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Root-Zone Cooling: 50.8% Energy Savings Through Targeted Airflow
Source: Li et al., 2021, Biosystems Engineering
Inter-layer cooling airflow (ILCA) delivers cooling precisely where plants need it — at the roots — avoiding the massive waste of whole-room HVAC systems.
📅 February 20, 2025 📁 Papers 🌐 ZH
The Problem with Whole-Room Cooling
Conventional plant factories cool the entire growing room to meet peak demand in the root zone. This wastes enormous energy on cooling empty air above the canopy.
The ILCA Solution
Inter-Layer Cooling Airflow (ILCA) delivers cooled air directly to the root zone between plant rows, leaving the upper canopy space at ambient temperature.
Results
- 50.8% reduction in cooling energy compared to conventional systems
- No negative impact on crop yield or quality
- Particularly effective for high-density growing configurations
Mechanism
The key insight: plant leaves are already cooled by transpiration. The real cooling demand is at the roots and lower stem. ILCA targets this zone specifically, reducing the total cooling load by ~40% while maintaining optimal root-zone temperatures.