A vertical farming facility in western Ukraine has found a way to grow leafy greens year-round without relying on a conventional heating system.
Green Wave Organic, based in the Lviv region, uses energy from LED grow lights to maintain optimal temperatures in its greenhouse. According to co-owner Volodymyr Novyi, the company has implemented a closed-loop system that captures and reuses excess heat.
"When we started, LEDs were expensive, so we used them selectively," Novyi said in the interview. "But in 2021, prices dropped, and we upgraded our lighting across the entire facility. Today, 90% of the growing process is supported by artificial lighting."
This increase in lighting intensity allowed the introduction of heat pumps, which transfer surplus energy into a large storage tank. When the lighting is off, the same pumps draw that stored energy to warm the facility. The system generates 5–12 MWh of heat daily at 35–40°C.
This thermal energy can also be reused commercially, for drying products or heating buildings.
The facility also uses a closed-loop water system, minimizing consumption and waste.
Source: agrotimes.ua