60
3 Everyday Activities in the Green World
feeding the expanding population. Locally grown vegetables contributed to
approximately 7% of consumption and showed how vertical farming used in
Sky Greens was the first water-powered low-carbon hydraulic urban vertical
farm (Nichols 2014). It reduced the size of land and the quantity of energy
needed for traditional farming methods.
Sky Greens was designed by engineer Jack Ng and runs on a Sky Urban
Vertical Farming System. It is a modern innovative idea that makes use
of gravity and rainwater. A water-pulley system is used in the farm with
38 growing troughs revolving around an aluminum tower of about nine
meters tall. The role of the rotating troughs is to ensure that there is an
even distribution of sunlight for all the plants. The water used for turning
the troughs is also essential for plant nourishment (Despommier 2013).
The flooding method is used for irrigating and fertilizing the plants, thus
eliminating the need for sprinklers. This is crucial for eliminating water
and electricity wastage because of runoffs. It is estimated that about only
half a liter of water is needed for rotating the entire vertical structure. This
water is in an enclosed reservoir system and is often reused. Also, only 40W electricity is required for powering one tower. From this case study, it
is apparent that vertical farming offers an environmentally sound solution
that can be replicated globally (see Fig. 3.3). With the mission of providing
enhanced agricultural solutions with less impact on energy, water, and land
resources, this can enable cities that experience food scarcity to achieve food
security and enhance a low-carbon footprint in agriculture.
Fig. 3.3 Sky Greens facility. Source: Sky Greens (2014)
3 Everyday Activities in the Green World
feeding the expanding population. Locally grown vegetables contributed to
approximately 7% of consumption and showed how vertical farming used in
Sky Greens was the first water-powered low-carbon hydraulic urban vertical
farm (Nichols 2014). It reduced the size of land and the quantity of energy
needed for traditional farming methods.
Sky Greens was designed by engineer Jack Ng and runs on a Sky Urban
Vertical Farming System. It is a modern innovative idea that makes use
of gravity and rainwater. A water-pulley system is used in the farm with
38 growing troughs revolving around an aluminum tower of about nine
meters tall. The role of the rotating troughs is to ensure that there is an
even distribution of sunlight for all the plants. The water used for turning
the troughs is also essential for plant nourishment (Despommier 2013).
The flooding method is used for irrigating and fertilizing the plants, thus
eliminating the need for sprinklers. This is crucial for eliminating water
and electricity wastage because of runoffs. It is estimated that about only
half a liter of water is needed for rotating the entire vertical structure. This
water is in an enclosed reservoir system and is often reused. Also, only 40W electricity is required for powering one tower. From this case study, it
is apparent that vertical farming offers an environmentally sound solution
that can be replicated globally (see Fig. 3.3). With the mission of providing
enhanced agricultural solutions with less impact on energy, water, and land
resources, this can enable cities that experience food scarcity to achieve food
security and enhance a low-carbon footprint in agriculture.
Fig. 3.3 Sky Greens facility. Source: Sky Greens (2014)