Smart Lighting: A Solution for Affordable Vertical Farming

‘Smart lighting’ presents a promising approach to addressing one of the main obstacles in vertical farming: high energy costs. Indoor farming, which is adept at conserving water and land, faces the challenge of intensive electricity consumption due to fixed artificial lighting. Researchers have developed a computer program designed to optimize lighting for improved photosynthesis and energy savings.

This initiative, reported on September 24 in Frontiers in Science, enables lighting adjustments that reflect real-time electricity costs. It can modify grow light intensity on an hourly basis. According to Leo Marcelis, a horticulturist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, the implementation of this "smart lighting" system could reduce vertical farms’ electricity expenses by up to 12 percent. Such savings can lead to tens of thousands of dollars in annual cost reductions, backed by data from the 2021 Global CEA Census Report.

Testing Dynamic Lighting on Indoor Crops

Marcelis and his team studied the effects of dynamic lighting on leafy greens like basil, spinach, and arugula. Plants were exposed to varying light intensities: one group experienced high-then-low intensity intervals, while another enjoyed brighter mornings and dimmer afternoons. Interestingly, both conditions resulted in leaves and mature weights similar to those grown under standard fixed lighting.

While the new program operated without predetermined lighting conditions, Marcelis indicates there is potential for reducing electricity costs. Further research is essential to explore dynamic lighting effects on a larger scale. Marcelis intends to investigate how much variation in lighting indoor crops can withstand effectively.

Research Implications

Fatemeh Sheibani, a plant physiologist at Purdue University, remarks that this study serves as a strong foundation for ensuing research. However, she highlights that these findings are preliminary and cautions against expecting immediate benefits from dynamic lighting for vertical farming.

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