MASDAR CITY - ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2009

location: Masdar City, Abu Dhabi
site area: 9.300 m²
high: 30 m

The closed greenhouse systems under controlled atmosphere represent the most innovative solution in the field of vegetable cultivation under protected environment (protected crops). Such technology maximises at the same time microclimate, productivity, food quality and energy, water and CO2 savings. In the Solar Farm, the energy needed for plant growing is totally generated through RES (PV, geothermal energy, biogas from solid wastes). Moreover, the closed and controlled greenhouse, supplied by sustainable energy technologies integrated in the solar farm complex, represents an outstanding scientific, economic, environmental and social opportunity for the food agriculture of the Third Millennium. Our proposal, sponsored by ENEA, of a closed and controlled system, Solar Farm, allows all kind of agricultural productions, from leafy plants to fruits and tubers, including medical plants. More in detail, Solar Farm allows to satisfy the daily energy (1800 kcal per day) and vitamins needs (vitamin C and A) of roughly 3,000 people. More in general, Solar Farm provides the recommended vitamins daily allowance for roughly 42,000 thousand people (under the basis of 100 mg per day per person of vit. C and 800 µg per day per person of vit. A).