Vertical farming racks manufacturer by OpticlimateFarm: What is Vertical Farming? In case you’re unfamiliar with vertical farming, it’s the practice of growing crops indoors in stacked layers, carefully monitored with modern technology. It literally takes the idea of a greenhouse to new levels. Think leafy greens nestled in gleaming towers, herbs hanging out on sleek shelves, and maybe even strawberries or tomato season all year round. Vertical farming differs from greenhouse farming or hothouse farming because the climate conditions, such as temperature and humidity, are carefully monitored and controlled. The keen use of height with stacks and columns allows the grower to produce a lot more when compared to greenhouses or conventional indoor farming. There are a few different methods for these vertical farms, such as hydroponic farming, aquaponic farming, or aeroponic farming. Regardless of the technique, vertical farming operations are sprouting up worldwide, and they tout some incredible sustainability benefits. Here are just a few. Read more details on hydroponic climate control systems.
Indoor, or greenhouse, farming creates a controlled environment to combat troubles like pests and drought. The strategy dates as far back as the Roman Emperor Tiberius, and its latest iteration bears the promise of an efficient “Plantopia” that we’ve yet to truly tap. As the name suggests, vertical farms grow upwards, engaging with shelf-style structures that tend to operate via hydroponics or aeroponics. Robotics, data analysis, computerized controls, and sophisticated algorithms do the heavy lifting of optimizing every inch of the growing environment — all day long, every day of the year. This vertical solution maximizes even more urban square footage, proponents argue, without requiring higher investments or major changes to the growing process.
Two words: perpetual growing. The high-tech engineering of vertical farms makes them practically invincible. Pests, poor weather, diseases, and even seasonal temperature changes carry no weight in these environments of complete control. Their products are organic by default — there’s no need for pesticides, and they grow with very little water (up to 70% less) for maximum efficiency. All of that fine-tuning makes for fast growth, too. Vertical facilities can turn around a crop in significantly less time than the traditional field, with growth rates up to 390 times more productive than competitors.
Artificial light vertical multi-layer growth racks are used to colonize saffron seed balls and provide a dedicated spectral formula for lighting. Temperature, humidity, airflow, light and CO2 can be precisely controlled using OptiClimat smart climate growing ACs and PLC integrated control system. OptiClimate’s smart climate growing system works with the parameters of the climatic conditions of the saffron origin in Jammu or Kashmir. Saffron grows everything freely by its timeline in OptiClimatefarm. That means a 100m2 indoor growroom could plant as the same number of saffron seed balls as in a 15-acre outdoor field . Our vertical farming technology using smart climate plant factories to grow specialty products will inspire a great business model! Indoor saffron – growing specialty products using vertical farming technology.
High-efficiency growing facilities hosting plants at ten and twenty deep, growing at double time, and with less of an environmental footprint? It all sounds too good to be true… And it just may be. These brilliant feats of agricultural engineering come with a steep price tag — one large indoor vertical farm costs millions of dollars. Agritecture Consulting estimates the cost of a 30,000-square-foot facility for leafy greens and herbs near New York City at almost $4 million in startup capital – and that’s without labor.
Vertical farming HVAC systems generate significant amounts of heat as byproducts. Implementing waste heat recovery technologies can harness this excess heat and repurpose it for various applications, such as water heating or powering absorption chilling systems. Key advantages include: Reduced energy consumption for heating purposes; Increased overall energy efficiency by utilizing waste heat; Cost savings through the reuse of heat energy. Controlling temperature fluctuations minimizes stress on plants, promoting their overall health and productivity.
We’ve often referred to the importance of HVACD systems to every layer of the cultivator’s business, but how do you choose which approach is right for your facility? The truth is, OptiClimatefarm there are a number of technologies that can successfully manage the climate in an indoor facility. One of our most important responsibilities as your design partner is to review with you all options in depth, along with budgets and their respective pros and cons, to assist with the decision-making process. Find more info at opticlimatefarm.com.
OptiClimate Farm brings together technical experts from China, Japan, Korea, United States and Europe, and a professional team composed of marketing experts, growers and technology innovators. Our plant factory facilities and technology have been developed and patented in 2020, and the international company OPTICLIMATE FARM LIMITED was established. OptiClimate vertical farming companies have obtained the following certificates: OEM supplier series certificate, SGS certificate, Plant factory patent certificate, CE series certificate, DNA series certificate, ETL certificate, ISO90001 certificate, etc.
In addition, it is necessary to map the environment so that the design of, for example, a chiller/cooling water installation can also take the noise level into account. Higher requirements will be placed in a built environment than in an industrial area. On top of that, lighting is also of great importance in vertical farming. It is important to adjust the lighting to the HVAC system so that an optimal growing environment is created. In addition, controlling lighting can also help reduce energy consumption.
Year-Round Food Production – Controlled growing environments in warehouses enable the cultivation of seasonal foods all year round. This helps ensure consistent supply and shorter harvest times without compromising produce quality. Consumers can then enjoy their favorite fresh fruits and greens regardless of the season and without shipping them in from far away. Adverse Weather Protection – Extreme weather can severely affect traditional farming — freezing temperatures stifle plant growth, droughts cause crops to die, excessive rain damages the soil and so on. Growing crops in climate-controlled warehouses protects them from inclement weather so such natural catastrophes don’t impact crop yields and ensure predictable harvests.
Additionally, some HVAC systems may be more energy-efficient than others. When considering energy consumption, some factors to consider are: Can you use waste heat? Can you use free cooling directly or indirectly, allowing you to use other sources and, in some cases, reduce energy consumption by up to 85%? Dehumidification requires energy, so it is important to determine the best technique for the specific situation to save energy. We examine the most favorable dehumidification method. This starts with the initial condition of the crop and the corresponding climate. Then we can focus on the best technology for the specific situation and choose what is best to apply. Energy can be saved by choosing cold recovery methods such as cross-flow heat exchangers, heat pipes, or run-around coils.