Keep the heat you paid for
Energy saving screen installations for greenhouses. One, two or three layers, sealed at every edge and built to stay closed for as many hours as your crop allows. Designed, built and installed by ALWECO.
Your greenhouse roof is the biggest heat leak
Glass and plastic let in light, but they also let out heat, especially on cold, clear nights. In a heated greenhouse, the roof is where much of that heat is lost.
An energy screen closes off the greenhouse under the roof. It reduces the volume you need to heat, holds a layer of still air between the crop and the cold roof, and keeps warmth radiating back to the plants instead of out to the sky.
ALWECO has been designing and installing greenhouse screen systems for more than 35 years. We build energy screen installations that close tightly, run reliably every day and fit your greenhouse, new or existing.
Where the heat goes, and how we keep it in
A screen saves energy in three ways. Miss one, and you lose a large part of what the cloth can do.
The right cloth
Heat escapes through the cloth by air flow and by radiation. A denser cloth lets less warm air through, and an aluminised layer reflects heat radiation back to the crop. We help you choose the cloth that fits your crop, your climate and your moisture strategy.
Sealed edges
Warm air always finds the gap: along gutters and trusses, at the side walls and in the ridge. An unsealed edge works like a chimney. With our own closing profiles for horizontal screens, such as Ultra Lock, Ultra Delay and Ultra Tight, the screen closes tightly against gutters and trusses.
More screen hours
A screen only saves energy when it is closed. Clear energy cloths let most of the daylight through, so the screen can stay closed longer on cold, dark days without holding back growth.
One, two or three layers
Every extra layer traps another layer of still air and raises the insulation value of the greenhouse. More layers also give you more choice: close one, close both, or open them step by step.
Single energy screen
One transparent or diffuse energy screen under the roof. The basis of every heated greenhouse, and often combined with shading in the same cloth.
Double screen
Two separate installations, one above the other. Close the clear screen on cold days and both screens at night. A popular choice for heat-demanding crops such as peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Two cloths on one installation
Two cloths moved by one drive, with a thin layer of still air in between. A smart option where there is no room for a second installation, or when an existing screen is due for renovation.
Aluminised night screen
A closed, aluminised cloth as an extra night layer. It reflects heat radiation back into the greenhouse and can also keep grow light inside. See assimilation-screens.com.
Close every edge: side walls, gables and ridges
The roof screen is only half the story. Side walls and gables lose heat too, and cold air pouring down along a wall gives the crop at the edges a different climate from the rest of the greenhouse.
We fit vertical energy screens along side walls and gables, and baffle screens in the ridge to stop air circulating above the screen. Together with a tightly closing roof screen, that seals the whole greenhouse, not just the roof.
Already screening? Upgrade, don't rebuild
Many greenhouses can save more energy without starting over. We look at what is already there and what it can still become.
Add a second screen
A second installation can often be mounted close below the existing screen or on the lower chord of the truss. We plan around the lighting, pipes and other systems already in place.
Replace tired cloth
Over the years, dust and wear reduce light transmission. The screen then stays open more often and saves less. New cloth brings back light and screen hours.
Renovate the installation
New drives, new wire beds, better sealing. We renovate existing screen systems so they close tightly and run reliably for years to come.
Save energy, keep the climate right
The more you screen, the more you need to think about humidity. Under a closed screen the air stays warm and moist, so the screen strategy and the cloth have to work together.
Moisture transport
Many energy cloths let moisture pass through the cloth, so the screen can stay closed longer. Denser cloths save more but call for active dehumidification.
Gap control
Opening the screen a small gap lets moisture escape without losing the heat. Even, step-by-step opening also prevents cold air from falling onto the crop.
One screen, all day
An energy screen can also shade and diffuse light during the day. How one cloth does it all is explained on climate-screens.com.
We get it done
35+ years
Founded in the Westland, the heart of Dutch greenhouse horticulture.
Worldwide
Design, installation and renovation for any greenhouse construction, anywhere in the world.
Short lines
A small team of specialists, with a screen expert always on the line.
A deal is a deal
Clear quotations, deadlines met and service and maintenance after delivery.
Frequently asked questions
How much energy does a greenhouse energy screen save?
It depends on your climate, crop, greenhouse construction, the cloth, how tightly the installation closes and how many hours the screen is closed. That is why we look at your situation first and advise on the combination of cloth, layers and sealing that fits it.
Single, double or triple screen: what is the difference?
Every extra screen layer traps another layer of still air, which raises the insulation value of the greenhouse. A double screen also adds flexibility: you can close one or both layers, for example a transparent screen during cold days and both screens at night. A triple screen is used where heating demand is high and the greenhouse allows the extra layer.
Can a second energy screen be added to an existing greenhouse?
In most cases, yes. A second screen can often be mounted close below the existing installation or on the lower chord of the truss. We check the space, the obstacles on the truss and the existing installation, and design the retrofit around them.
Does an energy screen cost light?
Every cloth takes some light, but modern transparent energy cloths let most of the light through. That is exactly what makes them save energy: the clearer the cloth, the more hours it can stay closed during cold days without holding back growth.
Does ALWECO install energy screens outside the Netherlands?
Yes. We design and install screen systems for greenhouses all over the world and remain available for service and maintenance after installation.
Want to cut the heating bill of your greenhouse?
See all our energy saving solutions and reference projects on the ALWECO website, or ask one of our specialists for advice and a clear quotation.
Go to alweco.nl