How one family business saved 30%
Reijm & Zn is a true family business that has been active in greenhouse farming for generations. In Zevenhuizen, they grow high wire cucumbers on 11 hectares, of which 6 hectares are fully lit and 5 hectares are unlit. They also have a bell pepper greenhouse in Berkel en Rodenrijs. With a daily harvest of 80,000 to 150,000 cucumbers and a total of about 33 million pieces per year, Reijm & Zn is an established name in the sector.
“We grow long cucumbers, full-LED on six acres. This farm is running at full capacity every day.” – Jan Reijm
Why switched?
In 2023, Reijm & Zn decided to future-proof the company and switch to more sustainable LED lighting. The main motivation was more efficiency and saving energy without loss of production. With the switch to LED, they discovered that the greenhouse climate responds more sensitively: LED gives off less heat, so moisture and temperature have to be monitored more accurately.
“With HPS, a lot ran automatically. With LED, you have to keep a close eye on all your sensors.” – Jan Reijm
Why Agrolux?
Agrolux understood well what the company needed and how to achieve it. The offering included several options with different wattages, and spectrum, power and integration were considered.
“Agrolux simply listened best to our needs. They came up with multiple options that really fit our crop.” – Jan Reijm
Full-LED installation
A full LED system is now running in the greenhouses, two-channel(WEGA Plus En Max), standard spectrum plus 10% far-red. In summer, far-red is automatically dimmed when there is enough sunlight. Replacing the fixtures the grower did himself. Agrolux took care of the dimming technology and commissioning with an installer. After a start-up period in which much was learned, everything is now running satisfactorily.
“We save about 30% electricity with the same production, those are figures you can come home with.” – Jan Reijm
Results
- 30% less electricity consumption for the same production
- Potential to increase production
On to the future
The South Holland family business expects to reap the benefits of the current installation for 7 to 10 years. A continuous process of learning, innovation and optimization. In addition, dehumidification, plant health and sensor technology are becoming increasingly important.
“Every day we learn. Everything is connected: light, climate, screening, dehumidification. But we are getting better at it all the time.” – Jan Reijm
