Abstract—This paper considers energy consumption and choice of the optimal area for plant factory with low-temperature treatment of spinach. When exposed to a low-temperature (less than 7°C) environment, spinach increases the sugar content. In order to process by exposure to the coldness of spinach, it is necessary to hold the inside of the proposed plant factory at 7°C. The maximum air temperature from December to March of Kitami in Okhotsk is less than 7°C. Therefore, in this period, a ventilation fan is used to air cooling the plant factory. On the other hand, the plant factory is cooled by an absorption refrigerator from April to November. Because many regions where the maximum temperature of winter is less than 7°C were located in Hokkaido, the payback period of the proposed system based on equipment cost and energy consumption were investigated about seven regions (Wakkanai, Asahikawa, Abashiri, Kutchan, Obihiro, Hiroo, Kitami) of them. When the proposed plant factory is installed in seven regions, because the analysis results of payback period are 6.83 years, the proposal plant factory and energy system for low-temperature treatments of spinach can be introduced enough commercially.
 

Index Terms—plant factory, SOFC cogeneration, spinach, energy saving, cold regions
 

Cite: Naoki Kikuchi and Shin’ya Obara, "Investigation of Installation Conditions of a Complete Artificial Light Type Savoy Spinach Plant Factory for Cold Regions," Journal of Advanced Agricultural Technologies, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 28-32, December 2020. Doi: 10.18178/joaat.7.2.28-32