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WayBeyond Appoints Head of Industry Transformation to Drive Sustainability Agenda
“…ensuring we deliver on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and formalizing and extending the work we have been doing on industry education, connecting the eco-system and our own graduate and internship program,” says CEO & Founder Darryn Keiller.
WayBeyond’s vision is to transform the agricultural industry. This is a declaration of intent and to give this intent focus and leadership, Kylie Horomia has been appointed into a new role as Head of Industry Transformation. Ms. Horomia holds a Masters in International Communications, 20 years in communications and almost 10 years in the Horticulture industry, most notably with T&G Global and recently with Autogrow where she was Head of Brand & Communications.
“Kylie is a passionate and respected communications specialist and industry advocate, who has provided the next level of thinking around our story and will begin working on our long-term global sustainability strategy. This includes ensuring we deliver on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and formalizing and extending the work we have been doing on industry education, connecting the eco-system and our own graduate and internship program,” says CEO & Founder Darryn Keiller.
The key to the transformation of anything is the transformation from the inside. In the context of agtech, this means ushering in a new generation of farmers, scientists, and technologists. Addressing Zero Hunger (including reduction of waste), Clean Water & Sanitation, Sustainable Cities, and the evolution of Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; will take creativity and collaboration.
“With our WayBeyond team based in New Zealand, the Netherlands, and United States and employees from 15 cultures; we celebrate our diversity, which critically includes the diversity of thinking required to solve the world’s greatest food production challenges," explains Mr. Keiller.
Ms. Horomia is also on the Executive Board of the NZ Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators and worked to develop the Global CEA Census alongside New York-based industry partner Agritecture Consulting.
“I’m very excited about this new opportunity. AgTech is an amazingly fast-paced industry to be in and the work we are doing to grow food sustainably using science and technology is something of which I am incredibly proud. I will continue to promote the inclusion of STEM disciplines to reduce food waste, increase the efficiency of natural resources, and make a positive impact on growers, the environment and communities we operate within,” says Ms Horomia.
Ms Horomia will take up the role effective immediately.
To learn more about WayBeyond and follow Kylie’s transformation of the brand, please go to www.waybeyond.io
For further information, interviews and images, please contact
Kathy Cunningham
(e) kathy@empirepr.co.nz
(m) +6421 743 378
About WayBeyond
The WayBeyond Vision is to transform the agricultural industry to produce food sustainably for everyone on the planet.
The Mission is to break boundaries to explore new ways of farming so our solutions benefit every farm in the world (and beyond). This includes sharing knowledge and expertise with data, artificial intelligence, and plant science to transform the way growers farm. www.waybeyond.io
“Sharing Technology Is The Only Way The Industry Will Grow”
Lack of this might lead to farmers being susceptible to misleading information, using ineffective technologies, which I’ve seen many people suffering from.
“There is a lack of know-how amongst farmers to apply those techniques in a successful way,” says Joe Swartz, Vice president and Lead horticulturalists at AmHydro. In every situation, according to Joe, from geography to the skill of the grower or climate control, all play into what types of technology should be used. This requires a lot of experience and knowledge. Lack of this might lead to farmers being susceptible to misleading information, using ineffective technologies, which I’ve seen many people suffering from.
Joe adds, “Watching many good growers that have been led down a bad path in the industry, while investing so much into technologies that are not really effective, really breaks my heart. While providers know that they aren’t effective in this particular situation. With many years of industry experience, Joe is well aware of the challenges that the industry faces these days. Within the aquaponics sector there is not one singular technology, just as in conventional farming, rather various unique technologies can be combined for different outcomes.
Lack of know-how
When asked about the kind of growers that Joe educates, he notes that there are two kinds of growers contacting him. “We have two types of growers: either growers facing challenges or new growers wanting equipment and knowledge. Both of those approaches are interesting and it’s great to be able to help them become successful. It is great to see our system helping companies to grow and develop and become a worldwide provider. Growers like that keep coming back to us. They are the ones that move the industry”.
Joe Swartz, Vice president
An essential part of being a vertical farmer, in Joe’s opinion, is having experience with working on the ground floor. Only this will teach you what it takes to manage the equipment, crops and technology. “The best growers have started in the greenhouse. Hydro-experts will get nowhere with their college degree alone,” Joe states. For that reason, AmHydro offers grower seminars and even possesses a commercial greenhouse where growers can work in order to gain experience. “Some growers don’t think that they need it as they rely on technology, but my experience is exactly the opposite.”
Fake promises
Joe observes similar trends as in the 1980s when certain technologies were promoted as ‘the farming of the future’. People talked about automatic farming, in which no farmer would be needed, new techniques and new lightings. All things we hear today were said back then. What happened afterward, according to Joe, was that some techniques turned out disappointing. Millions of dollars invested were lost, leading to the industry losing its credibility.
“As a result, investors only valid projects that already have a positive cash flow, as they have become more cautious. Some growers struggled to get funding, even though they had a viable business model. In a certain way, negative events have closed off some appetite for investments in CEA, which is a shame. It is a good investment in general, but every time we see a less than a reputable company or a technology that fails, it holds the industry back.”
Misconception
Related to that, Joe says that vertical farming still has to overcome a somewhat negative public image. “The traditional consumer, at least in the USA, have an image of farmers working on the land using sustainable methods. Now, being a conventional farmer using hydroponics I know that it is a sustainable and safe way to produce food, but there’s a public perception of automatization, as robotic food. Some people even call it “Frankenfood”. In my opinion, the more we can promote CEA as what it is, sustainable growing techniques, people will be more accepting and investors will invest more easily”.
Joe strongly senses that the vertical farming industry needs more skilled farmers and growers to meet the demand. “A lot of my work is actually training people. We want to help especially young people, new to the industry, by giving them skills, experience and knowledge. I have been blessed to have mentors when I was young and I try my best to pass that knowledge as this will help the industry along. That’s one of the reasons why we now see some consultancy firms who see economic opportunities. Sharing technology is the only way in which the industry will grow,” says Joe.
“Despite the diversity amongst growers that I meet in over 66 countries, all growers face similar problems. Funny tech flitches, pipes that break and spray water all over the greenhouse, or water pumps that break down. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a technologically advanced greenhouse or a small low-tech one. It kind of goes across the board,” says Joe laughing.
For more information:
AmHydro
Joe Swartz, Vice president and Lead horticulturalist
joe@amhydro.com
www.amhydro.com
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
VIDEO: Daan Roosegaarde Uses "Light Recipes" To Show How Agriculture Could Be More Sustainable
Dezeen Magazine
Amy Frearson | January 18, 2021
Studio Roosegaarde has unveiled Grow, a 20,000-square-metre light installation designed to highlight the beauty of agriculture while also improving crop growth.
The Rotterdam-based studio, led by designer Daan Roosegaarde, used red, blue, and ultraviolet lights to transform a field into a dynamic artwork.
As well as creating a visual spectacle, the installation serves as a prototype for how certain "light recipes" can be used to increase plant growth and reduce the use of pesticides by up to 50 percent.
Grow is a 20,000-square-metre light installation in a Dutch field
The first ideas for the project came after an early morning visit to the farm. As a self-confessed urbanite, Roosegaarde told Dezeen he had spent very little time exploring the Netherlands' agricultural landscape, so was amazed to experience it first hand.
Despite being a relatively small country, the Netherlands is one of the world's largest producers of vegetables, second only to the United States, and has established itself as a pioneer of highly efficient farming techniques.
"We thought we should highlight the beauty of this agriculture," said Roosegaarde. "These vast fields feed us, but nobody sees it."
Lights turn the crops into a visual spectacle but also helps to improve growth
Shortly after, Roosegaarde became aware of advancements in photobiological lighting technology. Research suggests that certain combinations of light can not only strengthen plant metabolism but also create resistance to both pests and disease.
Although the technology has been used in greenhouses, Roosegaarde saw an opportunity to test its potential at a larger scale.
The "light recipe" combines specific types of red, blue, and ultraviolet light
"A specific ultraviolet light activates the defense system of plants. And what is interesting is that it works on all crops," the designer explained. "So we can reduce the use of pesticides."
Pesticides are known to have a significantly harmful effect on biological diversity, one of the pillars of sustainability. If the farming industry was able to reduce reliance on them, it would be of great benefit to the environment.
These lights can strengthen plant metabolism and create resistance to pests and disease
Studio Roosegaarde created Grow with high-density LEDs positioned at different points around the field.
The devices move up and down, distributing the light evenly across the field. As they move, they create dancing patterns that are hypnotic to watch. "It's very futuristic and also very romantic, in a way," suggested Roosegaarde.
Grow is the latest of several large-scale light installations Roosegaarde has created
The effect is similar to some of the other large-scale installations Roosegaarde has created in the past like Waterlicht, which mimicked the effect of the Northern Lights as a way to highlight a flood plain.
However, the designer sees Grow as a project with a bigger audience. His plan is to take it around the world, with different light recipes formulated to suit different crops.
The designer hopes to promote the role of the farmer as a hero
Roosegaarde's aim is to help to speed up the application of this science, but also to create a more universal appreciation for the important role of farmers, who he describes as heroes.
"I want to design things which make people curious about the future, not sad or mad," added Roosegaarde. "Light is my language. Light is not decoration, it's activation and it's communication."
Grow was commissioned by Rabobank, for the bank's ongoing artist-in-residence programme. The ambition is for the project to tour all 40 countries where the bank operates.
Read more: Design Lighting Netherlands Plants Farms Installations Studio Roosegaarde Technology
VIDEO: IGS Intelligent System Design – FTS Finds Out More
IGS has, as a company, focused from the outset on automation, intelligent system design, and the energy equation of CEA vertical farming
July 6, 2020
IGS has, as a company, focused from the outset on automation, intelligent system design, and the energy equation of CEA vertical farming. This has garnered them a reputation as one of the leading and most innovative companies in the industry. We took some time to have a chat with them and find out a bit more about how this all works in practice.
FTS: Hello and thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Can you briefly introduce IGS, its history as well as its outlook?
IGS: IGS was founded in 2013 bringing together decades of farming and engineering experience with a vision to revolutionize the indoor growing market. The two founders, farmer Henry Aykroyd and our CTO Dave Scott had an appetite for innovation and realized that there were significant gaps in the provision of scalable technology for the sector.
Henry knew how to grow and understood the challenges which faced traditional farming: Dave knew how to manage automation and power controls in an industrial environment. The opportunity to bring greater climate control to a growing environment was significant. The ability to manage power consumption was revolutionary. The simplicity of its implementation and use is pivotal.
We opened our first vertical farm demonstrator in Scotland in 2018. Artificial intelligence determines optimal nutritional input and the exact combination or ‘recipes’ of weather: lighting, watering, and ventilation. Data is collected continuously and machine learning used to make iterative adjustments, all of which is monitored through a web-based app. The whole Intelligent Growth platform is IOT-enabled to automate system control and management. Our degree of control is so fine that each 6m2 growth tray has its own microclimate. Technical simplicity is at the heart of our mechanical design.
Our commitment to innovation has continued apace and we have evolved the applications of our technology beyond agriculture to create solutions for a wide variety of indoor environments, developing the Intelligent Grid platform.
The Intelligent Grid uses the same IOT-enabled power and controls platform to manage and monitor lights, sensors, cameras, and communications for complete climate control and reporting. It too has a very simple, clean, and elegant design for application in any commercial building, greenhouse or livestock shed. In contrast to the vertical farm, we use our same core technology through the Intelligent Grid to create whole-space macroclimates.
Both IGS demonstrators are based at the James Hutton Institute, a world-renowned crop, and plant science research facility. IGS and the Hutton collaborate closely to help advance the understanding of plant science for indoor growing.
Until 2018 IGS had invested approximately £7m in R&D to ensure that its platforms offered the greatest levels of control and achieved levels of economic viability, scale, and minimal environmental impact compared to other systems on the market. In 2019 IGS raised £7 million in institutional capital to enter production and take its systems to global markets. We continue to invest over £1m per annum in R&D.
FTS: You have recently shared news of two reseller partnerships – one in the Middle East and one in the UK and Italy with TEP Renewables. Can you tell us briefly a bit more about them?
IGS: We have been talking to International Real Estate Partners (IREP), the international facilities management firm for some time in the Middle East, and we’re really pleased to recently sign this referral agreement which is specifically focused on indoor vertical farming for the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets.
We also have an opportunity to extend into Asian markets in the future. It gives us a greater capacity to service the Middle East market and secure and deploy vertical farming platforms across the region. IREP’s presence in this market is well established with many existing customers across agriculture, retail, and construction and it is a very positive development for both companies we believe.
The agreement with TEP Renewables is an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) or a reseller-type partnership if we identify customers who would like to operate solar-powered vertical farms in Italy or the United Kingdom that we will work with them.
FTS: Fantastic! In the end, any vertical farm (indeed any farm!) is only as environmentally sustainable as its energy equations. But it is also only as financially sustainable as its energy cost. You have focused quite intensely on this energy cost question. As we see this dramatic collapse of fossil fuel energy production return on investment, it seems that NOW is the time to have renewable energy options on hand for CEA. Do you believe that renewable energy can be cost-competitive – both in terms of installation, sustainable life-cycle and with regard to the price of the final product for the consumer?
IGS: We consider a variety of power distribution and supply methods. Renewables can have considerable benefits from an environmental perspective and also specific to grants and other financial support for utilizing renewable energy resources.
The “virtual power plant” capabilities of our systems indicate strong Demand Side Response (DSR) potential. We can manipulate our growth cycles to respond to power availability and respond to inherent instabilities in power networks. This is already having an influence on our engagement in circular energy projects to utilize spare energy for growing and allows for more renewable power sources to be adopted.
FTS: Labor cost is the other biggest outlay for any vertical farm. You have invested heavily in automation. Is the trade-off of increased capital expenditure for automation worth the reduction in operational expenditure for labor, in your experience?
IGS: Absolutely. Driving down the farm gate price is the ultimate goal and while labor costs vary from region to region, we believe that this investment in the automation (and indeed the associated patents) within our growing operations is imperative and differentiates our systems considerably.
FTS: You’ve set about designing modular and intelligent systems. Such a bespoke system offers advantages of course, as we’ve seen above. But it can also present challenges if it cannot be integrated with other equipment and systems later. Do you future-proof your systems to be able to accommodate such updates and integrations over time?
IGS: We have thought about this from the outset, and our systems are designed in a plug and play model, rather than being bespoke as such. Scalability is paramount for our customers and this has been a consideration throughout our R&D development. Rather than using proprietary systems for processes such as sowing and harvesting, we use off-the-shelf equipment and components. This means we can keep startup and maintenance costs down by providing items with which farmers are already familiar. If a section of the vertical farming system needs to be replaced or upgraded, such as a water filter, a lighting panel or a tray, it can be done with almost no interruption.
However, what is also imperative to think about in terms of future proofing, and a hugely important part of our approach, is how we work so closely with the science community to better understand plant light interactions. The level of control we have designed into our hardware systems allows us to flex and adapt as we need to deploy the most up to date plant light information through our software development, which is continuously evolving.
The approach of our software development has also involved maximising security of our systems and ensuring simplicity of operation. This will be continuously updated, but with seamless integration for our customers.
FTS: Along with FTS, you’ve joined a number of other associations and similar collaborative groups. Why is this important to you as a company, and how do you balance the proprietary needs of your company against this desire to cooperate?
IGS: Collaboration and cooperation across this sector is essential. Our vision is that sustainable change will only be delivered not only when we collaborate, but when we are all open and honest about the limitations, as well as the opportunities for this sector. We want to work alongside technology vendors with complementary products, and with growers and producers, supported by science and greater understanding of growing plants indoors, all backed by far-sighted investors.
We firmly believe that through innovation, collaboration and investment we can create an economically and environmentally sustainable global indoor food industry.
FTS: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us today. We wish you every success and look forward to working with you in the future.
IGS: Thanks very much indeed. We look forward very much to be part of Farmtech Society as we all move forward in the development and innovation of agricultural technology.
For IGS
David Farquhar
CEO
Can Artificial Intelligence Do As Well As Farmers In The Future?
Cucumber plants to enter autonomous greenhouse of Wageningen University & Research
Tuesday 14 August marked the start of the Autonomous Greenhouses Challenge as five international teams try to grow cucumbers at a distance with the use of artificial intelligence at the facilities of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). “The goal is to convert knowledge about cultivation into algorithms that can enable computers to regulate cultivation automatically in the future, even in places where such knowledge is lacking. So the question is: can computers do as well as farmers?”
The five international teams will have four months to produce a cucumber yield remotely and without human intervention, using as little water, nutrition and energy as possible while achieving the highest possible output (i.e. production). Each team has been allocated 96 square metres in the facilities of WUR’s business unit Greenhouse Horticulture in Bleiswijk.
“The teams have partly developed their own algorithms and used them to determine output settings such as temperature, light quantity, CO2 concentration, fertilisation and several cultivation-related parameters such as plant and stem density,” says the head of the Horticulture Technology research team Silke Hemming. “The sensors and cameras – which they will be installing themselves in the week of 20 August – measure some of these cultivation data. The sensors send the information to the computer systems, allowing them to control the climate and fertilization in the greenhouse. The teams will not be allowed to enter the greenhouses apart from to install the equipment.”
The teams will collect all data remotely and be able to continuously adjust their algorithms for the software. Hemming: “The software itself will adjust the output settings like temperature where necessary. The goal is that the self-teaching software gradually takes over human decision-making.”
The challenge was organized by Wageningen University & Research Greenhouse Horticulture and the internet company Tencent. “We think we can further improve food production in greenhouse horticulture by introducing artificial intelligence,” Hemming continues. “This unique challenge lets us connect with international partners and make major strides forward. Although they are already global leaders in cultivation expertise, we believe even Dutch breeders will benefit from results of the challenge, as it will enable them to make decisions based on more carefully considered information.”
According to Hemming, the use of artificial intelligence will have an even greater impact globally. “In many countries, there is very little knowledge about complex plant production. Artificial intelligence can help people make complicated decisions, so they can locally produce vegetables and fruit with fewer means. The higher yield and production are especially important in view of the growing global population.”
Cucumber, the crop of choiceIn addition to the autonomously controlled greenhouses, the challenge will comprise a reference greenhouse where the chief grower of WUR Greenhouse Horticulture and several Dutch growers will cultivate cucumbers in an authentic way. “We settled on cucumbers as our crop of choice because they grow fast,” says Hemming. “This will enable us to obtain lots of information in four months. Cucumber plants are also very quickly affected if something is done incorrectly during cultivation. A breeding company cultivated the plants for the teams, and people from the test company of WUR Greenhouse Horticulture will put the plants in the greenhouses. The yields, their value and the associated costs and sustainability factors will be compared to the reference greenhouse.”
Supervisors from WUR Greenhouse Horticulture will provide the teams with the required digital information. Information will be shared with and output settings received from the teams via an interface produced by LetsGrow.com, one of WUR’s tech partners. WUR employees will be responsible for harvesting and communicating standard crop information, including yield weight, to the teams. An international jury will oversee the process and award points.
“Most of the points will be awarded for maximization of net profit,” Hemming explains. “Another criterion will be sustainability: energy & water consumption, CO2 levels and the use of crop protection agents.” Teams will also receive points for the use of artificial intelligence. Questions such as ‘how autonomous was the teams’ actual approach?’ and ‘how realistically could this system be applied on a large scale?’ will be the main issues evaluated by the jury in the final stage.
An exciting competition
“We expect an exciting competition in which the teams – deep_greens, AiCU, The Croperators, Sonoma, and iGrow – apply different approaches,” Hemming concludes. “For one team, for instance, the focus will be on artificial intelligence, while another team will highlight cultivation expertise.” The winner will be announced in the second week of December during the AgriFoodTech trade exhibition. “We will gain lots of new knowledge for a new cultivation method for the future.”
For more information:
Publication date: 8/15/2018
10 Reasons to Choose ACRYLITE®
From high light transmission to hail protection, these are some of the reasons growers are choosing ACRYLITE®.
July 19, 2018
Edited by the GIE Media Horticulture Group
Originally designed for use in the commercial greenhouse industry more than 40 years ago, the technology behind ACRYLITE® acrylic multi-skinned sheet has been continually improved through ongoing research and development in cooperation with the world’s leading growers.
The result is the most advanced, state-of-the-art glazing material available today which delivers decades of performance and exceptional return on investment. Commercial growers of all crop types operating in both cold and warm climates recognize the critical role that ACRYLITE® glazing plays in the long-term success and profitability of their operations.
These are 10 reasons to choose ACRYLITE® for your greenhouse.
1. High light transmission for growth results
ACRYLITE® acrylic multi-skin sheet transmits up to 91 percent percent of photosynthetically range (PAR) into the greenhouse. The exceptional clarity of ACRYLITE® provides the most natural growing conditions and promotes vigorous and vibrant bloom color. Optimum growth response and shorter maturity time provide economic advantages that help you grow your profits.
Comparisons between a conventional double-covered greenhouse and a structure glazed with ACRYLITE® show that ACRYLITE® transmits 20 percent more light – a distinct advantage, particularly in the winter months. The ribbed design of ACRYLITE® also diffuses light over the crop canopy, eliminating harsh “hot spots” associated with growing under glass.
ACRYLITE® will retain its light transmission and clarity for decades; in fact, even after 10 years of use, acrylic glazing transmits more light than brand new polycarbonate.
All ACRYLITE® acrylic multi-skin sheets block UV light penetration. However, in applications where UV light transmission is desirable, ACRYLITE® Alltop is one of the only glazing materials available in a UVT version that transmits the full spectrum of light including ultraviolet.
2. Never yellows
ACRYLITE® acrylic will not yellow, become brittle or degrade — a promise we back with our 30-year no-yellowing guarantee — the best in the industry.
Yellowing of plastics is caused by the sun’s UV rays breaking down the glazing, but ACRYLITE® acrylic is 100 percent naturally UV-stable. Polycarbonate and other plastic covers need a UV barrier or coating to delay yellowing, but must often be replaced after a few years of installation because they have turned yellow. UV barriers are often thin and are highly prone to failure. But ACRYLITE® acrylic is composed of 100 percent naturally UV-stable molecules throughout the material that stabilizes it from the inside out and protects the entire sheet, not just its surface.
ACRYLITE® high impact acrylic doubleskin sheet is the ideal choice for replacing yellowed polycarbonate or weathered fiberglass. Ask us for our comparison kit containing samples of ACRYLITE®and polycarbonate that have been removed from greenhouses after the same number of years of use and see for yourself.
3. Protection from hail
ACRYLITE® high impact acrylic is strong enough to withstand hail impact — a promise that we back with our 10-year warranty. In fact, because our proprietary polymers are ten times more impact resistant than traditional acrylics, our hail warranty is not prorated. Glass and weathered, fragile polycarbonate cannot protect your greenhouses from damaging hail. ACRYLITE® protects not only your crops from hail damage, but protects your bottom line from replacement costs.
4. Energy savings of up to 55 percent* per year
Energy is a critical cost factor for commercial greenhouse operators. In North America, growers spend an average of $1 to $2 per square foot on heating their greenhouses. With ACRYLITE® multi-skin acrylic sheet’s natural insulative qualities, you’ll save up to 55 percent* in annual energy and heating costs when compared to single glazing.
The money you save on energy costs will pay for your investment in ACRYLITE® glazing within a few years of installation. Over ACRYLITE’s® long service life of 30+ years, you will fully recover the capital cost of your building project and save hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars in heating costs.
*This figure is confirmed by the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering (IMAGDLO), which established that energy savings of 24 to 55 percent can be achieved using ACRYLITE® acrylic sheet.
5. Patented anti-condensate technology, with anti-algae technology
Thanks to our No-Drip anti-condensate technology, ACRYLITE® multi-skin acrylic sheets maintain optimal transparency even in bad weather. This water-dispersing layer causes condensation to flow off as a continuous self-cleaning film, resulting in the highest possible light transmission and eliminating uncontrolled dripping that can result in crop damage and disease. Unlike coatings on other glazing products that wear off, our manufacturing technology makes the patented No-Drip feature an integral part of ACRYLITE® acrylic sheets.
6. Strength and durability
The unique polymers of acrylic combined with the geometry of ACRYLITE® multi-skin sheets makes them inherently stronger than other multi-walled glazing. Thicker walls and ribs create a more rigid sheet of greater overall weight designed to provide high live-load carrying capabilities while allowing for greater span distances. ACRYLITE® meets or exceeds snow and wind requirements offering durability in extreme climates.
7. Reduces additional equipment needs
ACRYLITE® multi-skin acrylic sheet naturally holds heat in, reduces shadows, hot spots and burning. Not only will you require less initial capital investment in heating systems, lights and curtains, you’ll also save on costly maintenance over decades of use.
8. Life expectancy of 30+ years
ACRYLITE® multi-skin acrylic sheet has been proven to perform consistently over decades of use in all types of climates throughout the world. ACRYLITE® acrylic’s long service life means less replacement costs when compared to inferior glazing materials that must be replaced more frequently, often after just a few years of use.
9. Environmental protection
Glazing with ACRYLITE® helps contribute to a healthier environment through reduced energy use, reduced emissions, environmentally-sound manufacturing processes, certified facilities and elimination of harmful chemicals. Long product life means less old glazing going to landfill sites due to premature failure, but if it must be replaced, ACRYLITE® is recyclable for use in making consumer goods.
Upon combustion, other plastic coverings produce thick smoke and toxic gases that are harmful to people and the environment. Deterioration from UV rays changes the burning characteristics in many plastics, but thanks to ACRYLITE®’s UV stability, its characteristics do not, so in the event of fire, ACRYLITE® burns cleaner with less smoke and has no release of toxic or corrosive gases.
10. The best warranties in the industry
ACRYLITE® high impact acrylic is backed with the industry’s best warranties. Our non-prorated, full replacement 30-year non-yellowing, 10-year light transmission and 10-year hail warranties protect both your investment in ACRYLITE® and your bottom line.
For more information on ACRYLITE®, click here.
Photo courtesy of Evonik