduce absolute energy consumption. If today's available technology is applied energy saving will be too low to meet the standards in future. Therefore new technology has to be developed on aspects ranging from improving the greenhouse insulation and light transmittance to climate conditioning and control and energy management. In all aspects the production system is converted from a production-driven to a consumer-oriented activity. Information technology has to link the various units in the chain from consumer to seed.