Building Integrated Agriculture: Opportunities for Urban CEA

Innovations in Agriculture Conference The Future of Farming NYSERDA March 4, 2008|Syracuse, NY

AN INTRODUCTION

Viraj Puri 2007 New York Sun Works

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New York Sun Works, Inc. 1841 Broadway, Suite 200

New York, NY 10023 USA

www.nysunworks.org

New York Sun Works

- Founded 2004, dedicated to sustainable engineering

- Design ecologically responsible, integrated systems to produce:

energy water food

- Engineers, biologists, ecologists, and managers

- Created (and currently operate) the Science Barge program

The challenge An urbanizing planet: half the worlds people now live in cities

In the USA, buildings responsible for 39% of energy use, 68% electricity consumption and 38% carbon dioxide emissions

Increased urbanization, results in marginalization of natural world and distance from food production

Agriculture occupies 40% of the worlds land surface, uses 60% of fresh water withdrawals worldwide, causes 15% of world greenhouse emissions and is the largest source of water pollution

Food travels hundreds of thousands of miles to reach urban consumers, adding to traffic congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions

NYC is highly congested, with poor air quality primarily from vehicle traffic, a problem exacerbated by the trucking of food.

NYC has >55 million square meters (>5,000 hectares) of unshaded rooftop. These areas provide opportunities for solar collection via solar panels and

plants.

Greenhouse agriculture (Almeria, Spain)

Vacant rooftops (New York City)

?

Controlled Environment Agriculture PROS Year-round local food production Very high productivity per unit area Very high water use efficiency Contained waste stream (fertilizers, etc.) Reduce or eliminate pesticides Lightweight, modular technology

CONS Requires efficient heating solutions or waste heat

Need for specialized technological skills Zoning and regulatory novelty (in cities)

NYSW System Designs

What started as a concept sketch

began construction in summer 2006,

set sai l for the Manhattan waterfront in spring 2007,

and opened to the public at Pier 84 in May 2007.

The Science Barge is not only an invitation to ideas and learning, but to change.

-- Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and special economic advisor to the United Nations

The Science Barge A prototype sustainable urban food farm.

Features: 120 m2 greenhouse, demonstrating recirculating hydroponics, water desalination, rainwater catchment, solar power, wind power, and biofuels.

The twin missions are technical research and public education.

Launched in Manhattan in May 2007, the Science Barge has hosted: Over 6000 members of the public 105 school groups 65 journalists from 17 countries Plus.. engineers, architects, developers and city planners

SCIENCE BARGE CORE SYSTEMS:

FOOD, WATER, POWER

FOOD: GREENHOUSE + HYDROPONICS

Hydroponic Systems

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Bato Dutch Bucket System

Verti-Gro Plant Towers

All share:

High yield

High water use efficiency

Contained waste streams

Evaporative cooling pad wall

POWER: SOLAR + WIND + BIOFUELS

Energy Systems Contd SOLAR 2.45 kW solar array [12 panels over 19.5 m2 surface, 12.5% efficiency, mounted on passive trackers]

WIND 2 kW wind turbine array [rated 400 W each at 45 km h-1,

internally regulated horizontal axis]

BIOFUELS 5 kW biodiesel generator [backup power]

STORAGE Battery Bank, 1000 Ah @ 48 VDC [2 day reserve] 5.5 kW inverter-charger to provide 120 VAC power to the greenhouse grid

WATER: REVERSE OSMOSIS + RAINWATER CAPTURE

Water Recovery & Production Rainwater Catchment

In NYC, sufficient rainfall on greenhouse roof for irrigation.

Stormwater catchment

Reverse Osmosis:

Energy efficient (!) (200 L/kWh)

BIA / PV comparison (for NYC) BRIGHTFARM GREENHOUSE

PV PANELS ONLY (with PV on 35% of greenhouse roof)

Capital Cost $960 $986

Annual Revenue $44 $280

Net Annual Return $34 $84

Carbon Offset (kg CO2) 12 20

Building Integration Key features

HVAC heat recaptured and diverted into the greenhouse, provides heat to crops in the winter

Solar panels provide a perfect source of power to the greenhouse

Rainwater capture from greenhouse roof helps storm water overflow (problem for cities) and provides water for plants

A rooftop covered with vegetation can reduce solar heat gain through the roof

Building Integrated Agriculture - Applications SCHOOLS Large, flat roofs Student nutrition / on-site vegetable demand Fraction of the cost of a conventional science lab

COMMERCIAL RETROFIT Retail (ecological marquee projectfood retailers, malls, others) Service buildings (hospitals, gymnasiums, etc) Manufacturing / industrial (high potential for waste heat capture)

NEW BUILD larger installations higher efficiency from building integration

Copyright Kiss +Cathcart, Architects and New York Sun Works

Copyright Owen Waltz and New York Sun Works

Copyright Owen Waltz and New York Sun WorksCopyright Owen Waltz and New York Sun Works

Copyright Patrick Hoyle and New York Sun WorksCopyright Patrick Hoyle and New York Sun WorksCopyright Patrick Hoyle and New York Sun WorksCopyright Patrick Hoyle and New York Sun Works

Copyright Patrick Hoyle and New York Sun WorksCopyright Patrick Hoyle and New York Sun Works

Copyright Patrick Hoyle and New York Sun WorksCopyright Patrick Hoyle and New York Sun Works

Copyright Chungyi Fan and New York Sun Works

Vertically Integrated Greenhouse [VIG] Combines a double-skin building faade with a hydroponic

greenhouse.

Lightweight and modular system using vertical NFT trays or similar.

Seeding and harvesting occur at the bottom.

Vertical spacing of the double plant cable lift [PCL] row can be adjusted to maximize solar capture diurnally and seasonally.

VIG Benefits

Creates a productive [$] space within the double skin faade

Shades the building interior during summer

Reduces solar heat gain

Provides fresh air to building occupants

Utilizes waste heat from the building.

Vertically Integrated Greenhouse concept

Building Integrated Agriculture: Key Features 1. BIA saves land. Vegetable yields are

about 20 times the typical yields of field agriculture.

2. BIA saves water. Recirculating irrigation consumes five to ten times less water than field agriculture.

3. BIA protects rivers. Recirculating systems eliminate fertilizer runoff to surface waters.

4. BIA reduces pollution. Urban greenhouses eliminate the use of fossil fuels in tractors and trucks.

5. BIA recovers rainwater. The roof can be designed to capture rainfall, reducing storm overflow.

6. BIA improves food safety. Integrated pest management does not require chemical pesticides.

7. BIA brings health. Access to fresh vegetables is improved in urban communities.

8. BIA reduces waste. Waste heat from buildings can heat the greenhouse.

9. BIA cools buildings. A cover of vegetation mitigates the urban heat island effect, even under glass.

10. BIA combats global warming. Up to 1.5 kg of CO2 emissions can be mitigated for each kg of vegetables produced in a sustainable urban farm.

New York Sun Works specializes in the design of ecologically responsible systems for the production of food, energy, and water.

CONSULTING SERVICES: Building Integrated Agriculture Site Design Resource Demand And Supply Analysis Greenhouse Operational Planning Greenhouse Operation Educational Programming

New York Sun Works, Inc. 1841 Broadway, Suite 200 New York, NY

10023 +1 212 757 7560

ww.nysunworks.org