Project Keywords
Agrivoltaics
Solar Energy
Water Treatment
AIoT
Digital Twin
Nutrient and Water Recirculation
CO₂ Footprint Reduction
Resource Efficiency
Sensor and Actuator Networks
Project profile
Farming systems powered by intelligence
Thematic AreaFarming Systems
ActionResearch and Innovation Action
Duration36 Months
Context
Greenhouses are a solution to improve productivity in regions with aggressive climates. Considering climate change, an increase in extreme events is expected. Nonetheless, considering the elevated energy consumption rate in greenhouses, these systems’ carbon footprint and impact are high. Implementing renewable energy sources and efficiently using resources such as water, fertilizers, or phytosanitary products, as well as designing and developing novel Artificial Intelligence analytical models, can enhance sustainability and reduce the impact of these systems.
Expected impacts and results
Several efforts will be carried out to engage local stakeholders and early adopters thanks to the conduction of capacity-building activities and promotion of new business models based on the produced energies and alternative crops. The main impacts in the short term are the following:
– decrease of GHG linked to food production in cascade hydroponic greenhouses; – reduction irrigation in areas adopting the proposed system; – no water pollution due to cascade hydroponic greenhouse production; – increase of harvest of lead users; – an increase in profitability of lead users; – increase of independence on conventional energy suppliers of lead users; – new knowledge about alternative cropping methods in greenhouses; – apparition of SMEs in developing countries that exploit our results; – more food available in the market at affordable prices; – small empowerment of rural people and youth.