Rethinking Efficiency: How Increased Electricity Use Can Reduce Environmental Impacts in Controlled Hemp Cultivation-A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Study

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60076658%3A12220%2F25%3A43910665" target="_blank" >RIV/60076658:12220/25:43910665 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102400" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102400</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102400" target="_blank" >10.3390/agronomy15102400</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Rethinking Efficiency: How Increased Electricity Use Can Reduce Environmental Impacts in Controlled Hemp Cultivation-A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Study

Original language description

This study aims to assess the environmental profile and identify environmental hotspots of indoor hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivation through environmental impact analysis under four scenarios combining two nutrient solutions and two lighting intensities (540 W and 900 W). Indoor cultivation of industrial hemp is becoming increasingly relevant as plant production shifts to controlled environments, raising the need to evaluate its environmental implications. The assessment was conducted using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology in accordance with the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, applying a cradle-to-gate system boundary and a functional unit of 1 kg of dried hemp inflorescence. Primary data were obtained from a controlled cultivation experiment, while secondary data were drawn from validated databases. The carbon footprint ranged from 1050 to 1610 kg CO2 eq per kilogram of dried inflorescence. Scenarios with 900 W lighting showed 30-35% lower impacts per kilogram compared to 540 W variants. Electricity production and consumption were identified as major environmental hotspots, dominating most impact categories. The study concludes that improving input-output efficiency is essential for sustainable indoor cultivation and that integrating renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaics or biomass, could further reduce environmental impacts.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10611 - Plant sciences, botany

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Agronomy - Basel

ISSN

2073-4395

e-ISSN

2073-4395

Volume of the periodical

15

Issue of the periodical within the volume

10

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

22

Pages from-to

1-22

UT code for WoS article

001602215800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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