Estimate vertical-farm electricity cost from lighting and non-lighting loads, operating schedules, farm area, and electricity price. Separate load groups make it easier to see daily energy intensity and how much of the bill comes from grow lights.
Percent inputs are divided by 100 in the calculation. Unit conversions are shown in the results where applicable.
The estimate separates scheduled lighting energy from continuously averaged HVAC, pumps, dehumidification, and other loads. It helps compare operating scenarios but does not include utility demand charges.
For a better estimate, replace the combined non-lighting load with an average measured from interval-meter data.
At 35 W/sq ft across 5,000 sq ft for 16 hours/day, plus a 45 kW average other load, 30-day use is 116,400 kWh and cost at $0.14/kWh is $16,296.
Yes, as a scenario estimate. Replace the defaults with measured operating data and keep a separate contingency for variability.
Calculate shorter periods with consistent assumptions, then add the period results. This is more reliable than using one blended value.
Use the most likely measured value for the base case, then recalculate with conservative and optimistic assumptions to see the planning range.
Equipment performance, biological variation, environmental conditions, measurement error, and downtime can all move the actual result.
No. The calculation runs in your browser and this page does not need to send the entered values to a server.
| Input | Unit | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting power | W/sq ft | Used in the vertical farm energy cost estimate |
| Lit grow area | sq ft | Used in the vertical farm energy cost estimate |
| Lighting hours per day | hours | Used in the vertical farm energy cost estimate |
| Other average load | kW | Used in the vertical farm energy cost estimate |
| Electricity price | $/kWh | Used in the vertical farm energy cost estimate |
| Billing period | days | Used in the vertical farm energy cost estimate |