Ebtech Glasshouse Systems has completed a six-zone climate-screen installation at A. J. Busby, a soft-fruit producer in Staffordshire, England. The work covers approximately 28,000 m² of protected growing space, according to the supplier’s earlier project update and the main figure in a 9 October 2026 installation report. A conflicting area figure in that report still needs clarification.
The completed installation is described in HortiDaily’s report based on information from Ebtech. It uses Svensson Harmony 2845 screening fabric in a pull-wire system, divided into six independently operated zones. Each zone is driven by a Ridder RW1600 three-phase motor, allowing the grower to adjust one section without moving the screens throughout the structure.
Six separate controls for a large soft-fruit site
The screens were installed in a new polyhouse structure. Independent control matters when different sections of a large growing area require different temperature or ventilation responses, rather than following a single schedule for the entire protected crop. Ebtech’s Tom Bibby told HortiDaily that the division into six areas was intended to help the grower manage changing conditions and make more targeted use of energy.
The system can be used to retain heat when outdoor temperatures fall and open when other environmental conditions make that appropriate. The actual operating outcome depends on how the grower uses the screens, its heating equipment and local weather, not simply the choice of screen fabric or motor.
Installed equipment is not yet a measured saving
The confirmed development is installation of a commercial screening system, not an independently measured reduction in fuel bills. Neither a before-and-after heating comparison nor a verified percentage energy saving for A. J. Busby was published. Assessing that benefit would require operating data over comparable periods, accounting for weather, crop conditions, screen positions and energy consumption.
For greenhouse engineering and procurement teams, the project illustrates a practical design choice: splitting screening into separately controlled sections can give operators flexibility, but the financial result will depend on commissioning, ongoing control strategy and measured energy use at the site.
Reported installation area requires clarification
The HortiDaily article gives 28,224 m² in its heading and introduction but 22,224 m² in a quoted description attributed to the installer. An earlier update shared by Ebtech described the A. J. Busby project as an approximately 28,000 m² screen installation while work was under way. HortiSignal therefore uses approximately 28,000 m² as a qualified description and does not treat either conflicting precise value as conclusively verified. No capital cost or measured operating savings were disclosed.
Key takeaways
- Ebtech says it has completed screening at the A. J. Busby soft-fruit site, using six independently operated zones.
- The system uses Svensson Harmony 2845 fabric with Ridder RW1600 motors; real energy savings have not yet been reported.
- The reported exact project area is inconsistent across the source material, although the supplier previously described a roughly 28,000 m² installation.
