Vertical farm investors start to realize artificial light is expensive
What’s the world’s cheapest light source? Well, sunlight is free. But vertical farms have bet their future on the notion that vegetables can be grown more safely, more efficiently, and more deliciously indoors. And that means paying for light. This week, Bloomberg Green examines the promise—and pitfalls—of the indoor farming industry, a few years after the peak of the hype cycle. Turns out, while the process saves a ton of water, it also uses a lot of energy powering grow lights for 12-16 hours a day. The story’s subheading says it best: “The industry promised to tackle world hunger. But all it may end up delivering for now is expensive basil and perhaps some better quality marijuana.”
