World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Panasonic’s vertical approach to strawberry farming

UK: Panasonic PACi NX low-temperature units are being employed to provide precise and consistent climate conditions at a vertical farm research facility in Suffolk.

The Panasonic equipment was selected by London-based Grow Dynamics, who were commissioned to deliver the facility, which is dedicated to strawberry and vanilla cultivation.

Grow Dynamics is a specialist in the design and delivery of integrated vertical farming and controlled environment systems for agricultural projects.

The project required highly precise environmental control, including reliable low-temperature performance, to support crop optimisation and variety testing. 

The Grow Dynamics scope included full system design and integration across climate control, irrigation and fertigation (the precise application of water-soluble fertilizers), grow lighting, automation and centralised monitoring. 

Four Panasonic 14kW adaptive ducted twin split systems have been installed to ensure precise and consistent climate conditions, enabling accurate control of the crop environment and supporting the testing of new crop varieties.

The fully enclosed facility comprises four independent grow rooms constructed from insulated, food-grade panels, each designed to house approximately 4,000 plants. Achieving consistent, high-quality yields required meticulous control of temperature, humidity, lighting and irrigation within each room. Three rooms were dedicated to strawberry cultivation and one to vanilla, each with distinct environmental requirements. Strawberries thrive at 10-12°C at night and 22°C during the day with 60–70% humidity, while vanilla requires warmer, more humid conditions to replicate a tropical climate.

Each grow room was equipped with two adaptive ducted indoor units paired with a dedicated outdoor condenser. Grow Dynamics integrated its VertiOne control and fertigation platform to synchronise climate, irrigation and lighting systems within a fully closed-loop growing environment.

Latest News

5th September 2026

Haier to sell R290 heat pumps through Solar Danmark

DENMARK: Haier HVAC Solutions is partnering with Solar Danmark A/S to bring its latest R290 air-to-water heat pump portfolio to installers in Denmark.
4th September 2026

Cooling film can reduce vehicle cabin temperatures

USA:  American multinational conglomerate 3M is launching a cooling film designed to help keep vehicle cabins cooler.
4th September 2026

Portsmouth college receives £1.2m government boost

UK: City of Portsmouth College has received £1.2m of government funding to develop and expand its refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump training facilities.
4th September 2026

Germans warned on cheap vehicle AC refills

GERMANY: Faced with rising refrigerant costs and decreasing availability, Europe’s largest automobile association has warned its German members against purchasing cheap vehicle AC refill kits based on butane or propane.
3rd September 2026

Calculating air curtain benefits

BELGIUM: Eurovent has launched an online tool designed to help legislators, shop owners, and building professionals assess the effectiveness of air curtains.
2nd September 2026

Lethal R40 refrigerant blamed for Korean AC fires

SOUTH KOREA: The National Fire Agency, Korea's central fire administrative agency, has blamed a series of recent air conditioner fires on illegal mixed refrigerants containing dangerous R40 (methyl chloride).