In the diverse climate in West Virginia, USA, using greenhouse-based cultivation can be very difficult. Varying temperatures and precipitation levels disallow consistency in planting. With so many environmentally-related variables like temperature, humidity, light intensity, and soil moisture out of the control of the user, plant growth may be minimal. It is also a challenge for growers to keep a constant watch on their greenhouses, especially when they have been installed at a business or place of work and cannot constantly be monitored.
To combat this issue, a group of students from BridgeValley Community and Technical College in West Charleston, West Virginia has teamed up with Pollen8 ( Café Appalachia ) to create a solar PV-powered greenhouse using Arduino and Internet of Things technologies.
This smart greenhouse system continuously monitors and controls key aforementioned environmental variables. It will accomplish this through solar panels, sensors, Arduino-based microcontrollers, and IoT connectivity, which creates a self-sustaining solution. The device will provide real-time data that is collected and analyzed. Together, this will allow growers to remotely monitor their plants and crops and ensure proper conditions.
This project also aims to help fight climate change, providing climate-resilient and sustainable solutions to allow growers to cultivate more effectively and help move towards a better future. The team plans to offer educational workshops at the coffee house housing this project for proper use and maintenance of the greenhouse.
This project was made possible by $4,000.00 in funding from the Antennas and Propagation Society (APS), an EPICS in IEEE partner.