There are lots of good reasons that indoor farming is becoming more popular all the time. Between unpredictable weather, climate change, increased problems from pests, and the costs involved in large spaces and long distance transport, indoor farming looks increasingly appealing. It’s a great solution for small plants, leafy greens that are easily damaged by predation, and high value crops like cannabis. But it does come with a large amount of power usage.

My concept here is to create a moving wall of solar panels that can be located adjacent to indoor plant lighting to reclaim the spillover light, in this case for a battery charger, though it wouldn’t have to be. In some indoor farms the dc current could be looped back into the power system directly, if that was what was powering the lighting.

If my math checks out, it should provide a reasonable return on investment in pure dollars, and even greater return from the value of diverting power usage from carbon based electric grids.

I’ve planned out my first test circuit for doing it, and I’ve already successfully charged a battery under my own grow lights using a very poorly constructed sample. It’s now a matter of figuring out how to scale it and make the best use of the power it produces. This concept could easily be built into plant cabinets that are become trendy in home design as well.