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Republic Polytechnic
Agri-Food Innovation

Modular Greenhouse Farming System

A modular greenhouse farming system that is installed on hot concrete rooftops. The system provides an optimal growth environment for selected crops through its unique design and systems.

Field of bok choy under a greenhouse roof, with rooftop background.

Technology overview

Currently, Singapore is only producing 13% of our vegetable consumption and relies mainly on imports. The scarcity of land and high concrete built-up areas present a unique opportunity where unused or under-utilised outdoor spaces can be unlocked for agricultural purposes. (e.g. rooftops of buildings and carparks). Greenhouses can produce pesticide-free vegetables in these concrete urban spaces. However, greenhouse typically heats up quickly, especially on concrete rooftops where temperatures can go up to 45 degrees Celsius, which is not conducive for growing vegetables.

RP has developed a modular rooftop greenhouse farming system which enables an optimal growth environment for selected vegetables through the unique design, the hydroponic system and passive cooling methods.

Technology features

  • Employs a hydroponic system which optimises vegetable growth through improved uptake of oxygen from the nutrient solution. It is easy to set up and requires minimal maintenance.

  • The fabric materials and the design of the modular greenhouse, together with a cooling pod, enable the reduction of the temperature of the nutrient solution by about 20%.

  • Dimension of the modular system is 2.5m x 5m with an approximate production rate of 30kg of produce per month.

  • Allows monitoring and control of the microclimate (temperature, humidity, etc) through the use of cost-effective IoT sensors and automation.

Potential applications

  • Roofs of carparks, schools, apartments and factories.

  • Any empty concrete spaces can be converted into temporary/permanent arable land for growing produce.

  • Can be further optimised for application on high-value crops.

Benefits

  • Pesticide-free produce.

  • Minimal human intervention with Internet of Things (IoT) and automation.

  • Can be set up or scaled up within a short period.

Commercialisation

  • This technology is available for licensing and technology transfer.

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