Set to float offshore near the coast, the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park will the the largest of its kind, featuring five turbines each generating six megawatts of power starting early next year. Northern Europe is a hotbed for such projects, accounting for nine-tenths of new offshore wind developments.

The specially-engineered turbines are being constructed to withstand extreme weather despite their size. Statoil, the Norwegian company building them, is employing technology they have previously used to make oil rigs stable in storms, wind and waves. The results are more economical but also tougher than other floating wind farms.

Leif Delp, the Statoil Project Director:  “We are very pleased to develop this project in Scotland, in a region with a huge wind resource and an experienced supply chain from oil and gas. Through the hard work of industry and supportive government policies, the UK and Scotland is taking a position at the forefront of developing offshore wind as a competitive new energy source.”

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Optimized solar panels can only take energy capture so far, which is one of the reasons this company is trying to take power-harvesting airborne with a fleet of solar-gathering balloons. A solar sky form, says NextPV, could even move with the sun, producing clean energy around the clock (not by moving against the planet’s rotation, but perhaps someday – more below).

The technologies in use for weather balloons and other similar aerial endeavors is already partially in place, but the means of moving the balloons and transmitting energy back down to Earth are still being researched and developed. The current plan is to turn sunlight to electricity and produce hydrogen for use as above-the-ground fuel cells, engaging in the conversion processes at night. The group has teamed up with academics and researchers to solve the next steps of the problem, and optimize the system for efficiency and practicality.

“Anywhere above the planet, there are very few clouds at an altitude of 6 km (3.7 miles)—and none at all at 20 km (12.4 miles),” says Jean-François Guillemoles. “At those heights, the light comes directly from the Sun, as there are no shadows and hardly any diffusion by the atmosphere. As the sky loses its blue color, direct illumination becomes more intense: the concentration of solar energy results in more effective conversion, and hence higher yields.”

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Deepfield Robotics has developed a machine that can distinguish weeds from crops using pattern recognition software,  then removes or stamps out the former without harming the latter. This design will help farmers reduce reliance on dangerous pesticides and expensive fertilizers.

The Bonirob robot is about the size of a car and uses advanced shape recognition software to recognize different plant shapes and leaf types, able to deploy a rod that stamps weeds back down into the ground (both eliminating them as a threat and conveniently recycling them into the soil).

Additionally, its onboard systems can monitor and track crop growth, identify pest problems and water needs. It also gets smarter as it goes, adding new information in the field, so to speak.

“Over time, based on parameters such as leaf colour, shape, and size, Bonirob learns how to differentiate more and more accurately between the plants we want and the plants we don’t want” said Professor Amos Albert of Deepfield Robotics.

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Location-independent, portable and scalable, this novel approach to agriculture applies principles already used in cloud computing and other high-tech services to the growing of everyday essentials, effectively tucking a 1-acre farm into a 350-square-foot box.

Each Freight Farm container has space for 4,500 plants, stacked and ready to grow: “Built entirely inside a 40’ x 8’ x 9.5’ shipping container, freight farms are outfitted with all the tools needed for high-volume, consistent harvests. With innovative climate technology and growing equipment, the perfect environment is achievable 365 days a year, regardless of geographic location.” The units can also be moved to market to sell directly, carried easily (just like any cargo container) on the back of a standard truck.

Constant monitoring of temperature, CO2, pH and other essential data means instant feedback and easy remote adjustments as well, while a built-in 4G hotspot lets these farms stay connected from anywhere in the world. Optimized LEDs allow for maximum growth and minimum energy. Modular and stackable, farmers can order more units delivered on demand and expand their operations as needed.

Someone new to the game can also start out small: “Designed to be easily implemented and operated, The LGM is a complete farming system delivered ready-to-use for immediate crop production. The modular and stackable design makes it easy to integrate into any operation and add farms to scale quickly. Every LGM comes equipped to handle every aspect of commercial production, from seed to harvest.”

Cargo containers for non-standard purposes are nothing new, but this goes more than a step beyond turning shipping containers into homes or offices. More on the ecosystem: “Vertical hydroponic system for mature plant growth.  The vertical towers create a high density growing environment with four rows providing space for over 4,500 plants.  Drip irrigation, nutrient delivery system and spectrum focused lighting supports climate conditions to maximize plant development.”

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