Reader Response Draft 3

The article “Review of energy efficiency in controlled environment agriculture” (Engler & Krarti, 2021) described controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) applications and its relationship with HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems. HVAC systems are the technology used in indoor farming to control the environment for growing crops. This system has played an important part in meeting the demand for food production in urban agriculture. One of the distinctive features and vital functions of the HVAC system is the ability to grow crops according to its optimal environmental conditions through the use of customizations (CultivaSystems, n.d.). In addition, HVAC systems emphasize on focusing energy efficiency to address challenges posed by global warming in agriculture (AGRIVI, n.d.). Engler and Krarti have mentioned the features of HVAC systems include thermostats and controllers, sensors, heat pumps, and energy efficiency that work together to create a sustainable environment for growing crops. Furthermore, the main function is to develop optimal environmental conditions for cultivation, which include temperature control, ventilation, and humidity control. Hence, HVAC systems used in urban farming play a crucial role in ensuring food safety and quality produce without being affected by the climate. Using HVAC systems in urban agriculture to meet the food demand while reducing carbon emissions is one of the goals especially in Singapore.

HVAC systems play a vital role in countries such as Singapore due to limited space to meet food demands (Wijkvliet, 2022). This will lead to healthy crops and higher yields which is part of the goal of Singapore's “30 by 30”. By 2030, the goal is “to produce 30% of the nation’s nutritional needs locally” by transforming “Singapore’s agri-food industry into one of the most highly productive, innovative, and sustainable” (Singaporelife, 2023). As Singapore is a little red dot, the government and farmers have to embrace technology and innovations to improve its product quality and production efficiency. Singapore has adopted various technologies to increase local food production by making use of limited land spaces. One example of this is the Singapore Housing and Development Board (HDB). HDB’s Green Towns programme was launched by Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to set the goal for Singapore’s sustainable future (Ng, 2021). One of the approaches is to convert HDB rooftops into urban farms. The urban-metabolic farming module aims to create an eco-resilient farms-cape (Case et al, 2022). HVAC systems have been applied to farming techniques where environmental control is required.

Global warming is a major world concern, and the adoption of HVAC systems can help by reducing carbon emissions. One example of this would be the reduction of carbon emissions through the use of solar-assisted heat pumps. It has been proven that heat pumps have a lower carbon emission value than traditional kerosene heaters (Engler & Krarti, 2021). Engler and Krarti have shared that solar-assisted heat pumps are capable of handling the loads of heating and cooling at a coefficient of performance (COP) of over 3.0.

However, HVAC systems used in indoor farming are hard to maintain as compared to traditional settings. Due to all year-round operations, the equipment wear and tear would be higher, leading to an eventual shortening of its life span. One of the HVAC systems for indoor agriculture that are very good at temperature control is Energy-efficient. In addition, most HVAC equipment is designed with the assumption that it will not exceed a maximum capacity of 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (Sabeh, 2022). Another reason why HVAC systems are hard to manage for indoor agriculture is because the primary occupant is plants. Plants require a suitable environment to grow in indoor agriculture such as humidity and temperature. Additionally, each of the plants has its own needs and plants interact with interactive building systems. Therefore, HVAC systems must be able to monitor response and even predict the changes in the indoor agriculture environment.

In conclusion, HVAC systems in indoor agriculture can help to reduce carbon emissions and also the population's food demands faced by the world. With regard to Singapore's “30 by 30” goals, the country does not need to rely on imported food and can ensure the food shortage that we faced during the COVID-19 period will not recur in the future (Singaporelife, 2023). Therefore, having a good HVAC system in indoor agriculture can make a positive impact to the world.

 

References

AGRIVI. (n.d.). Overcoming Weather Limitations with Greenhouse Farming. Agrivi. https://www.agrivi.com/blog/overcoming-weather-limitations-with-greenhouse-farming/

Case et al. (2022, Dec 16). Urban-Metabolic Farming Modules on Rooftops for. mdpi-res. https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/sustainability/sustainability-14-16885/article_deploy/sustainability-14-16885.pdf?version=1671172473

CultivaSystems. (n.d.). Indoor Agriculture HVAC. Cultiva Systems.
 https://cultivasystems.com/indoor-agriculture-hvac/

Engler, N. & Krarti, M. (2021, May). Review of energy efficiency in controlled environment agriculture. Sciencedirect.
 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032121000812

Ng, W. K. (2021, Feb). 7 urban farm sites on HDB rooftops launched for public tender in Bukit Panjang, Woodlands, Sembawang. The StraitsTimes.
 https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/hdb-rooftops-to-get-more-urban-farms

Sabeh, N. (2022, Jun 22). Why Is HVAC so Hard for Indoor Farms? Greenhouse Grower. https://www.greenhousegrower.com/production/why-is-hvac-so-hard-for-indoor-farms/

SingaporeFoodAgency. (2022, Nov 11). A sustainable food system for Singapore and beyond. Food For Thought.
https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-for-thought/article/detail/a-sustainable-food-system-for-singapore-and-beyond

Singaporelife. (2023, Mar 06). GuideMeSingapore.Hawksford. GuideMeSingapore. https://www.guidemesingapore.com/in-the-news/2023/singapores-agritech-sector

VerticalFarmDaily. (2023, Apr 14 ). HVAC importance in vertical farming. VerticalFarmDaily. https://www.verticalfarmdaily.com/article/9520856/hvac-importance-in-vertical-farming/

Wijkvliet, N. v. (2022, Nov 11). Sustainable Urban Delta. Sustainable Urban Delta. https://sustainableurbandelta.com/singapore-30-by-30-food-system/