DC-Farming
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB - RISE SICS North |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 4 633 813 |
| Project duration | November 2018 - June 2021 |
| Status | Completed |
Purpose and goal
DC-farming has the aim to identify technical, economic and social synergies between the greenhouse and the data center industry, which are two different industrial silos that often do not have synergistic connections. The aim has been to study the possibilities for competitive and sustainable cultivation of edible produce in the Nordic countries. This is because of the region’s low self-sufficiency in these foods and consequent high demands for south European imports of fresh produce.
Expected results and effects
DC-farming has resulted in a design guideline for the establishment of a data center-greenhouse, addressing the areas: current needs, opportunities, stakeholder roles, design inspiration and location possibilities. It has been disseminated nationally and internationally, and is available in both digital and physical formats. Two scientific articles have also been created, one published in the journal Energy and the other under review in the journal MDPI Sustainability, both with the aim of clarifying the obstacles and opportunities associated with a data center-greenhouse.
Planned approach and implementation
DC-farming has been carried out as a collaborative project between Luleå University of Technology (LTU), The FoodPrint Lab Architects (FPL) and ICE data center (RISE), where RISE was responsible for data center knowledge and coordination, FPL for urban planning, farming competence and network, LTU for calculation and construction knowledge, and their capacity for design processes and control. Within the project, 4 workshops were conducted for data collection and dissemination, which was the basis for calculations, development of simulators and design studies.