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Working with living organisms requires a careful balance of resource efficiency and crop quality, yet controlled environment agriculture (CEA) companies are under constant pressure to reduce resource use, minimize carbon footprints, and taper costs. By optimizing the environmental parameters within CEA facilities, indoor farm operators have the opportunity to significantly reduce the burden on HVAC-D…

Increasingly, controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operators are investing in high-efficiency technologies, including LED lighting, to control costs and remain competitive in the marketplace, as they know all too well that energy expenses are only outpaced by labor in their operational costs. But those technological efficiencies can be negated if they are not properly implemented. For…

Shining a Light on Efficiency and Productivity Metrics for CEA Lighting High-intensity lighting plays a critical role in promoting plant growth and achieving optimal yields. However, selecting the right lighting system for your CEA facility can be challenging, as there are many different light quality, intensity, and efficiency metrics to consider. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR),…

Directed by ownership, architects, contractors, engineers and consultants combine to form a facility design dream team. Once an entity decides to construct a new leafy green-producing greenhouse, or renovate an indoor cannabis cultivation operation, they are embarking on a controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) venture that will involve core team members and dozens of specialists over several…

Operators must carefully balance material cost, longevity, insulation and light transmission rates to ensure a profitable and efficient controlled-environment agriculture operation. Image provided by Ceres Greenhouse Solutions Greenhouse operators have more information–and more to consider–than ever when installing new coverings. From materials and light transmission to insulation and shading needs, running a profitable and efficient…

Reduced energy consumption, increased performance, and utility rebates are incentives   Conducting a retrocommissioning study on a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facility is a multi-stakeholder endeavor involving everyone from ownership and facility operators to architects, engineers and equipment suppliers. Together with a retrocommissioning agent, indoor farmers and their team set out to identify operational inefficiencies,…