Growers again face very challenging choices in 2023. Do we switch to LED lighting and then have to install a second screen to maintain climate? What do we do about the rising humidity in the greenhouse? Do we heat more, ventilate more (fans) or do we go for dehumidifiers? These are tough choices and certainly not the cheapest options either.

One good thing, however, is that the EC subsidy scheme will be open from the end of April/mid-May, with an amount of €24 million available. This subsidy is purely to help businesses in their efforts to save energy

 Separate budget for LED
Given the situation last year, it is likely that the subsidy reserved for 2023 will not be enough. For this reason, a separate budget has been earmarked for investments in LED. This means that LED has been decoupled from the six technologies below:

1. Air treatment
2. High-pressure atomisation system
3. Second screen
4. Raising the greenhouse, combined with diffuse double-sided AR coating and a second screen
5. Connection to a CO₂ network
6. Connection to a heat network

These six technologies score more highly than LED in terms of cost efficiency and savings. LED has not been discarded, but the savings it offers are of a smaller order. It should be noted that money can be moved from one pot to another. So no money is lost. The precise split between pots 1 and 2 has yet to be decided.

Subsidy percentage adjustment 

A second adjustment is the downward adjustment of the subsidy percentage. It will be reduced from 25% to 20%, so that if there are many applications, more projects can be subsidised. From 17 May, you can also apply for the MEI subsidy if you invest in projects involving innovative greenhouse or energy systems that reduce CO₂ emissions.

You can find all the information at https://www.kasalsenergiebron.nl/