Abstract
In urban centers today, Controlled Environment Agriculture is being proposed as a potential alternative to conventional agriculture using hydroponic methods in controlled spaces as a means to increase local food production and improve urban food security by growing crops. One newly proposed technique, growing crops inside refurbished shipping containers, offers a flexible, mobile, and scalable means of year-round food production in a variety of climates. Despite the benefits of producing food locally, some concerns associated with shipping container systems include high-energy consumption from climate control and electric lightning systems, as well as expensive capital investments. This study investigated the viability and effectiveness of shipping container farms as alternative food production systems through an analysis of system energy requirements and resulting crop yields. A Modified Hydroponic Shipping Container system was designed and a Nutrient Film Technique hydroponics system was tested by growing lettuce plants and monitoring energy use throughout the growth period. Theoretical energy use at full scale was quantified for one year of production by modeling energy consumption of major system components through modeling or extension from results on the bench scale. Baseline crop production and overall energy consumption were assessed using a crop production efficiency metric created to evaluate the ratio of system outputs to inputs. Examination of alternative energy scenarios showed potential energy consumption reductions of up to 53 percent and an improvement of the total system crop production efficiency of up to 55 percent from the baseline. Implementation of suggested energy use reduction strategies could allow for the creation of viable and sustainable alternative food systems using shipping containers capable of providing local, accessible foods year-round for a variety of urban communities.
Highlights
An increasing number of people live in cities
Based on the results of lettuce production and energy modeling which corresponded to the Crop Production Efficiency (CPE) values presented, it was determined that in its current state, the Purdue Modified Hydroponic Shipping Containers (MHSC) was not a viable substitute for commercial food production for urban communities
The study objectives were completed successfully and several conclusions can be drawn from the work presented: 1) The average fresh weight per head of lettuce produced in the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Test Unit during each cycle was much lower than current commercial yields, and the largest harvest in Cycle 3 only reached 20% of the 300 g/ft2 target for the hydroponic lettuce production
Summary
An increasing number of people live in cities. In 2014, it was estimated that 54% of the world’s population lived in urban areas. This figure is projected to grow to 66% by 2050, which is a significant increase from 1950, when only 30% of the world’s population was considered [1]. Does the amount of food that must be allocated to people living in urban areas. The 2015 Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations General Assembly highlighted methods for addressing the multi-faceted challenges facing urban centers today. Goal 9: build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation and Goal 11: make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable emphasize the importance of maintaining and improving urban resources, while reducing overall consumption as the world population continues to grow and urbanize [2]
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