Lessons to be learned from geothermal energy fuelled greenhouses in Iceland
Fridheimar greenhouse, Iceland (source: flickr/ Christophe PINARD, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
23 Nov 2017
Geothermal energy keeps greenhouses lighted and warm in the harsh weather of Iceland, providing most of the fresh vegetables for the residents of this country in the North Atlantic.
A recent article on “5 Surprising Things Gardeners Can Learn From Iceland’s Greenhouses” describes in detail elements to keep in mind for greenhouse gardening.
With the cold climate and long winter nights, Iceland has 20 hours of darkness in the winter, and almost no arable land. The country’s residents depend on greenhouses for much of fresh vegetables. Over the past few decades, Iceland has gone from importing almost all of its produce to growing almost all of it. The countryside is dotted with greenhouses, all heated by green, geothermal energy.
Having reported on the Fridheimar greenhouse operations before, it seems to get a lot of attention and has played a great role in promoting greenhouse operations. The Fridheimar greenhouses are run by Knútur Rafn Ármann and his wife Helena Hermundardóttir, as well as a dedicated staff. The farm itself uses geothermal energy, and it is a fascinating model of what eco-farming could be.
Fridheimar runs their lighting 17 hours per day in the winter, 14 in the summer, and derives all of its heating from geothermal energy.
The article provides a great insight into the operations which could also be interesting for other countries, those with geothermal and not.
Source: Rodale’s Organic Life
