Business energy supplier Octopus Energy has launched two new tariffs designed specifically for vertical farming operations.
According to the company, its Vertical Power tariff is a bespoke energy offering for vertical farming operations, reducing costs by up to 12 per cent, paving the way for controlled environment farms to reduce energy costs and environmental impacts.
“The global farming industry needs to innovate to support a growing population and a planet under threat. Octopus Energy for Business is determined to ensure that vertical farms are supported in the UK,” said Director Zoisa Walton. “The fact that energy costs account for up to 40% of vertical farms’ overheads presented a problem – and we developed the Vertical Power tariff specifically to make the sector more efficient.”
The Vertical Power Agile tariff allows indoor farms to tap into energy pricing at half-hour intervals, meaning they can avoid peak demand times. When combined with automation it allows a vertical farm to scale up or reduce energy usage depending on the cost of energy at half-hour granularity. Savings are dependent on site flexibility and crop type, but Octopus Energy says its models suggest businesses could make savings of up to 12 per cent.
Vertical Power TRI is a tri-band tariff that avoids peak pricing between 16:00 and 19:00. It delivers the most efficient savings when compared against adoption of technologies and changes to farming operations. It provides up to an 8 per cent saving a year compared to the cheapest Economy 7 tariff. If integrated with automated energy systems, both Vertical Power options allow for truly smart management of operations to reduce costs and both can be used in commercial-scale vertical farms, greenhouses or smaller urban farming projects.
Photo Credit: Growing Underground