VERTICAL SUNNING. Vertical farming without artificial light

NOVAGRIC has developed in collaboration with Tecnalia a new innovation project that solves the critical points of vertical farming, increasing the profitability of this type of installations. The project, which began its design and conceptualization phase in 2020, is supported and financed by the CDTI (Center for the Development of Industrial Technology) and the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The study and development of this new architectural model called Vertical Sunning, with a passive solar design that uses intelligent light and water strategies to maximize the efficiency of the system, has been carried out over two years. “To design the structure, we have used innovative Ray Tracing technologies that seek to optimize PAR radiation capture and homogenize the distribution of light to the crops that will be located inside it. says Juan Pardo, head of innovation at Novagric.

A more efficient alternative to vertical cultivation systems

The Vertical Sunning project arises from this growing demand for healthy and local food production. This need to provide local food to the inhabitants locally, without resorting to massive imports of products, is increasing the demand for new, more sustainable agricultural systems that can provide food anywhere. This R&D project also aims to provide a new solution to the critical points of the technology of Vertical Farming systems currently in use, mainly the high energy cost due to artificial lighting installations.  

Objectives of the Vertical Sunning project

The general objective of this CDTI INDIVIDUAL project called Vertical Sunning is the development of a new model of food production, in a vertical farming system without artificial lighting, through an architectural solution that prioritizes the access and distribution of solar radiation to the interior, equipped with a low energy consumption air conditioning system using water and sunlight as a base. This production system, designed on the basis of sustainability and low energy consumption, would provide a model of food production in cities with a significant reduction in the carbon footprint compared to other systems currently in place.    

Specific objectives

• Architectural solution that optimizes the capture and distribution of solar radiation to the plants.
• New structural design in height to maximize the use of the available volume.
• Intelligent light and water management strategies.
• Design of mobile racks shaped by ambient light conditions
• Design of a micro-localized air conditioning system in the plants with low energy consumption.
• Design of new rack systems for new vertical farming crops other than the usual leaf and minileaf.

 

Partners

IDI Project 20201163 Project manager: NOVAGRIC (Novedades Agrícolas, S.A.) Collaborating Center: TECNALIA Duration: 2020-2022  

Financing

Project financed by CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial) and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.