Indoor Agriculture is a technology-based approach toward food and plant-based products production. The aim is to provide protection and maintain optimal growing conditions throughout the development of the crop.

Production takes place within an enclosed growing structure such as a greenhouse or building. Plants are often grown using hydroponic methods in order to supply the proper amounts of water and nutrients to the root zone.

Facilities can range from fully 100% environmentally controlled enclosed closed loop systems, to fully automated glasshouses with computer controls for watering, lighting and ventilation, to low-tech solutions such as cloches or plastic film on field grown crops and plastic-covered tunnels

♦  If all indoor agriculture lighting today was converted to LED technology, consumption would be reduced to 6.3 TWh of site electricity, or 60 tBtu of source energy, which represents lighting energy savings of 34% or $350 million annually.

♦  Multiple technologies are used for indoor agriculture, including hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaculture, and aquaponics.

♦  Indoor agriculture facilities are used to grow literally any crop, though the reality is a crop has to be economically viable and this will vary considerably due to local market pricing, and resource costs.