The economic and carbon emission benefits of container farms under different photovoltaic storage configurations

Abstract

With climate change and the urbanised population increasing, people choose to use Container Farms (CFs) to secure a stable supply of vegetables in the city, while maintaining the man-made environment implies a large amount of energy consumption and carbon emission. Therefore, this study is the first to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) of CFs to establish a carbon footprint model. Considering the energy supply side and innovating since the existing research, an optimization model for optical storage operation strategy applicable to CFs is innovatively proposed with the goal of carbon reduction and economy, and the commonly used algorithms are analysed to give a suitable choice. Finally, calculations are performed for cities in six ASHRAE climate zones to verify the feasibility of the algorithm. It is found that CFs in six geographic locations emit 470.57 t–974.64 t of carbon over a 25-year service life, of which the operation phase accounts for about 98 %. Meanwhile, the addition of a photovoltaic storage system can reduce carbon emissions by 12–40 %. In terms of economics, Beijing has the highest Net present value (NPV) (￥42,154.99) and the shortest payback period PP, which is about 3.5 years on average, and other cities can achieve no loss in the use cycle. This study quantifies the carbon emissions from CFs and provides a solution for the sustainable development of urban agriculture, as well as a guide for its green energy use.