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Nadia Sabeh By Nadia Sabeh|October 21, 2022

Dr. Greenhouse, Inc., a provider of state-of-the-art HVAC design and controls solutions for indoor grows, vertical farms, and greenhouses, has released a new “Literature Review of Energy and Water Use in Controlled Environment Horticulture and Potential Efficiency Opportunities.”

The collaboration among Dr. Greenhouse, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and 2050 Partners aims to provide an overview of previously published works, specifically the current state of knowledge about the controlled-environment horticulture (CEH) industry and its energy and water use. In addition, the literature review identifies potential energy-saving measures for consideration in future California Energy Code cycles as they relate to greenhouses and indoor farms used to grow vegetables, ornamentals, cannabis, and other crops.

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“The Dr. Greenhouse team worked to identify and review literature across the CEH industry to present opportunities for higher energy and resource efficiency and improved crop quality and yield,” notes Dr. Nadia Sabeh. “It is rare – but tremendously valuable – to have the opportunity to do this kind of focused survey of existing research and the state of the industry. This study will help to ensure that future energy research investments address remaining knowledge gaps and data needs to support energy code development and technological advances in the CEH market.”

Developed for greenhouses and indoor plant environments without sunlight, the key findings of the literature review include:

  • Best management practices are not well-established, especially for new crops and indoor farms without sunlight.
  • A lack of energy use data collected from operating CEH facilities limits the development of effective computer models for estimating and predicting current and future energy use.
  • Energy codes and standards across California and the U.S. are varied and inconsistent (click here for a related article!).
  • CEH facilities do not disclose HVAC energy and dehumidification performance metrics, limiting evaluation of product energy use effectiveness.
  • Energy-savings opportunities exist for lighting, envelope, HVAC, irrigation, and controls, with new opportunities needing additional investigation.

The goals of the literature review can be far-reaching, Sabeh says.

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“As an emerging industry with rapidly advancing technologies and operational practices, the entire CEH industry benefits from the sharing of what works best for indoor crop production.”

The Project Sponsor is Andrew Doeschot of PG&E. The Project Manager is Coleman Stivers of 2050 Partners. The Primary Authors are Nadia Sabeh, Derrick Ross, Lydia Miner, and Sam Everett of Dr. Greenhouse, Inc., with additional contributions from Steffi Becking and Garth Torvestad of 2050 Partners. Contact Andrew Doeschot for more information on the project.

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Dr. Nadia Sabeh is the President and Founder of Dr. Greenhouse, Inc., a mechanical engineering firm specializing in the design of agricultural HVAC systems for indoor plant environments, including indoor grows, vertical farms, and greenhouses. Dr. Sabeh has designed specialized high-performance HVAC systems for plant-focused facilities across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. As the Principal of Dr. Greenhouse, Dr. Sabeh leads the company’s early-stage design charrettes, programming, mechanical systems design and integration and quality control of Construction Documents.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Sabeh has helped farmers control their environments to grow indoor crops such as cannabis, strawberries, leafy greens, and vine crops in locations that, previously, would have been impossible or impractical.

As a nationally recognized engineer, researcher and educator, Dr. Sabeh is a keynote speaker and leads expert panels at industry events and conferences.  She also advises regulatory boards and standards developers, including serving as Chair of the co-sponsored committees from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) tasked with developing the standard “HVAC for Indoor Plant Environments Without Sunlight.”

Dr. Sabeh has a robust online presence, including on YouTube and the popular “The Doctor Is In” podcast, where she interviews industry and academic leaders to discuss technology and innovation, emerging research and successful strategies in the design, construction, and operation of economically competitive facilities.

Dr. Sabeh received her Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) and is a Mechanical Engineer licensed in California and Ohio. See all author stories here.