When you think about Holland you may see the wooden shoes, the tulipes and the cheese. But the next thing what comes to your mind is perhaps the many many greenhouses that they have. Many villages have greenhouses to grow the best cut flowers and plants for the entire world. In the past this were always buildings with lots of enery losses. But now, they are saving and generate energy!
The Dutch Greenhouses
Thirst of all think about the warmth of the sun that a greenhouse captures. A grower needs in the summer cool air, because of the high temperature and in the winter he needs warm air because of the low temperature. Why not combine that and collect the warm air in the summertime. Store that warm air in a huge tank and use it in the winter again. This is a 'natural' way of heating the air in your greenhouse. But that is not everything because the greenhouse collects that much heat that he can make elecktricity as well for the entire neighbourhood. That means that he is earning money with his optimalized greenhouse.
Second thing is that plants needs water so the grower has to give the plants water. But everything what is left from te plants are recycled in new water. To fill the water reserves the grower will collect rain water (rainwater we have enough in Holland). He filters this water and uses it to let his plants grow. Every now and then the grower will use this same water to warm en cool his greenhouse. The warm air what is stored in the ground will warm the water and then the water will come back in the greenhouse to warm the air. Or to cool down offcourse.
This picture is an image who's explaining the energy neutral greenhouse
So, most important is that you will have flowers, plants and vegetables who are grown in an energy neutral greenhouse, perfect for the inviroment. Keep that in mind while you will buy your next bunch of flowers!:)