Controlled environment agriculture: optimizing resource efficiency
Graduate Student Scholarship - 2024
Description
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), including greenhouses and vertical farms, enables sustainable food production all year round, but poses major energy challenges, particularly in relation to artificial lighting. This project, in collaboration with Ferme d’hiver, aims to optimize the energy efficiency of closed plant production systems to reduce costs and environmental footprint.
Objectives
- Develop tools to analyze the thermal performance of horticultural LEDs.
- Improving HVAC systems through digital model validation.
- Optimize the use of resources (energy, water, CO₂) to increase the sustainability of agricultural infrastructure.
Towards more sustainable and resilient agriculture
By reducing energy consumption in greenhouses and vertical farms, this project supports Quebec’s food self-sufficiency and contributes to the transition to circular and resilient agricultural systems.
Don’t just coexist with climate change.
