ABOUT US
A MOBILE ALL SEASON PATENTED GROWING SYSTEM
SeeGrow (Developments) Ltd. has the exclusive worldwide rights from Linde Gas to use the patent it has for using CO2 within an enclosed environment.
The SeeGrow system provides the grass with a increased level of CO2 maintained between 1000-1500ppm constantly and provides the benefit of light and a controlled environment compared to the exterior.
This all means a superior, cost effective solution that works.
When Managing Director Steve Noel took up the challenge handed to him by Linde Gas AG in 2012, he had no doubt that the there was a place for the technology and all he needed to do was match his enthusiasm with others and provide a commercial offering. He sought out investors and the development began and along the way several key people joined him with continued support from Linde, the SeeGrow vision began: To provide a superior product through thinking differently but using basic principles of photosynthesis. It was clear the product was highly efficient but it needed development to enable units to be deployed on some of the world’s most precious surfaces, such as Wembley Stadium (and others).
The early years followed a “Start Up”business, but now after several years, the proof is clear, and units are used extensively over an ever increasing number of stadium surfaces, golf courses and indeed other grass surfaces for sport. Steve and the team look forward to seeing other additions to the SeeGrow basket of products which will serve to provide further enhancements in providing great surfaces in sporting venues.
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SeeGrow is a pure grass care specialist with a focus on sustainability, innovation (own R&D) and tangible – economical - results
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We create with all our units a micro-climate atmosphere to control and accelerate grass growth
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Because SeeGrow is both mobile and modular, it can be localised on specific areas such areas(remove), to achieve healthy growth within just a few days
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The SeeGrow LED system reduces your eco footprint to a nearly CO₂ neutral situation
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By using LED it gives you the ability to target root growth
THE TEAM
Steve first met Paddy Maclennan (Director) in his search for investors in 2012; Steve was the main driver in the early business growth with Paddy in a key support role including sales and now specifically developing the international dealer network using his his broad organisational and commercial expertise.
SUSTAINABILITY
Reducing CO₂ emissions provides new challenges in carbon footprint management. Sports venues cause large CO₂ emissions due to lighting systems for pitchcare using High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps.
The patented SeeGrow technology combined with the use of LED can provide a carbon neutral pitch care system. Current systems using HPS lighting technology have many hours of treatment due to their relatively low contribution to leaf growth and using lighting systems containing 9 (or even more) rigs equipped with 60 of these HPS lights giving a power consumption of more than 540 kWh per hour and if used for 2500 hours will lead to an emission of about 825.000 kg of CO₂ as a ´contribution´ to the carbon footprint index.
The SeeGrow LED system will cover this problem to achieve a near CO₂ neutral situation.
With a seasonal usage of 2.500 hours and 1.375.000 kWh for use with HPS lights versus 425.000 kWh by use of LED makes a huge contribution to the carbon footprint index we estimate to be 4 times less than HPS.
ECONOMICS
A comparison:
A full pitch SeeGrow system requires a coverage of approximately 1400 m² compared 2200 m² of rigs carrying HPS lights.
The power consumption of a SeeGrow system is 150 kWh compared with 540kWh with HPS for the same area, but SeeGrow only takes 24 hours to grow 10 mm of grass growth using HPS is not possible to achieve, as SeeGrow has the benefit of a balanced - full spectrum -for grass developed light technology and the use of CO₂ for 30 to 40% of extra intake to form carbon hydrates.
It should be noted:
By a usage of 60.000 kg of CO₂ the photosynthesis process as part of the SeeGrow principle, produces a restitution of ≥ 40.000 kg of Oxygen back to the atmosphere; thus the use of CO₂ a waste gas produced by the agro and petrochemical industry. By reusing it in the SeeGrow application it is saved from being just emitted to the atmosphere.
Calculation: Atomic mass C =16 O =12 i.e. 10 tons of CO2 gives about 7,2 tons of O2 after photo synthesis
The advantages of the SeeGrow® system versus the ‘traditional’ HPS-lights systems:
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68% saving on the energy spend;
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100% increase in growth performance (6 x more efficient growth per KWh compared to HPS-light systems);
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90% lower carbon footprint (CO2 gas is used for growing, almost up to fully CO2 neutral);
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400% more operational hours (life span of a LED-module is 40.000-50.000 hours).
A typical Stadium could spend on the traditional lighting rigs in excess of £100,000 per annum.
Cost savings on energy:
Assumptions
Calculation (per season)
1 kW = £ 0,10 (incl. all taxes)
1. Brand X: power usage per unit 60 KWh*9*2.500 hours = 1.350K KWh
2.500 seasonal working hours
2. SeeGrow: power usage per unit 132 LED-bars + average heating =
33 KWh*6*2.500 hours = 425K KWh
9 units Brand X vs 6 units SeeGrow
3. Brand X costs: £ 135.000, = vs SeeGrow costs: £ 42.500, =
Savings: £ 92.000 per annum
Operating costs go down from £ 19.29 to £ 6.07 per m2 (down 68%).
Growth performance:
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The light intensity / quality within the SeeGrow unit is consistent;
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The light quality is superior due to LED full spectrum technology;
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Stress to the plant limits an High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamp system of 9 units of staying at least 3 days on the same half for accessible growth;
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SeeGrow’s application allows a user to move it after 24 hours due to 1 cm of grass growth in this period;
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The addition of CO2 gas gives an increase of 28% dry root weight.
Conclusions:
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One unit of SeeGrow will create 720 m2 of growth in 3 days against 360 m2 for a competitive product in the same period;
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The LED light source coupled with CO2 is of a superior quality giving not only leaf growth but also root growth.
