"Ideal Growing Conditions Wanted 365 Days A Year"

Growers around the world are striving toward the best conditions for achieving ideal growth and production 365 days a year. This includes vertical solutions, as the world needs more production growth per square metre. Vertical farming is really taking off, and there are plenty of innovations, especially when it comes to lighting. Another important aspect here is the growth climate surrounding the plant.

VA Grow Vertical Farm
KE GrowAir and Orange Climate Agri have combined their expertise in this area in order to develop an ideal growth climate for vertical farming. Their product has been nominated for the Impact category of the GreenTech Innovation Awards, the winners of which will be announced at GreenTech (11 to 13 June).

The VA Grow Vertical Farm is an air conditioning system from Orange Climate Agri, equipped with air distribution hoses from KE GrowAir. "It is the combination of our expertise in the utility sector, that we are now translating knowledge and experiences about a good climate into innovations in vertical farming", they explain.

"In vertical farming, a lot of attention is paid to innovations in LED lighting. The climate in the room is often forgotten. The VA Grow Vertical Farm provides the desired temperatures, humidity and ventilation options. With the patented hoses of GrowAir this is subsequently homogeneously distributed."

Every vertical farm requires a customized solution to maintain a constant climate, close to the plant and 365 days a year. "The specific technical installation and associated hoses are viewed and calculated per project, so that each vertical farm is supplied with its desired climate. Production can also improve significantly through optimum growth conditions."

Background of the companies
KE GrowAir specialises in sustainable ventilation solutions for healthy indoor climates and energy savings using textile air distribution systems. Thanks to its patented discharge pattern, it achieves a uniform horizontal and vertical temperature gradient. These advantages and the expertise developed in the air distribution utility sector are now being exploited in the horticultural sector, resulting in a more homogenous climate. "It makes it easier to grow plants in closed, semi-closed and vertical systems", they summarise.

Orange Climate has been supplying utility air handling units since the 1960s, and is the market leader in the Netherlands, trading as OC Verhulst. The company utilises its expertise to help growers, breeders and greenhouse builders achieve the indoor climate they require. Its air handling units are equipped with a wide variety of ventilation options (these could include cooling, heating, dehumidification, humidification or drying). The specific climate conditions are created in a sustainable, energy-efficient way. Some examples include heat recovery with more than 90% efficiency or active recirculation with CO2 retention. It results in stable temperatures and humidity levels that create ideal growing conditions. KE GrowAir’s air distribution systems are then used to distribute the conditioned air evenly.

Unique combination
"By uniting our areas of expertise, our solution guarantees growers the best growing conditions all year round, and frees them from local climatic and geological constraints", the companies say. "It’s an unbeatable combination that ensures optimal growth conditions and significantly better production 365 days a year."

Find both companies during the GreenTech (11-13 June in the RAI in Amsterdam) in stand 08.126.