Distributed Generation : Not just for Power

Over the past couple of weeks, we had experienced disruption to our business as usual activities especially within the manufacturing and supply chain domain.

With the MCO in place, food security became a topic of discussion. The dependence on imported food became apparent. The impact of lower/reduced workforce is visible. The importance of logistics in distribution was highlighted.

In 2012 I started working on low cost, self-sustaining vertical farms. A type of distributed generation system that used low cost automation and dynamic artificial lighting system to produce high valued herbs and vegetables.

Many other organisations were looking into this globally at that point and many still are. Getting the right scale, technology and target product was and is still very important. Not all are still standing today.

Between 2012 to 2015, I met many researchers and local start-up incubators. Almost all of them had the same comments :

1. Malaysia has enough land for agriculture

2. Malaysia has enough sunlight

3. We have enough farmers

4. We can easily buy what extra we may need

5. It is not 'sexy' enough - not an app/software

6. People are already doing it elsewhere

I was fortunate enough to be able to meet up with some like-minded researchers from University Malaya and we started on a small-scale prototype in 2015. This was an interdisciplinary effort, bringing together the Engineering, Agriculture and Biotechnology focused departments.

Over the past years, we built, with a low cost, an automated dynamic lighting system, integrating it to the existing AC system, with automated humidifiers and watering systems.

Not only were we able to fit in 3 times more plants per square area as a conventional greenhouse/farm, but we managed to obtain 5 times more biomass and double the number of harvests. All this was achieved without the use of pesticides and using only about 15% of the water that was used for similar plants in the greenhouse. The low-cost automation made it possible for the entire system to run with minimum supervision. I could be away for 2 weeks and it would run fine.

Although my research has been focused on high valued herbs that are typically used in botanically derived pharmaceuticals, with some tweaking, I can see this being deployed all over the country to cater to growing food crops.

Since 2012, there has been several local start-ups looking into these types of modern agriculture setups. Not all have been successful but then again, even the 'big' guys globally have faced failures and many well-funded start-ups have shut down.

Before we jump onto the bandwagon, there are some points we should look into :

1. Overall system design

2. Type of crops

3. Technology used

4. Scale

5. Distribution Channel

6. Business plan

7. Energy and auxiliary costs and requirements

Common mistakes are having a complex design that makes maintenance a pain or using too high or non-specific technology (e.g. too many sensors, full automation, cheap lighting). The choice of crops is also important. Grow what we eat locally, not some fancy lettuce or micro-greens that does not suit local taste or cuisine. Scaling is important, too small or too big and we end up with extremely high cost or low yields. Know how you are going to sell your produce and to whom you will sell it too. Always underestimate your market!

Have a focused business plan, don't try to do everything; grow and sell vegetables, selling your system, training people, selling seed pods, lighting system, etc. The lighting and air conditioning energy costs are the biggest costs typically associated with these systems. Do not plan to sell your produce at a higher cost than what is currently available. Having said that, choose the right benchmark too. If you are going for an organic crop, then do not try to compete with commercially produced products. Don't mix up donkey and horses.

Most fail to estimate these costs accurately with many failing to consider the ramp up and learning curve associated with a new setup. You can go for up to a year without any output while trying to setup and fine tune the system. Also, you can't know everything - get the right experts in. We have engineers trying to grow or botanists trying to build a system, often without the support from each other.

I believe, when executed properly, this modern, distributed approach towards food generation will be beneficial in supplementing our needs as a growing nation. It is not limited to vegetables but is also applicable in aquaculture and other areas.

If I have a chance to meet those whom I spoke to 5 years ago, this is what I would tell them now :

1. Malaysia has enough land for agriculture - No we don't. We keep encroaching and opening new areas : Cameron Highlands

2. Malaysia has enough sunlight - We have daylight, but we only have approximately 6 hours of usable sunlight/day. : Remember the Haze?

3. We have enough farmers - Not for long cause we import them from other countries : Foreign Labour shortage

4. We can easily buy what extra we may need - We can buy if they are selling: Shutdown due to COVID19, Holidays, Sanctions, etc

5. It is not 'sexy' enough (not an app/software) - We need solutions to fundamental issues too. An app/software is a complementary tool for agriculture : Bread & Butter issues

6. People are already doing it elsewhere - We need to be part of the pioneers (early adopters) and not just a follower. Every big idea was started by someone else (Google-Yahoo, Grab-Uber-Lyft, etc). We have more than 15 local ride share apps, mobile pay apps, online marketplaces, etc.

Maybe, for a start, we can all start growing some vegetables or herbs in our backyard/balconies. Try growing and keeping your plants alive and well - you will have a new found sense of appreciation for our farmers out there.