A pilot project to develop a solar-powered heating solution for Jersey glasshouses has secured funding through the Impact Jersey Innovation Programme, which is delivered by Digital Jersey.
The project aims to reduce reliance on oil-fired heating, cut energy costs and support a more resilient future for local food production.
Driven by Jersey Energy Technologies (JET), the project will trial a system combining solar energy, battery storage and graphene-based underfloor heating. Together, these technologies are designed to provide a lower-carbon alternative to conventional oil-fired heating for Jersey’s glasshouses.
Over the 18-month pilot, an existing commercial greenhouse at Howard Davis Farm will be retrofitted to test whether the system can maintain crop-growing temperatures across a full season. The project will also generate data on performance and reliability to assess whether the technology could be deployed more widely on a commercial basis across the island.
The pilot has been developed in response to rising energy costs, which are undermining the commercial viability of oil-heated glasshouses in Jersey. As a result, some sites are underused and others have fallen out of production. By tackling one of the sector’s biggest challenges, the project aims to help bring existing glasshouse infrastructure back into use while strengthening the island’s long-term food resilience.
Established in 2017, JET develops technology-led solutions for energy, agriculture and water challenges facing island communities, making it well placed to deliver the pilot.
The project has been awarded just over £110,000 in grant funding, with matched funding also being provided by JET. It is the fourth project to receive support through the Innovation Programme, which is delivered by Digital Jersey to test and scale innovative solutions to local challenges.
Commenting on the grant from Impact Jersey, Simon Humphreys (pictured), Co-Founder, Jersey Energy Technologies, said: “Current heating systems across Jersey’s glasshouse infrastructure are inefficient and unsustainable. Without a cleaner, cost-effective alternative, we risk losing more of this important infrastructure. We are already seeing imported produce outcompete local growers, which weakens both our local economy and our food resilience as an island. This pilot will test a more sustainable system that could help secure the long-term future of the sector.”
Tony Moretta, CEO, Digital Jersey, added: “This project is a strong example of innovation being applied to a real island challenge. It has the potential to support Jersey’s agriculture sector, reduce dependence on high-cost heating and strengthen our resilience. It also shows how solutions developed here could have relevance for other island communities facing similar pressures.”
