Clarkson University
IN-1: Innovation 1

Food. Most engineering students don’t consider the application of their high-tech creativity for food production, but an interdisciplinary team of students have proven that they can grow produce year round in an energy, water and space efficient manner, even in a cold and dark northern latitude climate. A new pilot-scale greenhouse and its ancillary systems on our campus are enabling students to research and explore new technologies for integrating food production and energy recovery from food waste. The 650 sq. ft. greenhouse utilizes innovative technologies and control systems for the year-round production of leafy green vegetables, herbs and tomatoes. The state-of-art aeroponic growing system uses only a small fraction of the water and nutrient inputs required by other greenhouse growing operations. Additional system components already on campus – a 22 kW wood pellet-solar thermal heating system and an anaerobic digester for food waste management – have been integrated with the greenhouse system to provide closed-loop cycling of many energy and material flows. The anaerobic digester uses a biological process to convert up to 300 kg (650 lb) of our campus’ food waste each day into biogas, which can then be used to produce electric power (20 kW) that is used in the system. The digester also provides nutrient-rich fertilizer that will be considered for use in the greenhouse to support plant growth. The system has been integrated into a wide variety of student-led research, class and volunteer projects. These systems are part of our University’s efforts to provide experiential learning sites on campus for project-based and student-centered professional experiences that are integral to their preparation for further studies or employment.