Current, Powered by GE and Stockbridge Technology Centre Partner to Research the Farm of the Future
October 16 2018 - 4:00AM
Business Wire
- Stockbridge Technology Centre’s
Vertical Farming Development Facility to enable growers to test and
model their individual urban farm setup prior to investment
- Aims to propel the success of the
vertical farming industry, projected to be worth $13.9 billion USD
in 20241 and generate more “farmable land” to address future global
food production pressures
- Current by GE’s Arize LED horticulture
solution will help researchers test growth of crops such as leafy
greens and herbs in different conditions
Current, powered by GE (NYSE: GE) today celebrated the opening
of CHAP’s new Vertical Farming Development Facility, supported by
Innovate UK and based at Stockbridge Technology Centre (STC), which
leverages the company’s Arize horticultural lighting solution to
propel commercial urban farming success in the UK. The
state-of-the-art research facility, located in Selby, North
Yorkshire, is designed to help entrepreneurs, growers and investors
gain deeper insight into the technology and environmental
parameters needed to optimise crop yields before breaking ground on
their own vertical farming operations.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181016005230/en/
Stockbridge Technology Centre's Vertical
Farming Development Facility (Photo: Business Wire)
Modelling the Farm of the Future
In its 2017 report, Global Market Insights, Inc. predicted that
the vertical farming industry (both indoor and outdoor
applications) will grow from revenue of $2.5 billion USD in 2017 to
$13.9 billion USD in 20241 and the new facility is designed to
support this trend. By testing the latest technology and approaches
relevant to this production model, the STC will improve the
industry’s understanding of ideal indoor farming crop light
requirements and growing conditions.
Potential investors and vertical farmers can work with STC’s
plant scientists and vertical farming experts to identify and test
the perfect vertical farm setup to maximise their planned harvest’s
size, nutritional value and visual appeal. In a controlled
environment, they are able to monitor and tweak parameters such as
the length of the growing day, C02 concentration, humidity,
nutrients and temperature, to ensure that their proposed farm will
be commercially sustainable prior to construction. The resulting
data supports business planning activity and minimises risks
previously associated with vertical farming.
This “farm of the future”, built by systems integrator GrowStack
working in conjunction with TCE Electrical Ltd., is the latest
research initiative to be led by CHAP and Stockbridge Technology
Centre (STC), a pioneer in experimental and applied horticulture
research since the 1950s. Since its inception, STC has acted as a
bridge between academia and commerce, sharing valuable research and
insight that has helped to revolutionise farming practice in the
UK.
The installation contains two identical grow rooms - a total
growing area of 228m2 - with full climate control and a
recirculating hydroponics system as well as futuristic propagation
and germination rooms. Four tiers of cropping racks are lit by 780m
of Arize LED lighting, delivering a balanced spectrum of red and
blue wavelengths that will help boost the development of a broad
range of plants.
“As cities’ populations grow at an exponential rate, the demand
for fresh produce grows as well,” states Dr Rhydian Beynon-Davies,
head of novel growing systems at STC. “We have the potential to
grow more produce at an industrial scale within our cities and the
focus of this new facility is to support the growers who are taking
this bold step into the future of farming. By developing controlled
environment grow systems integrated with LED lighting, we can
demonstrate how, through technology, urban farming can improve the
supply and nutritional value of food in a way that is commercially
viable.”
Shining a Light on the Potential of Urban Farming with
Arize
“Over the years, Stockbridge Technology Centre has been at the
forefront of innovation, devoted to one of the most fundamental
industries in the UK – that of feeding the population,” comments
Malcolm Yare, Horticulture Business Development Manager for Current
by GE. “Light is critical to the success of any crop and by
focusing on combining the most effective wavelengths with the
optimal environmental conditions, we can help growers outpace
traditional methods by creating more “farmable space” in industrial
and urban areas, increasing global harvests in a way that is both
commercially and environmentally sustainable.”
The Arize range of horticulture solutions has been developed
based on Current by GE’s experience in intelligent, connected
industrial lighting, combined with extensive research and
collaboration with horticulture and agriculture experts. The lights
have been designed for easy, plug-and-play installation and are
also fully sealed and IP66 UL Wet rated for easy cleaning in
high-care, cleanroom environments. Arize lighting is one of the
most energy-efficient solutions on the market, using less energy to
power the LEDs and generating less heat to tax the facility’s
cooling systems. With a 36K-hour lifetime (L90) and five-year
warranty, the horticulture lighting solutions allow growers to
amortise their capital expenditure over a longer period for greater
return on investment.
Notes to editors:The Vertical Farming Development
Facility has been developed in partnership between the Crop Health
and Protection Centre (CHAP) and Stockbridge Technology Centre and
is supported by Innovate UK.
About Current, powered by GECurrent is the digital engine
for intelligent environments. A first-of-its-kind start-up within
the walls of GE (NYSE: GE), Current blends advanced LED technology
with networked sensors and software to make commercial buildings,
retail stores and industrial facilities more energy efficient &
digitally productive. Backed by the power of Predix*, GE’s platform
for the Industrial Internet, and a broad ecosystem of technology
partners, Current is helping businesses and cities unlock hidden
value and realize the potential of their environments.
www.currentbyge.com
For more information about Stockbridge Technology
Centre
www.stockbridgetechnology.co.uk
1 Global Market Insights, Inc. Insights Report 2017, “Vertical
Farming Market Size by Product, Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs,
Aquatic Species, By Technology, By Application, Industry Analysis
Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Price Trends,
Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 – 2024”
www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/vertical-farming-market
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181016005230/en/
Current, powered by GEKaren O’Neil, +1
857-265-9113karen.oneil@ge.comorRacepoint GlobalJenna Keighley, +44
208 811 2151CurrentEU@racepointglobal.com
GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024