Italian geopower and photovoltaics to make greenhouses energy self-sufficient

Grownetics

03 Apr 2026 — 1 min read

Fri-El focuses on tomato and cucumber snacks Italian geopower and photovoltaics to make greenhouses energy self-sufficient Hydroponic horticultural production continues and increases at the Fri-El greenhouses in Ostellato (Ferrara). In addition, we have increased the production of snack cucumbers due to the strong demand from Italian and foreign supermarkets." CEO Florian Gostner explains that: "With the proposal called 'GESIIS' (co-funded by the European Union under the #InnovationFund CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) by the subsidiary FRI-EL Geopower, we have been awarded the project for the construction of a geothermal plant, which will produce 67,000 MWh per year, with the related seasonal storage of the heat produced, which will be used to heat the greenhouses all year round." © Pierluigi Benini "This project is part of a larger plan to make the greenhouses completely energy self-sufficient.

In addition, there will be a project for CO2 production and storage, making FRI-EL Green House more and more an environmentally-friendly and completely green energy production model." © Pierluigi Benini Florian Gostner At the beginning of last year, Fri-El completed the installation of a floating photovoltaic plant on the Ostellato 3-4 reservoir, with a capacity of 2.7 MW. In addition, in autumn 2025, a ground-mounted photovoltaic plant with a rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 16.8 MW was started.

Why this matters: This matters when it gives operators a clearer way to manage water, nutrients, and root-zone risk. That kind of control usually improves both resource efficiency and crop consistency.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What should growers evaluate before changing a lighting strategy?

They should look at crop type, canopy structure, current light distribution, energy cost, expected yield gain, and whether the new strategy improves whole-canopy efficiency.

Why is light distribution often as important as light quantity?

Because adding more photons to already saturated leaves does less work than improving how light reaches the parts of the canopy that are still underperforming.

“The most successful coaching relationships combine horticultural expertise with analytical thinking”

Source: VFD.com "When consultants remain committed to their clients year after year, they become valuable partners in navigating the constant changes and challenges facing the horticultural industry." © Cultivation Coaches Production challenges drive new approaches Greenhouse growers continue to face pressure from labor shortages, rising energy costs, water

Choosing the right system for hydroponic growing

Source: VFD.com Many growers see a hydroponic setup online and immediately attempt to replicate it, but what works for one operation may not suit another's space, budget, or production goals. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) uses a thin, continuous flow of nutrient solution through channels, making it efficient

"The weather conditions might still be extreme, but we are able to overcome the challenges"

Source: HD.com This follows the lifting of the 4.8-hectare greenhouse by 1.7 metres during the past winter, carried out by TC van den Dool. "Before the lifting, at this time of year, the plant heads were only about 50 centimetres from the roof. Inside the greenhouse,

"Everything is in-house from design, production, assembly - it's all here."

Source: HD.com By combining precision fertigation hardware with advanced environmental and irrigation controls, together, Argus Controls and H.E. Based in Muskogee, Oklahoma, they design and manufacture dosing injectors, sensors, probes, and fertigation equipment used by growers throughout North America and beyond. While the company serves multiple industries, horticulture