DynaLight software can secure 25-50% savings
Researchers from Center for Energy Informatics has developed the DynaLight NG Software that can provide 25-50% energy savings for commercial greenhouse growers.
Commercial greenhouse growers are among the top 5 electricity consuming industries in Denmark, they account for approx.. 1% of the national electricity usage, i.e. energy savings is of crucial interest to them. Moreover moving towards greener energy means fluctuating energy prices, which is also of vital significance to greenhouse growers; because fluctuations in electricity prices can be so large that, it directly affects production costs. The use of supplementary artificial lighting is the commercial greenhouse growers’ primary source of electricity consumption. Therefore, the ability to adapt the use of artificial lighting according to price fluctuations is essential to secure the competiveness of the Danish commercial greenhouse sector.
Center for Energy Informatics has developed DynaLight and DynaLight NG – energy and cost-efficient artificial lighting control that enables commercial greenhouse growers to adapt their use of artificial lighting dynamically to fluctuations in the price of electricity.
Project results show that DynaLight NG allows greenhouse growers to adapt their use of artificial lighting to market variations in electricity prices without negative impacts on plant quality or production time. In fact, DynaLight NG provides commercial greenhouse growers with a more accurate control of the production time than was possible with traditional greenhouse climate computers. Experiments showed that the electricity savings DynaLight NG can achieve depends on the installed lamp type. When used together with conventional SON-T lamps DynaLight NG can achieve electricity savings of 25% compared to traditional artificial lighting control, and when shifting the lighting installation from SON-T to LED lamps it is possible to achieve a further electricity reduction of 50%.
COORDICY a significant international research project on building performance
The goal of the project is to reduce energy consumption in newly build and existing buildings to meet political goals in US and Denmark. New intelligent software tools will be developed to meet this goal. Moreover this will enable public and commercial building to play a central role in a future sustainable energy system. The project is funded by Innovation Fund Denmark and has a total budget of 42,5 million DKK.
Denmark has a goal of achieving a 75% reduction in energy consumption in new buildings by 2020 and a 50% reduction in existing buildings by 2050. The United States has a goal of doubling its energy productivity by 2030. This is to be achieved through more intelligent buildings and energy retrofitting.
Today many buildings do not perform as intended. There are several possible reasons for that user behavior, insufficient control, or building defects. The COORDICY project will provide the theoretical and technological means for benchmarking, diagnosing, and controlling building operation taking occupant behavior, weather forecasts, construction typologies, thermal properties, building systems and controls in to consideration without compromising building comfort.
Read more about the COORDICY project.
