Oct 25, 2022
Editor’s Note: This is the final post of a three-part series in partnership with Schneider Electric (SE). It includes information derived from an interview between Agritecture and members of the SE team: Craig Der Ananian, Director of Business and Project Development; Lisa Causarano, International Accounts Manager; and Alex Hirsch, Energy Management Software Commercial Support leader. Read the first post “Decarbonizing The Food System With Smarter Energy Management” HERE and the second post “Indoor Ag Has an Energy Problem. Could Microgrids be the Solution? HERE.
Anyone familiar with the CEA industry is aware of the critical importance of energy in running an indoor vertical farm. Without consistent and reliable power, these farms can endure lower yields or even suffer a loss of crops, which translates to a loss of revenue.
As Craig Der Ananian, Director of Business and Project Development for Schneider Electric in North America, puts it, “Grow technology doesn’t allow for much downtime without product loss and resets.” To avoid possible downtime, having a detailed plan for energy usage throughout the farm, including in the project design phase, is key. One company that has decades of experience providing energy solutions to a wide variety of clients is Schneider Electric.
Many think of Schneider primarily for their innovative energy solutions, such as microgrids (covered more in a recent article here), but the company has a more holistic set of capabilities when it comes to the design and engineering of electrical infrastructure throughout new facilities. Schneider’s design and build team tells us that they can be extremely helpful before and throughout the building process and can be especially instrumental for newer start-up farms.
Electrical Infrastructure in CEA
Many buildings are not equipped to handle the power demands of a vertical farm or CEA operation. This can be a huge problem for operators - especially those who are less experienced in CEA, because they are unable to anticipate problems they might encounter in the building process. One common issue, for example, is operators not knowing exact voltage requirements for various vertical farming interior systems and components.
To solve these issues, Schneider Electric is positioning themselves as a holistic electrical infrastructure partner for any new CEA facility, helping to reduce risk of error and unforeseen project delays.
Names to Know: ETAP and NAM RAC
Every CEA operator should be speaking to two groups within Schneider Electric, believes International Accounts Manager Lisa Causarano. These two groups, NAM RAC and ETAP, can collectively partner with a new facility on the design, installation, monitoring, and operations of their electrical infrastructure.
First, Schneider Electric’s energy optimization software platform, also known as ETAP. Monitoring energy consumption is essential to running an efficient CEA farm. This modeling system begins with design, and from there moves to monitoring, prediction, control, optimization, and automation of energy use. The software learns from monitoring to optimize the farm’s efficiency. Eventually, after it gathers enough data, it is able to proactively control the farm’s electricity to prevent issues and electricity wastage from occurring.
“ETAP is used in mission-critical facilities to increase design efficiency and provide deep operational insight for decision-makers. ETAP enables efficient design, analysis, management, operations, and a complete digital transformation of projects while adapting to evolving system changes, accelerating productivity, and increasing efficiency while lowering total cost of ownership”, says Alex Hirsch, Schneider’s Energy Management Software Commercial Support leader.
Schneider’s North American Regional Application Center, also known as NAM RAC, is an equally valuable asset to CEA operators. In working with this Schneider division, Der Ananian says, “A company can expect to get a holistic design and build construction service” when it comes to the project development, design engineering, construction estimating, project delivery of electrical infrastructure.
By combining the design and build processes, Schneider Electric gives growers the unique ability to work with a single provider for both services, meaning they can expect a more streamlined planning process. On top of deep experience in similar building applications like data centers, NAM RAC has real-world experience in the vertical farming space as well, having completed projects for notable CEA companies including Bowery Farming and Fifth Season.
Combining NAM RAC’s services with high-tech solutions like ETAP’s digital twin capabilities, Schneider Electric can provide the highest quality solutions for the design, build, analysis, management, and operations of an electrical system. Craig Der Ananian emphasizes the impact of Schneider’s innovation: “By combining project development, design engineering, construction estimating, and project delivery, companies can expect to deal with fewer value chain players while expediting project timelines.” Because, when it comes down to it, time equals money.
Launch Facilities More Effectively with Schneider Electric
One of the biggest challenges to scaling CEA is the time it takes to get new farms up and running. The more parties a CEA operator must deal with on the design, engineering, and construction of a facility, the more likely things are to fall through the cracks, or for disagreements to emerge between the different partners. This is what leads to project delays, not to mention wasted costs.
Additionally, infrastructure for CEA facilities is extremely complicated. The building and the systems within it must all integrate well to operate smoothly and cost-effectively. The infrastructure also must be able to function within countless scenarios.
Schneider Electric can offer new CEA facilities a comprehensive solution when it comes to electrical infrastructure and energy management. Schneider has the experience and the team in place to make the key decisions necessary to complete a project faster.
With current lead time challenges and supply chain disruptions, this is becoming even more critical today. Schneider provides the highest quality solutions for the design, analysis, management, and operations of an electrical system. Their experience in the CEA space can be an asset to new and experienced farmers, and their diverse array of services makes them a valuable partner for any CEA endeavor.