Personal Capacities Needed for Transitional Cooperation in Energy Webs Between Glasshouses and Non-Horticultural Counterparts in the Netherlands: Three Case Studies

Abstract

Though technically and economically challenging, heat exchange between glasshouses and non-horticultural counterparts (here called Energy Webs) has shown to be viable based on two operational webs and a number of feasibility studies for different locations within The Netherlands. The organizational and cultural challenges for such cross-regime co-operations however, seem more difficult to breech. So far there are two Energy Webs operational -Greenportkas Venlo (Greenport Glasshouse Venlo) and a Geothermic heat-grid in Pijnacker-Nootdorp. Wageningen UR Glasshouse Horticulture has been involved in multiple initiatives over the past two years to understand and overcome the fixations in the co-operation process.Researchers performed action-based research by partnering in the two mentioned initiative and a third unsuccessful initiative. This involvement was aimed at coaching the partners in the initiative with a focus on the participating grower, as well as gaining understanding of the issues at hand from a partners' point of view.Energy webs challenge the growers involved both in their capacity as businessman and in the adaptation of their cultivation strategies that come with the new technology.Energy webs also challenge the facilitator involved to 1) maintain a network stability given the diversity of actors, 2) manage a transitional design process and 3) manage knowledge mobility and appropriation.