A range of efficiency best practices guides for CEA producers are complemented by research reports and guidance documents for governments and utilities
February 15, 2022 (Portland, Ore.) – Resource Innovation Institute (RII) is announcing its publication schedule for 2022, featuring United States Department of Agriculture-sponsored, peer-reviewed research.
The partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is allowing RII to expand its scope and depth of research into critical controlled environment agriculture (CEA) issues and needs. This includes topics such as energy, water and emissions-related key performance indicators (KPIs).
Starting in February, RII will release a series of Best Practices Guides. These peer-reviewed publications share actionable intel on key CEA market topics. The first report of the year will be Utility & Energy Program Best Practices for CEA, which will be available for free February 22 on RII’s Catalog.
The launch of each publication will be accompanied by a live workshop where attendees can hear from RII Working Group members and ask questions. Webinars also will be available on demand following the event on the RII catalog.
Below is a list of some of the most anticipated USDA-sponsored items RII will publish in 2022:
- Utility and Efficiency Program Best Practices for CEA
- Lighting Best Practices for CEA
- HVAC Best Practices for CEA
- Facility Design & Construction Best Practices for CEA
- Policy Best Practices for CEA
- Report on CEA Key Performance Indicators & Baselines
“Our partnership with the USDA is reflected in the title of our 3-year project, Data-Driven Market Transformation for Efficient, Sustainable CEA,” said Derek Smith, Executive Director of RII. “The promise of CEA is rooted in resource efficiency. In 2022, with our publications and related curriculum and training, the industry will have the tools and resources to advance a more profitable and productive sector with a lighter environmental footprint.”
“This comprehensive library of peer-reviewed guidance offers producers with the crucial information they need to design, build, and operate high-performance greenhouses and indoor farms and CEA market actors with recommendations for coordinating producer support systems,” notes Gretchen Schimelpfenig, Technical Director of RII.
“A big factor for our innovation grant awards is the strength in outreach and technology transfer,” shares Kip Pheil, Energy Specialist with NRCS. “The team presented an aggressive, comprehensive training strategy that scored very high marks from our peer review panel. Best of all, one year into the agreement and they show all the signs that they will deliver on the ambitions of their proposal.
“NRCS has a big role in the accelerated USDA effort to support urban agriculture and we are fortunate that this project will develop and deliver smart strategies and options for controlled environment operators across America. The range of guides, the analytical features of PowerScore, and the training plan will help those operators control their costs, meet expanding sustainability standards, and fine tune their production.”
For more information on these reports and other RII resources and programs, including PowerScore, RII’s resource benchmarking platform providing Performance Snapshots based on industry-standard key performance indicators (KPIs) for energy, water, and emissions measuring productivity and efficiency of CEA facilities, visit www.ResourceInnovation.org.
To schedule an interview or request press credentials, please contact Shawna Seldon McGregor at shawna@themaverickpr.com or 917-971-7852.
About Resource Innovation Institute: Resilient harvests for the next hundred years
Resource Innovation Institute is an objective, data-driven non-profit organization whose mission is to measure, verify and celebrate the world’s most efficient agricultural ideas. We cultivate a better future for all of humanity with our vision of resilient harvests for the next hundred years. Our consortium of members brings perspectives from across the field—uniting architects and engineers, growers and operators, researchers and analysts. Founded in 2016 to advise governments, utilities and industry leaders on the resource impacts of indoor cultivation, an under-studied and resource-intensive market, we have since extended our research to other sectors in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture. To take on the challenges of our changing world, we believe that food, medicine and other vital crops demand data-driven insights, securely shared with integrity. By nurturing the human connections in our complex and dynamic industry, we can build deeply restorative systems for people and the planet. Visit our website at ResourceInnovation.org. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
