Farmers Grow Vegetables in the Desert Using Solar Energy and Seawater

Sundrop Farms is located in the South Australian desert, fully operating on solar energy and desalinated seawater. All the vegetables are grown in greenhouses, standing in a pretty lonely place. 

Construction of the farm is the result of the research group of enthusiasts who wanted to find a way to grow crops where there is no fresh water, suitable soil and power lines. Researchers believe that it is time to get used to growing food in these conditions, because of clean water and good soil is becoming a scarce resource.

In conventional green houses used for irrigating fresh water, electricity for lighting and maintenance of a certain temperature, often fed gas for space heating, but what if all of these facilities not accessible? Here is the solution: solar panels produce enough energy to maintain a favourable temperature for the plants, and at the same time helping to feed the plant, processing salt water into fresh water. After that, it is already possible to easily water the future tasty and healthy tomatoes and many other vegetables and grains!

Solar energy obtained from the solar panels, which follow the sun during the day. From the energy produced help to heat the oil tank, The temperature will go up to 160 degrees Celsius and evaporate the salt water. The by-product steam is used for heating green houses and electricity production, which is required including for the desalination plant, which was added to the watering nutrients.

More three years ago, the founders of the farm could only dream about today's results, but even then their crops could be called impressive by the end of the second year of the first tonne of vegetables grown on the farm. Now, in the greenhouse grows to 17 tonnes of the crop. 

Sundrop Farms has used a clever system to grow food using unlikely ingredients—but is the idea likely to catch on?