How Much Does It Cost To Build A Vertical Farm
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Vertical Farm
Imagine it’s 2030. Climate change is intensifying and the world has turned its attention to agriculture, hoping to find ways of increasing the yield of crops while taking up less space. The vertical farm has become an important part of that solution. But how much do vertical farms cost to build in the first place? Let’s take a look at some costs involved with a vertical farm.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Vertical Farm?
So, what is a vertical farm?
A vertical farm is a structure that houses crops indoors in tiers upon multi-level shelves – usually in an urban environment.
How much does it cost to build a vertical farm?
In terms of the estimated price of building one, you need to start by considering the cost of land and permits (which may vary widely depending on location). Then there’s the matter of choosing your equipment—from lighting systems to irrigation systems—and labor costs for installing them. Finally, consider how much electricity your plant’s growing area will use each month and make sure you can afford this expense before getting started!
The Cost of a Vertical Farm Varies
The cost of building a vertical farm varies based on the size of the farm, the location and the number of crops grown. The average price for a smaller structure is between $300,000 and $500,000. The larger farms can have costs between $1 million and $2 million.
Vertical farms are becoming popular because they can grow more crops in small spaces than traditional farming methods can produce with land that is already being used for agriculture.
Labor Costs
Labor costs are the largest part of the cost of building a vertical farm. Labor costs are also the most variable cost, meaning that it depends on the size of your farm and what type of farm you’re building. For example, if you’re building a smaller-scale operation (say, 1/5 acre), then labor costs will be relatively low compared with larger farms because there won’t be as many people involved in operating your farm. If you’re planning on building a larger-scale operations (say 2 acres), then labor costs will be higher since there will be more people involved in running such an operation
Systems Costs
These costs will depend on the size of your farm and how much energy it needs. In general, you should expect to pay $20-30 per square foot in systems costs. For example, if you have a 10,000 square foot farm that requires 60 watts per square foot and has similar system requirements as those used in our example calculations above, the cost would be approximately $260,000.
However, energy prices vary considerably depending on location. A small vertical farm located within walking distance of solar panels could reduce its fossil fuel usage by over 90%. If that same small vertical farm had access to geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling purposes (which are also more efficient than electric heating/cooling), then it could probably save around 50% or more on its power bill compared to what would otherwise be required by other forms of farming.[5]
It can cost a lot to build a vertical farm, so it is important to be informed.
It can cost a lot to build a vertical farm, so it is important to be informed. The good news is that there are many resources available online that can help you make an informed decision about what type of vertical farming system would work best for your business model and location.
We hope that this article has helped you understand how much it costs to build a vertical farm. The cost of a vertical farm varies based on the location, size, and other factors. However, we do know that it is possible to build a vertical farm for less than $10 million dollars!