Green Energy Solution

The adoption of a Green Energy Solution enables the production of glasshouse strawberries in the UK during winter months with environmental gains.

The Summer Berry Company is challenging the official British berry season by offering its customers with a year-round supply of strawberries sustainably produced in the south of England. The shift from seasonal reliance (normally from April to October) to continuous production is possible after the identification, adoption, and investment in an energy solution to produce heat and electricity for 16ha of TSBC’s glasshouse site located in Chichester.

Winter Production with an annual carbon saving of 20%

TSBC engaged with Ebtech Energy Systems Ltd., specialists in decarbonisation of heating and cooling, to develop a Green Energy Solution (GES) that will reduce the site’s reliance on fossil fuels and incorporates a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant, a state-of-the-art combined water/air source heat pump, a site-wide heat network and LED lighting. A two million litre heat storage vessel will be incorporated into the heat network, further displacing gas boiler heating, and also allowing TSBC to benefit from providing “demand side response” capability to the electricity grid. Once it is operational in September, the GES will reduce overall spend on energy by around 40%, cut CO2 emissions by 20%, and allow the site to provide extensive additional lighting to the crop in winter. This is another step towards decarbonising the operations at the site, with projected carbon saving of a further 1,300 tonnes annually. This is in parallel to other long-term initiatives already in place, for example solar and wind power, which will allow the site to reach net zero, a target TSBC is aiming to achieve by 2030.

For knowing more about our plans for saving energy, visit our ESG section or click here.