Albotherm, CPI lead £2 million collaborative project to scale low-emissions greenhouse technology for UK growers
11 February 2026, UK: The project will focus on advancing Albotherm’s product development alongside scaling its manufacturing capability, refining formulations and production processes to support the commercial rollout of its temperature-responsive additives for greenhouse retrofit coatings. This work will ensure the materials can be produced consistently at scale while delivering the performance required for use across existing glasshouses and polytunnels, enabling passive temperature regulation without energy use. This retrofit solution offers growers a way to cut energy use, reduce emissions, and protect crops from overheating.
Cooling is one of the fastest growing sources of energy consumption in protected cropping. England has over 9,000 hectares of commercial glasshouses and polytunnels, and as UK summers become hotter, growers face rising energy costs, higher emissions and increasing yield losses due to heat stress. Without intervention, greenhouse yields are projected to fall by more than 17% by 2080, while energy use for cooling is expected to rise by 25% or more.
Albotherm’s technology addresses this challenge by passively transitioning from clear to reflective white as temperatures rise, reducing heat inside growing spaces, and returning to clear when conditions cool, allowing in maximum light. Previous Innovate UK-supported trials showed Albotherm’s technology can increase yields by an average of 34% by preventing crop stress.
To date, progress has been shaped by the dual challenge of optimising product performance while developing manufacturing processes capable of supporting large-scale production. This project will accelerate both product optimisation and industrial scale-up in parallel, bridging the gap between successful trials and a robust, market-ready product for widespread use.
As part of the project, Albotherm will collaborate with CPI, leveraging our extensive expertise in scaling sustainable materials and manufacturing processes, to optimise and scale up production of its technology for commercial deployment. Commercial trials will be conducted in partnership with R&L Holt, one of the UK’s largest and most established tomato producers, providing a robust real-world testing environment to ensure the solution performs reliably under commercial growing conditions and delivers clear benefits for growers. The James Hutton Institute, an internationally recognised research organisation specialising in environmental sustainability and agri-food systems, will lead a comprehensive lifecycle assessment to quantify carbon savings and evaluate the wider environmental impacts of the technology.
By reducing reliance on energy-intensive cooling systems, the project supports lower-emission farming while improving resilience to extreme heat. It provides a low-disruption route for existing farms to decarbonise, helping protect yields and profitability as the climate changes.
Alex Smith, Director of Biotechnology at CPI, said:
“Decarbonising and scaling sustainable technologies is vital to building a more resilient UK food system. This collaboration with Albotherm will combine our scale-up expertise with innovative materials and manufacturing know-how to help bring this low-emission greenhouse solution to market. We’re proud to be working together to support growers with technologies that cut energy use, reduce emissions and strengthen the future of protected cropping.”
Molly Allington, CEO at Albotherm, said:
“We’re delighted to be leading this collaboration with support from Defra and Innovate UK. Our technology aims to support growers who are already feeling the impact of hotter summers through rising energy costs and increased crop losses. This project enables us to take our temperature-responsive coatings from proven technology to scalable, real-world deployment, giving growers a low-cost, low-emissions way to protect yields and reduce reliance on energy-intensive cooling.”
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