One Square Meter Yield: A Hydroponic System Design

Abstract: Vertical hydroponic farming is a developing sector that has the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of conventional farming while also meeting the demands of rapidly urbanizing populations. The global food system is responsible for up to 30% of anthropogenic GHG emissions, with primary production accounting for the majority of these emissions. Hydroponic farming is a type of crop production in which the plants grow without the use of soil. It is mainly done indoors. Hydroponic production has various advantages for the food system, including water efficiency, space efficiency, year-round production, and system productivity. Despite many advantages mentioned in the literature, hydroponic farming has certain drawbacks, including a reliance on electricity to grow, a limited choice of crops appropriate for hydroponic cultivation, and a higher product price.This paper examines the obstacles and describes how integrated modular farms might be implemented in Sweden to improve urban food resilience. This project aims to design a modular solution for a closed hydroponic farm using various data gathering and design methodologies. In one year, the designed hydroponic system generates about one ton of lettuce in a one-square-meter area while saving 91.27% of water compared to conventional farming methods. The secondary goal was to assess the designed system's long -term viability interms of social, environmental, and economic sustainability indicators and study the structure from an engineering standpoint.