Everyone is looking to lower their DOE price , including those in controlled environment agriculture ( CEA ) , which includes greenhouses and indoor farms . What is more important is the energy efficiency to improve the lucrativeness of crop production in warming season . CEA allows for better command and predictability of the growing environs , include temperature and luminosity , and it can extend the growing time of year as well as lucubrate nutrient and ornamental craw output to urban areas and harsh environments . But CEA can be vim intensive , although muscularity pauperization diverge count on building aim and fabric , mood , and applied science use . heating plant , temperature reduction and humidness control condition , and electric lighting typically use the most energy .
Greenhouses have the advantage of instinctive light but provide small insulating material for temperature control . Thus , they may involve cooling in summer and heating in wintertime . They may also want supplemental light during season when sunlight intensity is diminish . Indoor farming , which often use existing buildings in urban areas , may have well insulation but will still have some heating , cooling , and ventilating system needs for temperature and humidness control . And , with no natural light , it requires extensive electrical inflammation .
New CEA structure or retrofit existing single can include energy conservation feature of speech , renewable energy informant , or other design changes , but these may be capital - intensive . Changes to lighting are a less expensive option , but a bit of gene need to be count . While LED lighting can abridge electricity use and does not bring forth as much heat as high - pressure atomic number 11 ( HPS ) lighting , there are concerns about LEDs ’ effect on plant growth and crop yield . Changes in cultural exercise , such as plant selection and cultivation method acting , may also subdue vigour use , but their limitations need to be considered . Because every mathematical process is unlike , there is no one - size - fits - all result .
Learn what growers can do to reduce energy useOn January 26 and 27 , 2023 , CEA grower will have the opportunity to memorise ways to meliorate the lucrativeness of crop yield in heating system seasons , from lighting options to temperature , humidity , and CO2 control strategies to vigor conservation , while exert crop caliber and yield . The Ohio State University ’s Greenhouse Management Workshop , which is held yearly , brings together experts in diligence and academe to leave pragmatic , science - based information . This year ’s workshop will be held at the Wooster Campus , with a virtual option , and will concentre on the composition “ More with less get-up-and-go . ”
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