Save costs on drive technology
Reduce your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Before building or modernizing your greenhouse, there are many important decisions to make
What size fits your operation? What crops do you want to grow – and what technology will you use for irrigation, ventilation or heating?
Alongside these practical considerations, you need to meet regulatory requirements, arrange financing, and find a reliable partner for implementation.
Incorrectly designed drive technology can quickly become expensive
Experienced planners and greenhouse builders will advise you on construction types, materials, and their respective pros and cons – always with your individual needs in mind.
However, one aspect is often overlooked: the drive technology for ventilation and shading. Though it accounts for only a small share of total costs, it greatly impacts efficiency, durability, and operational safety.
Incorrect design of the drive technology, faults such as oil leaks, mechanical blockages or a malfunction resulting in considerable damage to the greenhouse cause unnecessary breakdowns and losses during operation.
That’s why early and thoughtful planning is crucial.
Whether for new construction or modernization – choosing high-quality, well-fitted drive technology ensures long-term reliability and economic efficiency for your greenhouse.
Your greenhouse builder will support you in this – or you can speak directly with us at Lock.
Our Product Manager for Horticulture, Tobias Fluhr, offers free consultations. We’ll show you how the right drive technology can help you save real money in the long run.
What your drive technology really costs – and how to save real money
At first glance, drive technology may seem like a minor part of your greenhouse budget. But over time, operating costs, repairs, maintenance and energy consumption add up – and that’s where hidden costs often lie.
Smart planning here leads to serious long-term savings. The cheapest drive isn’t always the most cost-effective – it’s the one that works reliably and efficiently for years.
Experts refer to this as the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – the total cost across a product’s entire lifetime. This includes:
- Purchase costs
- Energy consumption
- Maintenance and repairs
- Spare parts and disposal
We’ll show you how choosing the right drive technology can not only avoid headaches but also significantly reduce your long-term operating costs.
Cost comparison of different manufacturers
Here is a simple example over a useful life of 10 years:
Manufacturer L may cost 30% more upfront than manufacturer R – but over the total lifetime, L is 4.9% more cost-effective.
Why?
Because manufacturer R has more frequent failures – with consequences:
- More work needed to replace defective drives
- Downtime
- Worst-case: crop or building damage
These expenses aren’t even included in typical TCO calculations. Thanks to superior quality and longevity, manufacturer L results in a significantly better overall cost balance.
What does that mean for you as a grower?
By investing in high-quality drive technology from the start, you’ll reduce maintenance and operating costs – and avoid costly surprises. Looking at quality and reliability early in the planning stage pays off.
Another Lock advantage: motors can be replaced under load – with no need to drain the gearbox oil. That saves time and reduces maintenance workload.
Your benefits with Lock as your partner
- Expert consulting: we support you as early as the planning phase, with free dimensioning or checking of existing layouts
- Quality made in Germany: with a complaint rate of just 1.77%, we’ve been a quality leader in drive technology for decades.
- Best overall cost performance (TCO): our technology stands out for durability and low operating costs – for maximum efficiency.
- More security: maintenance contracts and special warranty agreements, such as 10-year leak protection, complete our offering.
- Fast service: Lock motors can be replaced easily without draining the gearbox oil – saving time and effort.
Numbers that you should know
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are now indispensable management tools for companies and corporations.
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Customers who already rely on Lock
Reichenspurner // Kaufland
Chiemgau, Germany
"Together with the Reichenspurner family, the Kaufland supermarket chain has opened one of Germany's most modern and sustainable greenhouses in Chiemgau - equipped with Lock power drives and the LSC 40 mechatronic limit switch."
Stefan Wachter
TGS GmbH, Austria
"I am overwhelmed with such competent, nice, polite and fast customer service. I got help on the phone in no time and a detailed email with possible causes for the error and solutions to fix it. Even a video with detailed instructions was sent to me. In addition, within 1-2 days I received an offer for repair and new price of the defective drive. Very rarely encountered such perfect customer service. The quality of the products is also outstanding."
Roland Baumgärtner
EIP Dairy Farm, Germany
"The dairy barn, located in a residential area, was rebuilt with the aim of improving animal welfare and work management. Due to the location, it was not possible to add an outdoor yard. Nevertheless, to create an outdoor climate stimulus, the roof was partially opened and a flexible roof opening was installed. This system of sensor-controlled louvers opens and closes fully automatically in appropriate weather."
Ian Lastarria
Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
"I am the maintenance manager here at the Donald Danforth Center in St. Louis Missouri. We have a couple hundred lock drives on site, EWA 10 and EWA 12. I’m really impressed by these drives, I appreciate their well thought out design and their reliability. I express this to those who inquire about them and recommend them any time we build new green houses on our site."
Daniel Hoche
Elsner pac, Germany
"Young plants and semi-finished plants are growing in the production greenhouse in Thiendorf, which has a total of 6.5 hectares of high-glass area. We also relied on Lock quality for our new construction project. It was a very good cooperation."
Jeff Woolsey
Metrolina Greenhouses, USA
"Lock’s LSC 40 limit switch arrives at long-time partner Metrolina Greenhouses. Here System Engineer Jeff Woolsey shows the first unit - ready to install."
August Schlosser
Schlosser Grünerlei GbR, Germany
"We still have such an antique - our drive is from 1963 and so it has been in operation for 56 years! That speaks for itself."
Dirk Kessler
Plaue, Germany
"Lock supported me in the technical engineering of the drive solutions. Our horse barns can even be operated self-sufficiently with a solar panel. For this, Lock used a special 24V drive that fits to our time control."
Harald Bayer
Animal Welfare Stable for Pigs, Germany
"We use Lock drives for natural ventilation systems. These are various types of ventilation flaps, insulated lifting windows and movable box lids."
Hans Lenselink, Head Grower and company partner
Multiflora Greenhouses, USA
"I am very impressed with the quality of Lock equipment and highly recommend it. Lock products are very long lasting and easy to install, but in case assistance is needed Lock’s technical support is great and always available."
Gerhard Sander
Gardening Sander, Germany
"Our drive has been running since 1968 - that speaks for Lock's quality. The drives are still running perfectly."
Haoyu
China
Vegetable production China - 40ha greenhouse area
Johannes Knäpple
turkey fattening farm, Germany
"All our turkey stables are up to date and offer our animals the best animal welfare. The lifting windows, the movable ridges and the fully automated roller ventilation protect the animals and allow the best climate in the stable."