Designing and O tiOperating a Sustainable Hydroponic Food System: Lessons yfrom the Field

Dr. Eric W. SteinPenn StateO t 2013Oct 2013MAREA

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About the PresenterAbout the Presenter• Affiliation

Associate Professor of Management Science and– Associate Professor of Management Science and Information Systems at Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate and Professional Studies

– Former Director New Ventures and Entrepreneurship option MBA Program PSU-Entrepreneurship option, MBA Program, PSUGreat Valley

• Areas of expertise– Entrepreneurship

C t i ti d t t– Corporate innovation and strategy– Energy policy and sustainability– Information Technology

• Experiencep– Consultant to business and industry– Local leader in town government

AbstractAbstract• The world faces two converging needs: more food and more

energy As fossil fuels diminish the need for sustainable energyenergy. As fossil fuels diminish, the need for sustainable energy sources such as wind and solar increases.

• With a limited amount of global arable land, rising fuel prices, and escalating environmental costs associated with fertilizers and pesticides there also is an urgent need to develop new methods ofpesticides, there also is an urgent need to develop new methods of growing food in sustainable ways. Energy is a large component of cost for most agricultural systems in terms of production and distribution. O t i i i th t i t l li f d d ti• One way to minimize these costs is to localize food production using advanced production technologies such as hydroponics, employing sustainable intensive farming techniques, and utilizing renewable energy sources.

• This talk will explain how hydroponics work and their benefits. The design, operation, results, and cost-benefit of a small-scale hydroponic production system will be reviewed. The talk will close with examples of hydroponic systems for market production, p y p y p ,community development and research.

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QuestionQuestion• How many head of

2.5 ftHow many head of lettuce can you grow in a 2.5 ft x 9 ftgrow in a 2.5 ft x 9 ft bed?A. 10-20 22.5 ft29 ftA. 10 20B. 30-40C 50-60C. 50-60D. 80-100

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QuestionQuestion• How many head of

2.5 ftHow many head of lettuce can you grow in a 2.5 ft x 9 ftgrow in a 2.5 ft x 9 ft bed?A. 22.5 ft29 ftA.B.CC.D. 80-100! 4-5 plants/ft2!

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Professionally:Wh I’ I t t d i H d iWhy I’m Interested in Hydroponics

• We need to solve the problem of localizing food production

• We need to design food production systems that use energy efficientlysystems that use energy efficiently

• Hydroponic systems offer opportunities for new venturespp

• Can be a vehicle for community development, training, research

• It is an interesting design problem grounded in systems thinking

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Personally:Wh I’ I t t d i H d iWhy I’m Interested in Hydroponics

• I am a solar-pv producer• I’m a foodie

– I buy organic or pesticide-free foods and humanelyfree foods and humanely raised beef

– I like harvesting food from b k dmy backyard

• I believe in sustainable food productionfood production

• I love to design systems• I love the outdoors

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ContentsContents1. What is Hydroponics?2 T d d A i2. Trends and Assumptions3. Types of Hydroponic Systems4. NFT System Architecture and4. NFT System Architecture and

Components5. How Hydroponic Systems Meet Plant

NeedsNeeds6. Case Study:

– System Design and OperationResults– Results

– Measurement and Control– Cost-Benefit Analysis

7 Follow on Projects and Next Steps7. Follow-on Projects and Next Steps8

Key Trends yand A tiAssumptions

Key World TrendsKey World TrendsEnergy SupplySupply

and Demand

PopulationPopulation Growth

Food Supply

and Demand

Land Use

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World Energy DemandWorld Energy Demand

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Source: EIA International Energy Outlook 2011

World Energy Demand (cont)World Energy Demand (cont)

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Source: EIA International Energy Outlook 2011

Typology of Energy Producers

CentralizedLarge Capacity

LocalLarge CapacityLarge Capacity

ProducersLarge Capacity

ProducersProduction

Centralized Local

Capacity

Small Capacity Producers

Small Capacity Producers

13Degree of Decentralization

Ranking of Energy Technologies for Electricity

14Criteria: Financial – Technical – Environmental – Socio-Economic

Costs to Produce FoodCosts to Produce Food

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Typology of Food Producers

CentralizedLarge Capacity

LocalLarge CapacityLarge Capacity

ProducersLarge Capacity

ProducersProduction

Centralized Local

Capacity

Small Capacity Producers

Small Capacity Producers

16Degree of Decentralization

Conclusions about E d F d P d iEnergy and Food Production

• We need to do both!• Distribution costs matter• We must maximize the use of existing space• Production can be distributed and therefore

localized• Growing food without pesticides (i e• Growing food without pesticides (i.e.,

“organic”) and less water and resources is a financial necessity

• We need to grow food with less energy and price according to “real” costs that include distribution and processingdistribution and processing

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Some SolutionsSome Solutions• Move from large to smaller farms

L li f d d ti• Localize food production– Example: Cuba

• Utilize (near) organic food production where possibleEnco rage permac lt res m lti cropping and Agroforestr• Encourage permacultures, multi-cropping and Agroforestry

• Use Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)– Can be scaled from small to large

Great to pair with solar and wind energy generation– Great to pair with solar and wind energy generation– Good match for urban environments and where space is limited– Accessible to any homeowner– Greatly reduced resource requirements esp waterGreatly reduced resource requirements, esp. water– Hydroponics is a form of CEA

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Wh t iWhat is Hydroponics?y p

What is Hydroponics?What is Hydroponics?• The Greek word “hydro” means

water and “ponos” means labor orwater and ponos means labor or work.

• Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in water without soilp– The water must be enriched with

nutrients and the plants need an inert medium to support root system

• Hydroponics is a form of CEA• Hydroponics is a form of CEA– CEA = Controlled Environment

Agriculture• Practiced by the ancient EgyptiansPracticed by the ancient Egyptians,

Babylonians and Aztecs

20http://www.generalhydroponics.com/blog/2011/07/19/hydroponics-in-history-part-1-ancient-hydroponics/

Benefits of HydroponicsBenefits of Hydroponics• Excellent crops• No pesticides or herbicides• Much less labor

– E g weeding thinning soil mgt etc– E.g., weeding, thinning, soil mgt, etc.• Can grow year-round indoors and out• Projects can promote economic and

i d l i lcommunity development, social entrepreneurship, training, research and education

• Consistent with the farm-to-table movement, organics, and localizing food productionfood production

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Types of ypHydroponic S tSystems

System DesignsSystem Designs

Water CultureWick System

23Ebb and Flow Drip System

Reference: http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm

System Designs (cont)System Designs (cont)NFT AeroponicNFT p

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Reference: http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm

System Designs (cont)System Designs (cont)NFTNFT

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Reference: http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm

NFT System A hit tArchitecture and Components

Example of 10 Channel NFT System

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NFT System ArchitectureNFT System Architecture

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ChannelsChannels• Channels areChannels are

made of food-grade plasticgrade plastic

• Many include a channel bottomchannel bottom and removable cover (forcover (for cleaning)

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Nutrient ReservoirNutrient Reservoir• Food grade plastic,Food grade plastic,

NSF certified• Heavy duty• Heavy duty• 20 gallons or more• The larger the

reservoir, the more bl hstable the water

culture

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Air StoneAir Stone• Water flowing g

downhill is naturally aerated as it tumbles over stones

• Dissolved oxygen in ygthe water is critical to plant development

• An air stone bubbles air into the water

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PumpPump• Pump is sized toPump is sized to

push water up to the height of thethe height of the highest tier

• Pump size is also• Pump size is also determined by rate of flow which is onof flow, which is on the order of 1 liter per minuteper minute

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HeatHeat• Heat may be added y

to the system to keep the temperature in the range of 65-75 degrees using adegrees using a small heater

• Ones commonly• Ones commonly used in fish tanks are fineare fine

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Lighting (indoor systems)Lighting (indoor systems)• Light is critical to plant g

development and required for all indoor systemssystems

• Light must at least 5000 lux and preferablylux and preferably 15,000 lux or more

• T5’s and LED’s are “cool” low watt lights

• HID (e.g., HPS) are “hot” hi h tt li hthigh wattage lights

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How H d iHydroponic Systems Meet yPlant Needs

Plant NeedsPlant Needs• NutrientsNutrients• Seed

Medium• Medium• Water• Light

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http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/lectf03am/lect18.htm

Key Nutrients for PlantsKey Nutrients for Plants

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Source: H. Resh, “Hydroponic Food Production”, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2013, p. 10

Nutrient SuppliesNutrient Supplies• Bottle Form

– Meets all the inorganic nutritional requirements of qplants

– Dissolves in water• Fish Form• Fish Form

– When fish waste is used for the nutrient

l th t isupply, the system is referred to as an Aquaponic system

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Sample Nutrient Supply Composition

• Total Nitrogen (N) 3.0%0 14% Ammoniacal Nitrogen– 0.14% Ammoniacal Nitrogen

– 2.86% Nitrate Nitrogen• Available Phosphate (P2O5)

2.0%• Soluble Potash (K2O) 4.0%• Calcium (Ca) 2.8%• Magnesium (Mg) 0.5%

0 5% W t S l bl M i– 0.5% Water Soluble Magnesium (Mg)

• Sulfur (S) 1.10%– 1.10% Combined Sulfur (S)

• Manganese (Mn) 0.05%– 0.05% Water Soluble

Manganese (Mn)• Molybdenum (Mo) 0 0005%• Molybdenum (Mo) 0.0005%

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SeedsSeeds• Quality seeds are a y

critical input• These should be

organic. Look for USDA seal

• Some seeds can be purchased in

ll i d f hpelletized form, thus increasing ease of useuse

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Germination and Support Media

• MediaMedia– Coconut Fiber– Expanded ClayExpanded Clay– Perlite

Rockwool– Rockwool– Sand

Vermiculite– Vermiculite

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Rockwool MediumRockwool Medium• Rockwool is made from rock

which has been melted and spun into fibrous cubes

• Rockwool is one of the most popular media for germinating seeds

• Rockwool’s primary benefit is h i b hthat it transports both water and oxygen to plants

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WaterWater• Tap water or rain

t b dwater may be used for hydroponics– Traces of chorine inTraces of chorine in

tap water are OK for plants

• For aquaponics• For aquaponics, condition with AmQuel to

i iprecipitate out chlorine and ammoniaammonia

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Light and PlantsLight and Plants

44Leaf Production Fruit/flower Production

Do Hydroponic Systems Produce “Organic” Food?

• Yes and No• USDA Definition

– ”100% Organic”• Contains 100% organic ingredients,

meaning no antibiotics, hormones, genetic engineering, radiation or listed synthetic pesticides or fertilizers can be used

– “Organic“• Contains 95%+ organic ingredientsContains 95%+ organic ingredients

– “Made with Organic Ingredients“• Contains 70%+ organic ingredients

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Organic Status of H d i SHydroponic Sytems

• Chemical DefinitionsOrganic compounds are those that contain carbon and usually– Organic compounds are those that contain carbon and usually produced by biological systems

– Inorganic compounds are those that lack carbon and are usually produced by geological systems

• Plant Requirements– Plants require carbon (from CO2 in air)– Plants require hydrogen (from water)– The remaining requirements are inorganic!

• Most non-certified hydroponic systems produce the near equivalent (95%) of organic crops

N ti id h bi id t– No pesticides, herbicides, etc.• Full 100% Certification is possible but requires some time and

effort. The quality of the plants is only marginally “better” than non-certified crops.non certified crops.

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Case Study: ySystem Design

d O tiand Operation

Author’s SystemAuthor s System

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NFT System SpecificationsNFT System Specifications• 2-tier indoor designg• Lighting on each level• 8 channels - 8’ long• 8 channels - 8 long• 9 x 2.5 footprint

22 5 square feet– 22.5 square feet• 20 gallon reservoir

Ch l C it• Channel Capacity– 96 Mature Plant Sites– 78 Nursery Plant Sites

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Start: Reservoir PumpStart: Reservoir Pump

Drinking water

Air stone

P

water safe hose

PumpHeater

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Feed LineFeed Line• Water is pumped p p

about 5’ from reservoir up to a

Cpressurized PVC line with closed cap

f• The manifold becomes pressurized andpressurized and forces water to small nozzlessmall nozzles

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Water TransportWater Transport• Micro-tubes fromMicro tubes from

the pressurized PVC manifold isPVC manifold is used to feed the channelsc a e s

• The water is supplied at asupplied at a modest 0.5-1 liter per minute rateper minute rate

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Channels - Top Level View from Supply End

• Channels are primary means of moving water ““downhill”

• Holes on right fare for nursery

seedlingsH l l f• Holes on left are for mature plantsplants

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Water Transport – Top Level Vi F E dView at Far End

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Water Transport – Bottom Level Vi f F E dView from Far End

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Channel Fitting Back to ReservoirChannel Fitting Back to Reservoir

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Return to ReservoirReturn to Reservoir

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LightingLighting• Light is provided by eight

(8) T5 bulbs• Each ballast is 8 feet long

and houses four bulbsand houses four bulbs• Each bulb is 5,000

lumens• Yields a range of 7,000-

15,000 lux at 12”• Bulbs rated at 6500 K

(more blue) selected for leaf production (see next)leaf production (see next)

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Light and PARLight and PAR

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C St dCase Study: Results

TimelineTimeline

Germination Seedling Mature

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GerminationGermination• Seeds areSeeds are

germinated directly in Rockwool andin Rockwool and covered with a dome for 7-10 daysdo e o 0 days

• Rockwool is kept saturated the wholesaturated the whole time

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Seedling Development and Transport

• When 1-2 sets ofWhen 1 2 sets of mature leaves form, plant is transportedplant is transported into hydroponic systemsyste

• Half strength nutrient values arenutrient values are used to minimize shock to plantshock to plant

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Near Mature Lettuce LeavesNear Mature Lettuce Leaves

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Mature Lettuce in ChannelMature Lettuce in Channel

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Root DevelopmentRoot Development

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BasilBasil

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LaborLabor• Remarkably less labor

th ti lthan conventional methods!– No weeding– No watering

• 2-3x/week– Check Ph temp EC– Check Ph, temp, EC,

water level, prune leaves

• 1-2x/month• 1-2x/month– Change water– Reset nutrients

Cl– Clean system68

M tMeasurement and Control

Ph Measurement and ControlPh Measurement and Control• Plants require a stable

ph environment for optimal growth

• Solution buffers that• Solution buffers that raise or lower Ph are used to maintain stable conditions

• Tables provide guidance for all plantguidance for all plant types

• Ph = 5.5-6.5 typicalyp

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Nutrient Strength Measurement and Control

• Nutrient strength is d ith ECmeasured with an EC

meter• Measures electrical• Measures electrical

conductivity of water, which indexes to amt f di l d lidof dissolved solids

• Tables provide guidance for all plantguidance for all plant types

• EC= 1.2-2.0 typical

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Temperature and HumidityTemperature and Humidity• Temperature and

h idit iti lhumidity are critical to nutrient uptake by plantsplants– 65 to 75F degrees

optimalHigh temps also lead• High temps also lead to disease and algae growthg

• Humidity– Should be in the

range of 50 70%range of 50-70%72

Energy UseEnergy Use• Energy is the primary

ti t foperating cost of system

• Kwhr are monitored• Kwhr are monitored with each new crop

• Lights and heaters gare on timers to save energy

• System energy use• System energy use ranges from 4.9-8.6 kwh/day

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Plant JournalPlant JournalPlants:  lettuce

Data Metrics

Date Hours DaysEnergy (Kwh) kw/hr

Kwh/day Temp (F) PH EC

Plant Size (inch)

# Plants in system NOTES

9/14/2013 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.00 0 0 System Start!9/15/2013 29.5 1.2 6.7 0.23 5.45 70.5 6.2 0.7 0.5" 40 nursery system/ / y y9/20/2013 149 6.2 31 0.21 4.99 77 6.0 0.99/25/2013 260 10.8 48.8 0.19 4.50 65 6.4 0.9 1" 769/28/2013 341 14.2 66.4 0.19 4.67 69 5.5 1.19 1.5" 76 root growth10/2/2013 437 18.2 88 0.20 4.83 70.5 6.5 1.26 2" 76

MAX 437.0 18.2 88.0 0.2 5.5 77.0 6.5 1.3 76.0 MAXMIN 29.50 1.23 6.70 0.19 4.50 65.00 5.50 0.70 40.00 MIN

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MEAN 0.20 4.89 70.40 6.12 0.99 67.00 MEAN

Role of Renewable EnergyRole of Renewable Energy• My home has a 4.8 kwh

solar systemsolar system• Twenty Sunpower panels

at 10% pitch on flat roofP l i– Panel conversion efficiency exceeds 19%

• Meets about 70% of my total electric needstotal electric needs

• A good portion of my system energy costs (li hti f t )(lighting, pump, fans, etc.) are therefore off-set by solar

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C t B fitCost-Benefit Analysisy

Cost BenefitCost BenefitE3 GARDEN ‐ Cost‐Benefit AnalysisRevenues OPTIMISTIC PESSIMISTIC

Plant Unit type Number Retail/unit $/month Number Retail/unit $/monthLettuce head 96 $2 00 $192 00 96 $1 00 $96 00Lettuce head 96 $2.00 $192.00 96 $1.00 $96.00

Costs

TypeUnit 

measure Num/mo Cost/unit $/month Num/mo Cost/unit $/monthElectricity kwh 270 $           0.20  $         54.00  270 0.20 $54.00yWater gallon 50 $           0.01  $           0.50  50 $          0.01  $               0.50 Nutrients liters 0.2 $        12.00  $           2.40  0.2 $        12.00  $               2.40 HOH liters 0.1 $        26.31  $           2.63  0.1 $        26.31  $               2.63 AmQuel quart 0.025 $        20.00  $           0.50  0.025 $        20.00  $               0.50 Ph Down lbs 0.01 $           7.00  $           0.07  0.01 $          7.00  $               0.07 otherTOTAL Monthy COSTS $60.10 $60.10

Notes:  assumes a water change 2x per month

NET PROFIT PER MONTH $138 00 $42 00NET PROFIT PER MONTH $138.00 $42.00X12ANNUAL PROFIT $1,656.00 $504.00

ANNUAL PROFIT PER UNIT AREAArea=9x2.5 ft2 22.5 $73.60 per ft2 $22.40

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ANNUAL PROFIT PER UNIT AREA 2.5 ft2 22.5 $73.60 per ft2 $22.40

ANNUAL PROFIT PER 1000 FT2 $73,600.00 $22,400.00ANNUAL PROFIT PER 5000 FT2 $368,000.00 $112,000.00

My Next Steps

My Next Hydroponics ProjectsMy Next Hydroponics Projects

• Market-Oriented ProjectsMarket Oriented Projects– Shed Conversion– Small Solar GreenhouseSmall Solar Greenhouse– Medium to Large Land-

based Solar Greenhousebased Solar Greenhouse– Medium to Large Urban

Solar Greenhouse• Community Projects• Research Projects• Research Projects

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Shed Conversion600 Plant Production

80Size: 140 ft2

Small Solar-Enhanced System00 0 Pl P d i500-750 Plant Production

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Medium Solar-Enhanced System20 000 Pl P d i20,000 Plant Production

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Medium Scale Urban System(Gotham Greens – NYC)

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Medium Scale Urban System (Lufa Farms – Montreal CA)

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Other ProjectsOther Projects• Community Projects

– Work with community groups to create projects that can promote empowerment and training through food production marketfood production, market development

– Convert existing vacant lots to CEAspaces using hydroponicsspaces using hydroponics

• Research Projects– Maximize utilization of solar in

j ti ith l t d ticonjunction with plant production– Examine different types of design

architectures to manage heating d li tand cooling costs

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Y N tYour Next Stepsp

Next StepsNext Steps• ReadRead• Buy a hobby kit

Build your own system• Build your own system• Connect through social networks• Volunteer• Resourcesesou ces

– e3garden.com

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Contact Info: E i W St i Ph DEric W. Stein, Ph.D.

E il Email: estein@ericwstein.com eric@e3garden.com

Phone: 610-246-8874 Twitter: ericsteinphdericsteinphd e3garden

Skype: cire3500 Web: Web: e3garden.com ericwstein.com

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Food for Thought!Food for Thought!

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