Viktor Shuleshko, the founder of vertical farms in Dnipro Green Future, said that thanks to his own invention of agro-lighting, his farm became the most energy-efficient in the world – 30% more efficient than other industry leaders. Electricity costs make up 60% of cultivation costs, and to reduce consumption, modernization of lighting systems is necessary, he said in an interview for LIGA.net.
It is noted that the production is located in a basement with an area of 300 m2, with a ceiling height of 5 meters. The growing system is divided into modules, namely four levels of racks with a total area of 16 m2. The farm is designed for 20,000 plants.
The main challenges for Shuleshko and other farmers at the moment are power supply interruptions and the price of electricity (10 hryvnias per kilowatt-hour), which significantly increases the cost of production. In order to find an energy-efficient solution, Shuleshko travels to greenhouse plants in Ukraine, conducts experiments, and tests various lamps.
"Energy consumption can be reduced only by modernizing lighting systems. We develop the most effective agricultural lighting systems in the world, and it is proven. From the experience of our own laboratory and testing lighting modes, we came up with very cool indicators. We are now 30% more efficient than the coolest vertical farms in the world," said the farmer.
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