Data underlying the publication: Synergetic Urban Agriculture: life cycle based design of vertical farms integrated in urban energy systems

Vertical farming systems come with substantial electricity usage for artificial lighting and climate control, resulting in a high carbon footprint. The paper supported by this dataset explores strategies to reduce these emissions, with a primary focus on integrating vertical farms with energy systems. The study examines four scenarios for Amsterdam, considering emissions from crop consumption and energy use. Scenarios I and II use existing energy systems, and crop production with conventional farms (I) or vertical farms (II). In scenario III and IV, the vertical farms are in synergy with the city that uses vertical farm residual heat for building heating. In addition, the vertical farm aligns electricity use with renewable energy availability in scenario IV. <br>The results show a 36% increase of the carbon footprint of Amsterdam with vertical farming for crop production. These impacts are reduced by 13% when using their residual heat in district heat networks. Attuning vertical farm electricity usage to address grid imbalances increased the carbon emissions, raising a crucial debate on the primary focus of attuned electricity usage. Establishing vertical farms in cities requires careful consideration of location, crop selection, light use efficiency, and residual heat reuse to minimise carbon emissions. The added emissions should be weighed against vertical farm benefits such as food security, efficient land-use, and attuned electricity usage. <br>The methodology consists of 7 steps, the methodology diagram is presented in tab 'METHOD'.Step 1 calculates the carbon footprint of farming systems producing each of the five selected crops: lettuce, potato, tomato, strawberry and cucumber. Representing the crop groups leavy greens, strachy vegetables, red vegetables and fruits, berries, and other vegetables, respectively. Step 1a collects the life cycle inventory (LCI) data required to calculate the carbon footprints of vegetables and fruits produced with conventional farming systems in the Netherlands: open field farming (OF), soil-based greenhouse horticulture (GHs), and greenhouse horticulture using artificial light in addition to natural light (GHa). <br>Step 1b and 1c focus on the LCI data of the VF. The carbon footprints of three vertical farms are compared; VFI, VFII, and VFIII. These three VFs produce lettuce and no full life cycle data was available for the other crops included in the research. Therefore, the life cycle data of the VFs producing lettuce wwas used to approximate the carbon footprints of VFs when producing potato, tomato, strawberry and cucumber.<br>Steps 2 to 5 calculations the carbon emissions of the 4 different scenarios, including the emissions related to vegetable and fruit consumption and energy use in the city. The GHG emissions of the four scenarios are defined in kg CO2-eq per capita per year. <br>The four scenarios for the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, include: I. Reference city: the vegetables and fruits consumed within the city are produced using conventional farming systems, including open-field farming and greenhouse horticulture. The energy needs are met using existing systems, a mixture of fossil- and renewable-powered systems.II. Vertical Farm city: the vegetables and fruits consumed within the city are produced using only VFs, while the energy systems remain unchanged.III. Synergetic Vertical Farm city: the vegetables and fruits consumed within the city are produced using only VFs that are in synergy with the city, using the farm’s residual heat to replace the existing heating systems in the city. IV. Attuned Synergetic Vertical Farm city: in addition to scenario III, the VF’s electricity usage is attuned to the availability of renewable energy in the grid. <br>

垂直农业系统（Vertical Farming）需为人工照明与气候调控消耗大量电力，由此带来较高的碳足迹（carbon footprint）。本数据集支撑的研究旨在探索削减此类排放的策略，核心聚焦于垂直农场与能源系统的整合。该研究以阿姆斯特丹为对象，设置了四种场景，考量作物消费与能源使用产生的排放。场景I与II采用现有能源系统，分别以传统农场（场景I）或垂直农场（场景II）开展作物生产。在场景III与IV中，垂直农场与城市实现协同，将农场余热用于建筑供暖；场景IV进一步使垂直农场的电力使用与可再生能源供给相匹配。
研究结果显示，阿姆斯特丹若采用垂直农业开展作物生产，其碳足迹将提升36%。若将农场余热接入区域供热管网（district heat networks）加以利用，该负面影响可降低13%。但调整垂直农场电力使用以平衡电网负荷反而会增加碳排放，这引发了关于电力调度优化核心目标的重要争议。在城市中布局垂直农场需审慎考量选址、作物选择、光照利用效率以及余热回用等因素，以最大限度降低碳排放。新增的碳排放需与垂直农业的优势（如粮食安全、土地高效利用、电力调度适配性等）进行权衡。
本研究方法共包含7个步骤，方法学图示见于「METHOD」标签页。步骤1计算5种选定作物——生菜、马铃薯、番茄、草莓与黄瓜——的种植系统碳足迹，分别对应叶菜类、薯类蔬菜、鲜果类、浆果类与其他蔬菜作物类别。步骤1a收集荷兰传统种植系统所产果蔬的碳足迹计算所需的生命周期清单（Life Cycle Inventory, LCI）数据，传统种植系统包括露地种植（Open Field, OF）、土壤基温室园艺（GHs）以及兼顾自然光与人工光照的温室园艺（GHa）。
步骤1b与1c聚焦垂直农场的生命周期清单数据。本研究对比了3座垂直农场（VF I、VF II与VF III）的碳足迹，这3座农场仅生产生菜，且其余研究涉及作物暂无完整生命周期数据，因此本研究采用生产生菜的垂直农场生命周期数据，近似估算其生产马铃薯、番茄、草莓与黄瓜时的碳足迹。
步骤2至5计算4种场景的碳排放，涵盖城市内果蔬消费与能源使用相关的排放。4种场景的温室气体排放量以千克二氧化碳当量（kg CO₂-eq）/人/年为单位。
荷兰阿姆斯特丹的4种场景具体如下：
I. 基准城市：市内消费的果蔬采用传统种植系统生产，包括露地种植与温室园艺，能源需求由现有化石能源与可再生能源混合的系统供给。
II. 垂直农场城市：市内消费的果蔬仅由垂直农场生产，能源系统保持不变。
III. 协同垂直农场城市：市内消费的果蔬仅由与城市协同的垂直农场生产，利用农场余热替代城市现有供暖系统。
IV. 调度协同垂直农场城市：在场景III的基础上，垂直农场的电力使用与电网可再生能源供给相匹配。