The HortiQ certificate was awarded to AGC Glass Europe at last week’s HortiContact show in Gorinchem in the Netherlands. Thanks to its recent, but promising, horticultural division AGCULTURE, AGC Glass Europe is the only glass manufacturer to be able to boast HortiQ certification.
Continued innovation with glass
The food requirements linked to the explosion in the world’s population, the energy crisis and the desire to decarbonise greenhouses at European level are all factors driving innovation in the horticulture sector.
AGCULTURE is positioning itself as a pioneer in terms of developments. Geysir glass is a good example of this: marketed for cold and temperate climates, this single-glazed glass offers remarkable energy savings thanks to its low-emissivity (low-E) coating, while maximising light transmission thanks to its two anti reflective coatings.
The results of tests carried out on tomato and aubergine production by Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands) over the last two years are impressive. For equivalent yields, Geysir glass reduced energy consumption by around 25 percent compared with standard horticultural glass. It is because of this excellent energy performance that many countries, such as France and the Netherlands, now offer financial aid to encourage the purchase of this insulating glass.
Growing demand for quality
Michiel van Spronsen, Sales Adviser at AGCULTURE, sees a growing awareness of glass quality, “Customers are demanding, especially when it comes to major international projects. Horticultural glass can, of course, be bought at a lower cost, but there are risks. The HortiQ certificate is our guarantee of quality. It demonstrates that our production is controlled and meets a long list of demanding criteria”.
BRL 8001 certificate
At the HortiContact show, the Chairman of the HortiQ certification body, Hans van der Salm, awarded the BRL 8001 certificate to AGCULTURE, making it the 27th horticultural supplier to receive this distinction. BRL 8001 certification, which covers both the process and the product, guarantees the company’s general quality policy. This quality label is aimed at companies that supply greenhouse installations, systems and services to the horticulture sector in the areas of transport, CO2, control, heating and water technology.