Technology
ControlByWeb
Industry
Agriculture
Client
Costa Farm
Country
Miami, Florida, USA
Goals
- Achieve precise control over plant growth speed
- Enhance overall plant quality
- Implement a cost-effective automation system
- Develop weather-responsive automation based on external factors
Challenges
- Ensure precision and reliability in the control system
- Address scalability for the multi-national scale of operations
- Integrate external weather conditions seamlessly into automation
Solutions
- Leverage ControlByWeb's I/O products for effective sensor monitoring
- Implement a scalable automation framework
- Integrate weather sensors for real-time monitoring
Results
- Achieved optimized growth with precise control
- Improved overall plant quality and health
- Implemented a cost-effective automation system
- Enhanced adaptability to external conditions with weather-responsive greenhouses
Costa Farms is a multi-national supplier of house plants that grows $600 million worth each year. Their smart greenhouses represent some of the most advanced automation at scale in the horticulture world.
They use ControlByWeb's I/O products to monitor sensors gathering data on such things as temperature, humidity, light, soil moisture, salinity, and more. Our devices control a variety of greenhouse equipment such as fans, vents, motors, pumps, and valves.
Control Growth Speed and Plant Quality
Their control system, partially powered by ControlByWeb, needs to be precise, reliable, and scalable. We help Costa Farms control growth speed and plant quality in a cost-effective way.
Automation Based on Weather
Their control system, partially powered by ControlByWeb, needs to be precise, reliable, and In addition to environmental control, Costa Farms is using ControlByWeb modules to monitor outside weather and sunlight to affect how the greenhouse reacts to external factors. High winds will close vents, sunnier conditions will reduce lighting and, in conjunction with temperature, can activate automated shade cloth covers. Our controllers even help with employee safety by monitoring lightning detectors and sounding alarms. Costa Farms has a wide variety of I/O needs and looks to ControlByWeb and our inherent flexibility to solve them.
Common greenhouse control problems
- Scalable monitoring & control - Industrial control systems are prohibitively expensive for smalll operators, while smaller solutions lack advanced capability
- Data hosting - Cloud based solutions require recurring data hosting fees which cut into profits, diminishing the benefits of installing a smart greenhouse in the first place
- Affordable flexibility - It’s easier to find a solution for one or a few monitoring challenges, but identifying a complete system that is both reliable and affordable is difficult
ControlByWeb solutions
- Scale effortlessly - Our sensors and I/O devices work as a standalone device, complete control system, or simply as part of a more advanced industrial control system
- Cloud optional - Our monitoring and control devices work independently of a cloud so no additional fees are required. Integration with a cloud is optional
- Monitor and control anything - Our expandable I/O can monitor any sensor and control motors, lights, fans, vents, valves, pumps, & more. Mix & match while keeping costs low