Data underlying the publication: Life cycle based design of vertical farms integrated in synergy with 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>

垂直农场（Vertical Farming, VF）系统在人工照明与气候调控上需消耗大量电力，因而碳足迹较高。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耦合集成。该研究以荷兰阿姆斯特丹为研究对象，设置四种场景以考量作物消费与能源使用带来的排放。场景I与II采用现有能源系统，作物生产分别采用传统农场（场景I）或垂直农场（场景II）。场景III与IV中，垂直农场与城市实现协同，利用农场的余热为城市建筑供暖；其中场景IV进一步将垂直农场的电力使用与电网可再生能源供给情况相匹配。

研究结果显示，若阿姆斯特丹的作物生产全部采用垂直农场模式，其城市碳足迹将提升36%。若将垂直农场的余热用于区域供热网络，则可将该负面影响降低13%。而通过调整垂直农场电力使用以应对电网失衡的策略，反而会增加碳排放，这引发了关于电力调优策略核心优先级的重要争议。在城市中布局垂直农场需审慎考量选址、作物选择、光能利用效率及余热回用等要素，以尽可能降低碳排放。同时需将新增的碳排放与垂直农场带来的效益（如粮食安全、土地高效利用及电力调优能力）进行综合权衡。

本研究的方法论共包含7个步骤，方法论示意图置于「METHOD」标签页中。步骤1用于计算五种选定作物（生菜、马铃薯、番茄、草莓与黄瓜）各自由不同种植系统生产时的碳足迹。上述五种作物分别对应叶菜类、薯类蔬菜、果蔬类、浆果类及其他蔬菜五大作物类别。

步骤1a用于收集荷兰传统种植系统下果蔬生产所需的生命周期清单（Life Cycle Inventory, LCI）数据，此类传统种植系统包括露地种植（Open Field Farming, OF）、土培温室园艺（Soil-based Greenhouse Horticulture, GHs）以及兼顾自然光与人工补光的温室园艺（GHa）。

步骤1b与1c聚焦于垂直农场的生命周期清单数据。研究对三座垂直农场（VFI、VFII与VFIII）的碳足迹进行对比，此三座农场仅生产生菜，且研究涵盖的其余作物暂无完整的生命周期数据。因此，本研究将采用生产生菜的垂直农场的生命周期数据，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用于计算四种不同场景下的碳排放，其中涵盖城市内果蔬消费与能源使用相关的排放。四种场景的温室气体（Greenhouse Gas, GHG）排放量以人均每年的二氧化碳当量（kg CO₂-eq）为单位进行量化。

荷兰阿姆斯特丹的四种具体场景如下：
I. 基准城市场景：城市内消费的果蔬均采用传统种植系统（包括露地种植与温室园艺）生产，能源需求由传统混合能源系统（化石能源与可再生能源混合供电）满足。
II. 纯垂直农场城市场景：城市内消费的果蔬仅由垂直农场生产，能源系统维持现状不变。
III. 协同垂直农场城市场景：城市内消费的果蔬仅由与城市实现协同的垂直农场生产，利用农场余热替代城市原有供热系统。
IV. 可调谐协同垂直农场城市场景：在场景III的基础上，垂直农场的电力使用将与电网可再生能源供给情况相匹配。