There’s no question that the way we’re farming is causing problems for our planet and its people. Soil degradation, agricultural runoff, and the dangers associated with farm labor are just a few of the issues that must be addressed for a more sustainable future. 

Enter vertical farming. Vertical hydroponic farms solve many of the problems associated with commercial-scale farming operations. They don’t contaminate groundwater or degrade soil, and they’re far safer workplaces than traditional fields. Yet many vertical farm systems come with their own challenge — electricity use. If vertical farming is to become the preferred method of growing leafy greens and other essential crops, the energy use problem must be addressed. 

How Does Vertical Farming Work?

In a traditional soil-based farm, seeds are sown into the ground, typically in rows. These crops take acres of land to grow and are susceptible to damage from pests, pollution, and climate. An early or late cold snap can destroy an entire field of crops in a single day, and too much or too little rain can be equally damaging. 

Vertical farms solve these problems. Instead of planting in the ground, crops are grown stacked vertically in trays or towers. In about an acre and a half, far less than the average big-box store, a vertical farm can produce 500 tons of leafy greens per year. 

But space isn’t the only thing that vertical farms can save. If they’re contained inside a greenhouse, crops won’t be destroyed by the weather, no matter the climate. These indoor farms are also largely protected from pests and pollution, so there is far less need for dangerous pesticides.

In a hydroponic vertical farm, the plants are grown in water instead of soil, allowing growers to provide nutrients directly to the root system of the plant and eliminating any soil degradation concerns. The water is then recycled through the system, again and again, meaning 98% less water use than traditional farming. 

Since vertical farms have such a small footprint, they can be placed in urban areas where food production is limited. This allows growers to provide fresh, healthy crops to underserved populations with very little food waste due to spoilage in transit or loss to severe weather. In fact, most crops can go from the plant to the consumer in as little as two days, so consumers get the freshest possible veggies and fruits, picked at their peak. 

Does all of this sound too good to be true? It’s an amazing leap forward in many aspects, but some vertical farming methods still have a dark side. 

How Much Electricity Does a Traditional Vertical Farm Use?

The problem with many traditional vertical farms is that they use too much electricity, and are too reliant on fossil fuels to power their growth. In conventional soil-based farming, plants grow outside, powered by sunlight. Indoor farming often means using artificial light or LED grow lights, to keep plants healthy and thriving.

In a stacked tray-based system, for example, most plants are shaded by the trays above them, meaning they must rely on grow lights for photosynthesis. When artificial lighting is the only light source available for plant growth, rows and rows of lights have to be kept on all day, every day. 

In fact, in many situations, LED lamps account for about 65% of an indoor farm’s energy spending. Obviously, this is not sustainable in the long run as it creates a tremendous amount of greenhouse gasses to power these greenhouses.  

What’s Different About Eden Green Technology’s Solution?

In an Eden Green Technology greenhouse, plants reach for the sky, stacked in vertical towers. This allows the sunlight coming through the greenhouse windows to reach each and every plant, meaning we use 90% less light energy than typical indoor vertical farms. But the energy savings don’t stop there. 

In a typical greenhouse environment, the entire atmosphere of the greenhouse must be kept at a warm temperature to keep plants healthy. Eden Green Technology has created a microclimate solution that means only the climates directly around each plant need to be controlled so closely. All of the empty space above and around the towers doesn’t need to be warmed or cooled so precisely, meaning less energy wasted on climate control as well.

A growing system that’s 10x more energy efficient than your typical vertical farm, yet has all of the benefits of controlled environment agriculture and hydroponic growing means we can sustainably feed local populations in even the harshest climates in the world. 

Want to learn more about our turnkey ag-tech solution? Contact Eden Green Technology or RSVP for a virtual greenhouse tour today.