CEA SiteScout

CEA SiteScout

Informed by conversations with a diverse group of industry stakeholders, the site feasibility tool is an interactive online tool developed to help users assess the feasibility of potential CEA facility sites in the United States. Users can navigate to specific locations a location of interest and toggle on and off data layers of interest. The tool is populated with relevant national datasets. To demonstrate the future potential of the tool, local datasets (e.g., utilities) are available for our five spotlight communities. While not all data layers are available at a national level, compiling relevant information in a single platform can help users understand nearby resources and compare potential sites. Information regarding the original sources of the data layers can be found in the tool’s data documentation.

In addition to visualizing relevant data layers for CEA development, the tool also includes a siting mode in which users can select a location, input key parameters for a hypothetical CEA facility (e.g., size, facility type, crop, and technology level), and view an order-of-magnitude estimate of baseline energy and water use metrics, as well as associated emissions from energy use. While baseline estimates are based on a simplified model of lighting, heating/cooling systems, and evapotranspiration, these results can help users estimate energy/water requirements and compare configurations. The impact of ten different technology implementation pathways on the baseline metrics is also provided, enabling users to explore how different technological choices can reduce resource consumption and operational costs. Full details on energy/water use calculations are currently available as a preprint to a journal article (“A Simplified Approach to Energy-Water Modeling in Controlled Environment Agriculture”).

The web tool can be accessed here. A video tutorial demonstrating basic functionality and FAQs can be found on the “About” page.