Resilience in Horticulture: Maintenance-Free DC UPS Solutions for Smart Greenhouse Computers

Our success story with Hoogendoorn Growth Management

Rising global population figures are accompanied by a steadily growing demand for food, yet production resources remain limited. To ensure sustainable production and maximum yields, creating optimal growing conditions is essential. A central pillar of this transformation is the IIVO intelligent greenhouse control system by Hoogendoorn Growth Management—a modern process computer that monitors climate, CO2, and irrigation via intelligent algorithms. A joint project with Bicker Elektronik demonstrates how a significant technical hurdle was overcome: protecting this sensitive hardware from power outages and voltage dips under demanding greenhouse conditions.

The Challenge: Uninterrupted Power Supply for Greenhouse Process Computers
To achieve the most efficient management possible, the IIVO Control Station must operate with absolute reliability. While long-term bridging is not required during a power failure, the top priority is a controlled shutdown of the Windows-based system to prevent data loss. The problem? Traditional battery-based UPS systems often struggle with the extreme environmental conditions of a greenhouse, where temperatures can reach up to +60°C. Furthermore, for a truly autonomous "set and forget" solution, the system required a UPS that could withstand at least 500,000 charge cycles without maintenance, fit onto a standard DIN rail, and ensure an automatic reboot once power is restored.

The Solution: DC UPS with Maintenance-Free Supercap Energy Storage
Bicker Elektronik’s engineers met these requirements with the UPSI-2406DP2, an uninterruptible 24V DC power supply featuring integrated Supercap technology. The core of the system is built around high-performance ultracapacitors, which offer a service life up to ten times longer than conventional lead-acid batteries.

Technical Highlights:

• Maintenance-Free Energy Storage: Using Supercaps based on double-layer capacitor (EDLC) technology, the system provides high power density and temperature resistance from -20 to +65°C.

• Integrated Shutdown & Reboot: In the event of a power failure, a MOSFET disconnects the input within microseconds. The UPS signals the failure via USB/RS232, initiates a safe shutdown, and automatically reboots the computer once the supply returns.

• Extreme Cycle Stability: With up to 500,000 full charge and discharge cycles, the energy storage remains functional for many years, even in fluctuating electrical environments.

• Rapid Readiness: Unlike traditional batteries, the Supercaps are charged within a very short time, ensuring the system is ready to protect the next shutdown sequence almost immediately.

Conclusion and Benefits
This collaboration resulted in a cost-effective and highly reliable solution that secures valuable crop data and ensures the IIVO system remains functional without on-site personnel. By leveraging maintenance-free buffering, the greenhouse technology remains resilient and efficient.

"The industrial design and maintenance-free nature of the Bicker UPS help us achieve a 'set and forget' solution. We can be sure our computer will shut down and restart predictably in the event of a power failure." > — Jos van den Berg, Hoogendoorn Growth Management

This project highlights that the success of smart farming concepts depends not only on advanced algorithms but also on intelligent, ruggedised power solutions that ensure data remains secure and processes remain autonomous.