Sustainable energy management for indoor farming in hot desert climates

Abstract

Achieving food self-sufficiency in hot desert climates requires year-round farming, which is challenging due to extreme weather, water scarcity, and limited arable land. Indoor soil-less farming can mitigate these issues by reducing land and water use but increases operational complexity and electricity needs for cooling, impacting economic sustainability. This paper presents a resource management system using Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) to simplify operations and optimize resources, alongside techno-economic analysis for economic viability. A case study on hydroponic tomato farming in hot deserts demonstrates that beyond a crop yield threshold (24.022 kg/m${}^2$), significantly more energy is required for marginal yield increases (e.g., 18% more electricity for a 0.35% yield increase). Despite higher energy use, the techno-economic analysis shows a net present value increase even with unsubsidized electricity. Thus, optimizing energy alongside water and nutrients is crucial for economic sustainability in indoor farming.