DYNA-GROW: Dynamic lighting system and sustainable energy solutions for smart plant cultivation

DYNA-GROW is developing an intelligent lighting system for greenhouses and indoor farms with artificial lighting (PFAL = Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting). An optical sensor measures the plants' current light requirements non-destructively in real time. Data-based algorithms generate dynamic settings for light intensity and light spectrum on this basis. Lighting management is adapted to the availability of renewable energies. A life cycle analysis and life cycle cost calculation are carried out to assess the ecological and economic impacts.

The results of the project form the basis for optimizing the decision-making system and enable customized production planning in different regions and countries.

A major advantage of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is its high productivity. However, CEA is energy-intensive, and static lighting systems are often used that are not adapted to species-specific and phase-dependent needs. At the same time, energy markets are changing: volatile renewable energy sources require flexible production systems. This is where DYNA-GROW comes in, recording the actual light requirements of plants in real time and dynamically linking lighting to the availability of renewable energies. The result is stable, efficient, and sustainable cultivation processes.

In practice, this means that demand-driven lighting reduces energy consumption and thus operating costs, while yields and quality increase. The system supports predictable production despite fluctuating energy supplies, adapts light settings to the growth phase, target harvest, and demand, and enables regionally tailored strategies for greenhouses and indoor farms.

• Chiba University (Japan)
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain)