Sustainable Urban Farming: Enhancing Energy Efficiency with Vertical Farming and Renewable Energy Integration

Rapid urbanization and the increasing demand for sustainable food production have created significant challenges for Bangladesh, necessitating innovative farming solutions. Vertical farming (VF) offers an environmentally friendly alternative, enabling crop production in vertically stacked layers, often indoors and near urban centers, thereby reducing transportation costs and resource inputs. However, VF heavily relies on artificial lighting, resulting in high energy consumption. Integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar PV and wind power, can significantly enhance the energy efficiency of VF, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering energy demands. This paper reviews energy-efficient strategies for VF, with a focus on their potential benefits for Bangladeshi farmers. Drawing on international best practices, it proposes a framework that includes solar PV, wind power, optimized lighting technologies, and resource recycling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate environmental degradation, paving the way for sustainable urban farming in Bangladesh.