CH-18-C047 -- Analysis and Performance of a Residential Indoor Vertical Plant Production Unit PDF

Recent interest in indoor urban food production is driven by the need to increase food capacity and food security. A small-scale and low-cost indoor vertical food production unit has been built and demonstrated to evaluate the potential for such systems to be integrated into residential buildings. The prototype contains 8.358 m² of growing space packaged over a footprint of 1.393 m². 21-day production trials were run for arugula and lettuce. Results suggest that such a unit can supply up to 2 servings of fresh vegetables per day to the household. The effect of such a system on the indoor environment is discussed, and lighting, HVAC, and irrigation loads are evaluated. Economic analysis shows payback within the first year. Moreover, the scalability of such a unit offers promise for medium and large commercial operation.