This year marks the inaugural Vertical Farming World Awards, presented by Zenith Global. The winners of 17 awards were announced on September 21, 2021, at the Vertical Farming World Congress. The event was a two-day virtual summit full of workshops, networking, and presentations. When discussing Eden Green Technology and our groundbreaking tech, the judges were quoted:

"A game-changer for greenhouse growing" 

"An uncomplicated, evidence-based MEP approach to
saving energy while maintaining healthy plant growth"

"Impressive yield results"

With such high praise, it’s no wonder we secured the top place twice in this year’s awards.

Winner: Best Climate Control Innovation

It’s no surprise that Eden Green Technology’s climate control solutions are turning a lot of heads. Whereas most vertical farming systems use a great deal of energy to warm an entire greenhouse, our proprietary Smart Zone MEP system allows us to create microclimates tailored to specific plant types. This means we only heat and cool about 20% of the volume of each greenhouse, saving energy and ensuring high crop yields at the same time. 

Prior climate control systems involved a hundred yards of external pipeline paired with separate chillers and heaters. Instead of this bulky and ultimately wasteful system, we’ve consolidated the MEP system into a far smaller internal container. Each of our Smart Zone MEP systems has its own chiller, heat exchanger, and gas heater. It also includes nutrient recipes for four separate zones to customize climate, humidity, water, and CO2 levels. 

The innovations of our climate control don’t stop at air temperature. They also extend into our water supply with a semi-closed loop water cooling system that keeps hydration at a crisp 67 degrees year-round. This chilled water is circulated from plant cups to pumps and chillers and back to plant cups 40 times an hour. And our Delta T is only half a degree — an essential consideration in warm climates. Even when the weather outside our Texas greenhouse hits 110, the chilled water in our system only warms by half a degree throughout its 90-second journey.

Winner: Best Profitability Improvement

Economics in the vertical farming movement can be challenging, which is why we’re particularly proud of our “Best Profitability Improvement” award. 

Recently, we launched our microclimate technology V4.5, which offers faster harvest times and a boost in yields for each plant in our greenhouses. Our upcoming mobile lighting technology will further increase output per plant spot by an astounding 300%. It’s no secret that higher yields lead to better profits. 

Combining the energy savings made possible by our microclimate technology with shorter harvest times and higher yields, our vertical farming entrepreneurs can achieve excellent product output. This, in turn, means greater harvests and the ability to turn a profit more quickly, even in such a potentially tricky industry. 

2021 Vertical Farming World Award Winners

We’d like to offer our congratulations to all of this year’s winners:

• Crops

  • Best Crop Innovation: 80 Acres Farms - 80 Acres Farms

  • Best Crop Enhancement: Moleaer Inc - Nanobubbles

  • Best Yield Improvement: Moleaer Inc - Nanobubbles

• Technology

  • Best Lighting Development: Fluence by OSRAM - RAZR Modular System

  • Best AI/Automation Development: Bowery Farming - Crop Imaging Software

  • Best Climate Control Innovation: Eden Green Technology - Eden Green Technology

  • Best Farm Design Innovation: Spread - Techno Farm

• Sustainability

  • Best Energy Efficiency: LettUs Grow/Octopus Energy - Vertical Power energy tariff

  • Best Sustainability Initiative: Light Science Technologies - nurturGROW

  • Best Water Saving Initiative: 80 Acres Farms - 80 Acres Farms

  • Best Community Initiative: AeroFarms - AeroFarms First Municipal Vertical Farming Project with Jersey City and The World Economic Forum

• Financial

  • Best Profitability Improvement: Eden Green Technology - Eden Green Technology

• Commercial

  • Best Brand Marketing: Bowery Farming - Mustard Frills

  • Best Retail Innovation: Bowery Farming - Farmer's Selection

  • Best at Home Innovation — Two Winners: 

    • La Grangette - An extraordinary home farming experience

    • Urban Cultivator - Urban Cultivator Residential

  • Best New Business — Two Winners: 

    • Unfold - Unfold

    • Planet Farms Italia Società Agricola Srl - A Sophisticated Industrial Approach to Vertical Farming - Planet Farms