[eadan]

The problem with vertical farming is where does the energy come from? An acre of solar panels is not capable of supplying enough energy to grow an acre of crops, even with the efficiency gains we've had in photovoltaics and lighting with wavelengths tuned to crop growth. What's the point in having fields of solar panels when we could have smaller greenhouses filled with crops? If only nuclear energy was politically viable in the west we could have vertical farming and so much more.

[aalleavitch]

We're closer than you'd think. Chlorophyll is only something like 28% efficient at absorbing sunlight, we have experimental solar panels pushing 45%. Collecting wavelengths the plants don't use and then lighting them only in wavelengths they do use has a significant potential for efficiency gains, though we're not quite there yet...

[m4rtink]

Well, can't easily grow crops on untreated desert ground, but easy to put solar panels there to power your enclosed vertical farm.

[aalleavitch]

Yes, soil, temperature, and weather control are huge, as is the lack of need for pesticides. Hard to over-state how much controlled environments can improve yields and crop quality and reduce costs of maintenance (in return for large initial capital investment).

[afiori]

My understanding is that this is how the Netherlands became one of the biggest food exporters of the EU