Resource Innovation Institute Launches Major Collaboration Project Focused on CEA Advancements
Portland, OR - The Resource Innovation Institute (RII), a not-for-profit partnership dedicated to climate resilience, has unveiled the focus areas for its working groups under the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Accelerator Project. This initiative, financially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) and run in collaboration with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), aims to advance critical issues vital to the progression of CEA.
The CEA Accelerator Project enlists a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives from the public sector, academia, the private sector, and agricultural producers. The working groups will concentrate on vital aspects such as energy management strategies, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, and the exchange of high-tech greenhouse knowledge between global and U.S.-based producers.
"The long-term future of CEA depends upon the ongoing work we are doing to identify the tools and processes that best help growers leverage opportunities to increase efficiencies, meet day-to-day challenges, and expand the possibilities of current operations,” said Derek Smith, Executive Director of Resource Innovation Institute. "This year’s working groups will be focused on finding best practices for CEA operators to implement new technologies in crop management and automation, develop better energy management strategies, and glean knowledge from successful CEA efforts in Canada and the Netherlands."
The working groups include:
Energy Management Working Group
This group is examining the challenges and opportunities connected to energy management within CEA. Topics of focus include strategic energy management, peak reduction, decarbonisation and electrification, demand response, and distributed generation. The goal is to advise on and recommend forward-thinking strategies that CEA operations can adopt.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Advanced Robotics Working Group
With AI and robotics playing an ever-increasing role in agriculture, this working group is set to develop and recommend best practices for their application in CEA. The scope includes technologies in sensing and imaging, crop modelling, autonomous growing systems, data collection, and utility-price forecasting to optimise resource use.
Industry Working Group on High-Tech Greenhouse Knowledge Transfer
Dedicated to the exchange of expertise and best practices, this group aims to facilitate knowledge transfer between greenhouse producers in the U.S. and established markets in the Netherlands and Canada. This initiative seeks to empower U.S. producers with advanced greenhouse design and operational strategies to boost productivity, sustainability, and industry competitiveness.
Each working group is tasked with producing a Best Practices Guide to assist CEA operators in managing resources more effectively. This initiative commenced in May with the Energy Management Working Group's inaugural meeting and aims to complete its objectives by early 2025.
This venture builds upon years of collaboration involving RII, its members, academic partners, and greenhouse operators. Foundations laid by benchmarking, reports, and best practices developed through a grant funded by the USDA are now positioned to be scaled up for industry growth through this partnership.
For further details or to arrange an interview, individuals may contact Elyse Greenberg at [email protected].
The CEA Accelerator Project stands as a significant effort to drive innovation and collaboration in sectors crucial to sustainable agriculture, marking another step towards a resilient and efficient agricultural future in controlled environments.
Source: Noah Wire Services