Plant Factories using exclusively artificial lighting (PFAL) provide a short and secure food chain, and optimize the use of resources such as soil, water, and nutrients. They can also exploit the availability of abandoned industrial build-ings in urban settings, once suitably adapted. However, PFALs have considerable energy requirements due to the need for artificial lighting and environmental con-ditioning all year round. In this case study, we considered a disused reinforced concrete building in a metropolitan area in Southern Italy, where we hypothe-size the installation of a PFAL for fresh-cut vegetable production on multi-level shelves using soilless cultivation. The objective is minimizing the PFAL’s energy requirements through various systems of thermal insulation of the building exter-nal envelope, with a thermal transmittance ranging in 0.10–2.20 W m−2 K−1, and with reference to various cultivation areas, from 1102 to 8820 m2. The study was conducted through thermo-energy simulations, using Design Builder-Energy Plus software. The results indicate that at low levels of cultivation area ther-mal insulation allows an energy reduction of 10.6%. Furthermore, the ratio of energy demand to annual vegetable productivity decreases, as the cultivation area increases, by 14.1% and 18.3% for a thermal transmittance of 0.10 W m−2 K−1 and of 2.20 W m−2 K−1, respectively.
Energy Requirements of Plant Factories with Artificial Lighting in the Mediterranean Area
Blanco, Ileana
Secondo
;
2025-01-01
Abstract
Plant Factories using exclusively artificial lighting (PFAL) provide a short and secure food chain, and optimize the use of resources such as soil, water, and nutrients. They can also exploit the availability of abandoned industrial build-ings in urban settings, once suitably adapted. However, PFALs have considerable energy requirements due to the need for artificial lighting and environmental con-ditioning all year round. In this case study, we considered a disused reinforced concrete building in a metropolitan area in Southern Italy, where we hypothe-size the installation of a PFAL for fresh-cut vegetable production on multi-level shelves using soilless cultivation. The objective is minimizing the PFAL’s energy requirements through various systems of thermal insulation of the building exter-nal envelope, with a thermal transmittance ranging in 0.10–2.20 W m−2 K−1, and with reference to various cultivation areas, from 1102 to 8820 m2. The study was conducted through thermo-energy simulations, using Design Builder-Energy Plus software. The results indicate that at low levels of cultivation area ther-mal insulation allows an energy reduction of 10.6%. Furthermore, the ratio of energy demand to annual vegetable productivity decreases, as the cultivation area increases, by 14.1% and 18.3% for a thermal transmittance of 0.10 W m−2 K−1 and of 2.20 W m−2 K−1, respectively.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
