In a recent CEAg article, “How Vertical Farmers Can Reduce Energy Costs with Smart Controls,” ERI Senior Engineer Gretchen Schimelpfenig explores how smart control systems are transforming energy management for California’s indoor agriculture operations. The article highlights ERI’s leadership in a CalNEXT-funded research study—backed by PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E—focused on evaluating the effectiveness of integrated control technologies in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) settings.
As detailed in the article, ERI is currently conducting field demonstrations at multiple facilities, including Fungaia Farm, a vertical mushroom farm in Eureka, CA. There, our team deployed an advanced package of Microclimates software, environmental sensors, and circuit-level energy monitors to collect granular performance data. These systems help growers maintain ideal conditions while tracking real-time energy consumption across lighting, HVAC, and humidification systems—insights that were previously unavailable through manual control methods.
The article outlines six key smart control strategies under evaluation, including dimming and spectral tuning for horticultural lighting, variable-speed fan and pump controls, optimized HVAC setpoints, and sensor-driven irrigation. By validating the energy savings potential of each approach, ERI is not only helping individual growers improve efficiency, but also supporting the development of utility incentive programs that can make these technologies more accessible to operations of all sizes.
For growers and utility clients interested in actionable, field-tested solutions, this article provides a technical overview of where the CEA sector is headed. The integration of smart controls aligns with the top investment priorities identified by indoor growers—energy efficiency, remote monitoring, and data-driven decision-making.
To learn more and read the full article, visit CEAg World:
How Vertical Farmers Can Reduce Energy Costs with Smart Controls