Priva ECO: Substantial savings on greenhouse energy costs

Introduction

The new Priva ECO (Energy Cost Optimizer) offers a smart way to optimize energy use in greenhouses. ECO simulates multiple scenarios in the background and automatically selects the one with the lowest cost. It does this without requiring input from the grower - it just works.

Energy represents one of the most significant costs in greenhouse operations. Price fluctuations and unpredictable weather conditions are a continuous challenge for growers. Combined with increasingly stringent regulations and consumer demand for sustainability, growers are constantly looking for new ways to optimize energy usage and costs.

With 3-day-ahead planning and advanced light optimisation based on forecasts and market conditions, Priva ECO helps growers achieve more stable crop production while reducing energy costs.

What can Priva ECO do for you?

Save energy costs
By planning electric heat production and light to cheapest times and optimal storage in buffer.
Earn on balance market
By trading availability for quick up/down scaling events.
Grow efficiently
Adjust daily light, irrigation and CO₂ precisely to plant needs, balancing (dynamic) cost and value.

How it works

Priva ECO simulates different heating and energy usage scenarios based on forecasted data.
This includes predictive light planning, where lighting strategies are optimised in advance based on crop needs, weather forecasts and energy prices.
The best scenario is automatically selected and executed by the Priva Connext system, ensuring compliance with climate strategies.
The grower doesn't have to select scenarios manually – the system continuously optimizes in the background.

Realized savings of more than 25% in practice

Priva ECO predicts and selects the optimal scenario to produce the thermal energy needed to heat a greenhouse in the next 24 hours. This results in more than 25% savings on heat production (Priva ECO Heat Planning). In addition, Priva ECO Light Modulation delivers an extra 5–20% savings by scheduling lighting at the most optimal moment within defined crop boundaries. Both heat and light planning can be used to trade flexibility in balance markets, creating additional value.

Collect data for increasing optimization

While operating, Priva ECO gathers knowledge, data and forecasts, which is then processed and communicated to the Priva Connext climate and process management system. Connext executes the chosen optimal ECO scenario so that energy performance is optimized, while the desired greenhouse climate conditions are maintained.

Save time and effort

Priva ECO operates autonomously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without any human intervention, outperforming traditional energy management strategies and realizing significant energy cost savings from the start.