Energy Efficiency of Aquaponics Farming in Urban Small-Scale Food Production
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Student Year and Major
Senior, BSAE
Presentation Description/Abstract
Urban food production is constrained by space, water, and energy, while soil and hydroponic systems relying on synthetic fertilizers carry substantial energy and input costs. Aquaponics addresses these challenges by integrating fish and plant cultivation, using nutrient-rich fish waste as a fertilizer. This study evaluates the efficiency, spatial productivity, and economic viability of a small-scale aquaponics system engineered for space-constrained environments. The study developed a small-scale, proof-of-concept aquaponics system with a stacked growing layout to maximize yield per area. The system housed 3 plants above a 10-gallon fish tank, with grow lights to compensate for the lack of natural sunlight. 10 minnows were kept in the tank to provide a source of nitrogen, which was processed through the standard bacterial cycle. The fish and plants formed a symbiotic relationship whereby this harmful nitrogen was passively removed from the system and used as a source of nutrition for the plants, eliminating the need for water changes and synthetic fertilizers. Preliminary findings demonstrate that the aquaponics system achieved higher overall crop yield and superior net energy performance compared to traditional synthetic fertilizer growth methods while occupying a substantially smaller footprint. Although indoor growing increased electrical consumption for supplemental lighting, eliminating synthetic fertilizers significantly reduced the total external energy input while also eliminating pesticide expenditures. These results highlight small-scale aquaponics as a viable, resource-efficient solution for decentralized urban food production where traditional gardening requires too much space. Future research will focus on evaluating performance across extended cycles and increasing the experimental model scale.
Keywords
Aquaponics, Urban Agriculture, Energy Efficiency, Vertical Farming, Sustainable Food Systems
Energy Efficiency of Aquaponics Farming in Urban Small-Scale Food Production
Urban food production is constrained by space, water, and energy, while soil and hydroponic systems relying on synthetic fertilizers carry substantial energy and input costs. Aquaponics addresses these challenges by integrating fish and plant cultivation, using nutrient-rich fish waste as a fertilizer. This study evaluates the efficiency, spatial productivity, and economic viability of a small-scale aquaponics system engineered for space-constrained environments. The study developed a small-scale, proof-of-concept aquaponics system with a stacked growing layout to maximize yield per area. The system housed 3 plants above a 10-gallon fish tank, with grow lights to compensate for the lack of natural sunlight. 10 minnows were kept in the tank to provide a source of nitrogen, which was processed through the standard bacterial cycle. The fish and plants formed a symbiotic relationship whereby this harmful nitrogen was passively removed from the system and used as a source of nutrition for the plants, eliminating the need for water changes and synthetic fertilizers. Preliminary findings demonstrate that the aquaponics system achieved higher overall crop yield and superior net energy performance compared to traditional synthetic fertilizer growth methods while occupying a substantially smaller footprint. Although indoor growing increased electrical consumption for supplemental lighting, eliminating synthetic fertilizers significantly reduced the total external energy input while also eliminating pesticide expenditures. These results highlight small-scale aquaponics as a viable, resource-efficient solution for decentralized urban food production where traditional gardening requires too much space. Future research will focus on evaluating performance across extended cycles and increasing the experimental model scale.