The need for new, sustainable approaches to agriculture and food production is becoming increasingly clear to many. The question of how we will continue to feed ourselves if ecosystems deteriorate is no small problem. How could a circular city address current agricultural difficulties so food production is more sustainable and resilient? For its next topic, the Prefecture Podcast is diving into sustainable agricultural practices, clean water, and how its AI hub KAILE could help manage both in a circular city.

Alternative indoor farming methods like hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics skip soil entirely. Instead, farmers replace soil with nutrient-rich water to support the roots of the plants. But why grow without soil in the first place? This agricultural practice may seem strange, but it is quite revolutionary because: it allows people to farm anywhere in the world, to farm anytime of the year without risks of inclement weather, and to harvest higher yields using far fewer resources. This type of farming is specifically advantageous in a circular city system because it solves the problem of having to import food from different areas. As a result, cities can have hyper-local food systems and the opportunity to grow “out-of-season” vegetables and fruits year round—enhancing nourishment and food security.

Aquaponics integrates fish and plants into the same environment. It begins with growing a fish farm and using the principles of the nitrogen cycle. The waste from the fish—once the solids are removed— is converted into nitrates by bacteria and microbes. The nutrient-rich water then feeds the plants the necessary nutrients needed to thrive, and the plants refilter the water for the fish.

Hydroponics is another popular farming method for urban environments because it grows plants without using soil. With this method, plant roots are suspended in nutrient-rich water in order to grow. Unlike aquaponics and hydroponics, aeroponics removes the need for a water reservoir. Aeroponics grows plants suspended in the air and uses a mist environment to water them. Essentially, this type of innovative farming sustains plants with nothing more than nutrient-rich mist while roots are free to dangle and grow in the open air.

All of these sustainable farming methods grow more food in small spaces, which is inherently advantageous in urban environments and growing populations. In addition, these farming methods are incredibly water-efficient and use water responsibly. Compared to our current irrigation systems, it is estimated it would require about 90 percent less water.

And though these farming structures are inherently “man made,” they allow organic growth without the need for chemical pesticides, lessening negative environmental and health impacts. In addition, once these methods are up and running, they are said to grow faster and have higher yields than traditional farming processes.

Tune into Prefecture Go’s next podcast for a more in-depth discussion!

K.A.I.L.E (Kinetic Artificial Intelligent Learning Environment) is our automated AI system that manages, monitors, and regulates all the functions and operations of the circular city from transportation to agriculture. KAILE is the mainframe API data center that runs the power grids, transportation, robotic construction, health, and agriculture sectors. KAILE collects real-time data and creates algorithms that best provides resources to each individual of that populous.

On the next Prefecture Podcast, we are diving into KAILE and smart power grids. Smart power grids are essential in the digital transformation and innovation found in circular city models. How will smart power grids differ from traditional power grids? And what solutions and improvements would it make?

A traditional power grid carries energy from a power plant through a series of interconnected power lines to the consumers. Traditional power grids have almost no storage capacity, and it is purely demand driven. The energy is produced and delivered according to real-time energy demands. As a result, when there is increased strain or disruptions on the grid, blackouts can occur. Consequently, the power then has to be rerouted manually, which can take a long time depending on the complexity of the malfunction.

Smart power grids seek to solve these problems found in traditional power grids. Smart power grids enable a two-way flow of electricity and data. They will be highly sensor-driven with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and advanced analytics provided by super AI and machine learning—which is where KAILE will come into play.

KAILE will distribute, help keep track of the energy consumed, and provide usage metrics to consumers as well as possible solutions if they need to take measures to reduce their energy consumption. IoT sensors across the grid will allow consumers to be more active in their own energy consumption and actually see the energy they consume. Do you think this type of data-sharing technology would encourage sustainable energy practices amongst the populous since they could monitor their usage?

Smart power grids are also self-healing, meaning they have the ability to detect and respond to any problems or disruptions and would ensure quick recoveries without the need for time-consuming manual rerouting. This type of self-reliance would increase energy stability, efficiency, and reliability for the population.

Another problem smart power grids would solve is storage capacity. A smart power grid would allow for energy to be stored and released when necessary, moving away from traditional demand-driven energy production. As a result, this would open the doors to using more renewable energy sources. Since some renewable energy sources have inconsistent availability, such as sun or wind, the ability to store and save that renewable energy and use it later would be a tremendous plus.

Overall, smart power grids bring increased resilience to interconnected power networks by preventing outages or disturbances. It optimizes energy, allows for renewable energy sources to be efficiently stored and used, and ensures that quality power to available to the entire populous reliably. In addition, IoT sensor technology and AI like KAILE allows the individual energy consumer to become actively involved in their energy consumption. They can monitor their energy consumption data, analytics, and find possible solutions if they need to take measures to reduce their energy usage.

Tune in for a more in-depth discussion on KAILE and power grids on the next Prefecture Podcast!