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An automated solar-powered aquaponics system towards agricultural sustainability

in the Sultanate of Oman

Conference Paper · July 2017

DOI: 10.1109/ICSGSC.2017.8038547

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An Automated Solar-Powered Aquaponics System towards Agricultural Sustainability

in the Sultanate of Oman

Analene Montesines Nagayo, Cesar Mendoza,

Eugene Vega and Raad K.S. Al Izki Department of Engineering

Al Musanna College of Technology

Muladdah, Sultanate of Oman

email: [email protected], [email protected],

[email protected], [email protected]

Rodrigo S. Jamisola Jr. Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department

Botswana International University of Science and Technology

Palapye, Botswana

email: [email protected]

Abstract—This paper introduces an automated solar-powered

aquaponics system, designed and implemented to be cost-

effective and environmentally sound for local communities in

Oman and other arid regions. It presents the design,

construction and implementation of the following modules: 1)

water recirculation system that circulates water to an

aquaculture tank and hydroponic beds; 2) aquaponics control

and monitoring system using Arduino microcontroller

interfaced with sensors, actuators, GSM shield and NI

LabVIEW that allows plants and fish to grow together in an

interdependent and controlled environment; 3) solar energy

conversion system that powers the whole project using the

concept of renewable energy source; and, 4) cooling and heating

systems that maintain the air and water temperatures to

acceptable level for plant and fish growth. The analyses of

experimental data taken during summer and winter time show

the sustainability of the designed aquaponics system.

Keywords— automation; control design; electronic design;

agricultural engineering; aquaculture; hydroponics; renewable

energy

I. INTRODUCTION

Two sectors that are vital in ensuring the food security in

Oman are agriculture and fisheries [1]. However, in ensuring

food security in Oman, the government faces several

challenges such as the lack of fertile land and limited

irrigation water [2]. To further increase food production and

improve the quality of products from these two sectors,

scientific and technological researches on sustainable

agriculture and fisheries such as aquaculture, greenhouse and

aquaponics are encouraged and financially funded by the

Oman government [3]-[5].

Aquaponics is a soil-less farming method that integrates

growing of plants in hydroponic beds and fish in aquaculture

tanks. In this system, ammonia rich fish wastes from the

aquaculture tanks are pumped to the hydroponic beds. These

fish wastes are converted by living bacteria in the beds into

organic fertilizers needed for growing plants. In return, the

plant roots filters and treats the water for habitation of the

fishes, which is then recycled back into the aquaculture tanks

[6]. Aquaponics system allows plants and fish to co-exist in a

symbiotic environment that promotes sustainability in

agriculture and fisheries [6]. To ensure growth and survival

of organisms in an aquaponics system, water quality

parameters on the aquaculture tanks and hydroponic beds

such as temperature, d issolved o xygen (DO), pH, electrical

conductivity (EC), salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total

ammonium nitrate (TAN) levels, as well as the environmental

parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity (RH),

carbon dioxide (CO2) and lighting, must be monitored

frequently and automatically controlled [7],[8]. For this

reason, several designs of aquaponics control and monitoring

system were done [5],[9]-[11].

This paper presents a multidisciplinary research that

involves the design, construction and implementation of the

following modules [5]:

1) Water recirculation system which integrates an aquaculture

tank for growing fish with the hydroponic beds for growing

plants;

2) Aquaponics control and monitoring system that uses

microcontroller interfaced with sensors, actuators, NI

LabVIEW software and GSM shield to monitor and control

the necessary water quality parameters and greenhouse

environmental conditions for healthy fish and plant growth;

3) Solar energy conversion system that supply power to the

entire project using the concept of a renewable energy source;

4) Cooling and heating systems to keep the air and water

temperatures within the acceptable ranges.

With this research project, fish and vegetable products are

yielded in one production unit while utilizing cheaper energy

source, minimal production inputs of water and fish feed, and

low operational cost; thus, making it cost-effective [6]. The

increase in supply of the aquaponics products generates

additional income that can support the local economy.

Renewable energy source in terms of solar energy, water

recycling and waste management are employed to save the

environment; hence, making it environmentally sound [6].

Furthermore, the harvested fish and vegetable products are

organic and are healthy for consumption. In addition to the

commercial benefits of this project, aquaponics can be used

as a training aid in vocational agriculture programs and

biology courses [6], as well as for engineering students to

apply their technical knowledge and skills to agriculture and

fisheries sectors [5],[12].

II. AQUAPONICS SYSTEM DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

A. Water Recirculation System

There are many aquaponics systems designs that have been

done [8],[13], but one system is popular for its simplicity. This

is known as the CHOP which stands for Constant Height One

Pump system. This is a modified version of the CHIFT-PIST

system [14]. This system comprises of a hydroponic bed for

plants, aquaculture tank for fish and a sump tank. A

submersible water pump is placed in the sump tank to

continuously deliver water to the fish tank at constant head

while water is fed to the grow bed by an overflow pipe. The

accumulated water in the hydroponic beds is then drained back

to the sump tank via a bell siphon. The bell siphon is a popular

device used for flood-and drain systems. It allows continuous

flooding of the grow bed at a predetermined level and drains

the same at regular intervals. With CHOP, the fish tank water

level is constantly maintained and thus is deemed a very

effective system to use and eliminates stress on the fish due to

fluctuating water levels. In addition, it used only one pump to

deliver a constant flow of water thus saving power compare

with multiple pump systems.

The CHOP system design layout for this project is shown

in Fig. 1. The size of the actual fish tank and water flow rate

was based on the optimal water turnover rate to ensure good

water quality. It is generally accepted practice that the water

turnover rate is at least twice per hour [15]. Therefore, for a

100-gallon system volume which includes the water in the fish

tank and in the grow beds, at least 200 gph flow rate is

required. The size of the grow beds was determined by taking

1:1 ratio of fish tank volume to grow bed volume. Thus, for a

75-gallon fish tank, 3 half barrels of 55-gallon blue barrels

were sufficient. The air flow requirement to sufficiently

oxygenate the fish tank water was taken as 7.5 gph of air per

gallon of tank water volume [16], thus yielding 600 gph of air

or about 40 lpm for an 80-gallon fish tank. The completed

Water Recirculation System is presented in Fig. 2. This

aquaponics system is installed in a greenhouse located at the

grounds of Al Musanna College of Technology, Oman.

B. Block Diagram of the Aquaponics Control and Monitoring

System Referring to Fig. 3, the Arduino microcontroller reads and

processes data from various sensors through signal

conditioning circuits that detect the water quality parameters

of the aquaculture tank and hydroponic beds, as well as the

greenhouse environmental parameters. The microcontroller

verifies the read parameters to pre-set range of values, and

triggers the actuators to conduct a controlled operation. The

actuators such as water pumps, aeration pumps, artificial

lights, exhaust fans, evaporative cooler and servomotor for

fish feeder are activated by the microcontroller through

driver circuits when the sensor readings are not within the

normal limits. For monitoring purposes, the real-time data

gathered by the Arduino microcontroller are displayed in

LCDs and in graphical user interfaces (GUIs) using NI

LabVIEW software. The acquisition of the data is set to a

fixed interval of time which can later be varied as the need

arises. To maximize the data logging capability of the system,

the gathered data are exported from the NI LabVIEW software

to an MS Excel file for tracing system events or occurrences.

Moreover, the Arduino microcontroller is interfaced with

GSM module to send alert message containing critical

parameters to the farm owner or manager.

C. Control and Monitoring of Environmental Parameters

The environmental parameters such as air temperature,

relative humidity, carbon dioxide level and light intensity,

inside the greenhouse are controlled and monitored

automatically to improve the rate of photosynthesis or plant

production in the hydroponic beds. The threshold values for

each sensor were set based on [17]- [24] to allow the optimum

growth of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) in the hydroponic

beds during summer time, with the addition of lettuce

(Lactuca sativa) during winter time. Critical parameters were

monitored, and controlled operations through actuators were

done to maintain optimal environmental condition for plants.

Fig. 1. Aquaponic system lay-out [5].

Fig. 2. Actual water recirculation system with aquaculture tank and

hydroponic beds.

In the designed aquaponics system, a DHT11 sensor is

used to determine the hotness and coldness of air in oC inside

the greenhouse. The acceptable values set for air temperature

(Tair) are from 17 oC to 30oC based on Sommerville, et al. [20].

If Tair <= 16 oC, warmer lamps (W) are turned on. If Tair >

30oC, exhaust fan (F) is turned on. If Tair >= 33 oC, evaporative

cooler (E) is turned on. If Tair < 10 oC or Tair > 40

oC, an SMS is

sent to the farm owner for notification of critical parameter

since too high and too low air temperature can cause death in

plants [17].

The amount of moisture in the air relative to the total

amount of moisture the air can hold within the greenhouse is

measured using a DHT11 sensor. Growing plants at relative

humidity (RH) ranging from 25% to 70% during daytime in

greenhouses will not cause problems [18]. However, growing

plants at low RH leads to leaf dehydration and frequent

watering, while growing plant at RH more than 85% causes

mold and fungus growth [19]. With these conditions, the

normal values set for relative humidity in the designed

greenhouse are from 40% to 70%. If RH > 70%, exhaust fan

(F) is turned on. If RH < 40 %, evaporative cooler (E) is

turned on. If RH < 25% or RH > 85%, an SMS is sent to the

farm owner for notification of critical parameter.

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in ppm in the

greenhouse which is an essential input for plant

photosynthesis is detected using a MG811 sensor. The

acceptable values set for CO2 level to boost plant growth are

from 340ppm to 1300ppm as per recommendation of Blom, et

al. [21] and Claassens [22]. If CO2 > 1300ppm, exhaust fan

(F) is turned on. Since heating can increase the amount of

carbon dioxide in the greenhouse [23], warmer lamps (W) will

turn on when CO2 < 340ppm. If CO2 < 200ppm or CO2 >

1800ppm, an SMS is sent to the farm owner for notification of

critical parameter.

A light dependent resistor (LDR) is used to sense the light

intensity in the greenhouse. If the output voltage of the LDR

circuit, Vout >= 4 V, the greenhouse light is turned ON since

it is dark inside the greenhouse. The greenhouse light (G) acts

as an artificial grow light during night time to enhance

photosynthesis and other plant growth processes [24].

D. Control and Monitoring of Water Quality Parameters

The water quality parameters of the aquaponics system

such as water temperature, pH level, dissolved oxygen level,

electrical conductivity, total dissolve solids and salinity, are

controlled and monitored to maintain the best growth

conditions of the fish in the aquaculture tank and the plants on

the hydroponic beds. The threshold values for each sensor

were set based on [7],[20],[25]-[30] to allow the optimum

growth of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in the aquaculture

tank and the water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) in the

hydroponic beds during summer season, with the addition of

lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in winter season. Critical parameters

were monitored and controlled operations of actuators were

implemented to maintain optimal water conditions for plants

and fish.

A D18B20 temperature sensor is used to determine the

hotness or coldness of water in oC inside the aquaculture tank.

The set normal range for the water temperature (Twater) is 16 to

33 oC. If Twater > 33 oC, water pump (WP) is turned on for 25%

partial water replacement. If water temperature is too high, the

fish will stop feeding and the plants will start to wilt [20]. An

ultrasonic sensor was used to measure the water level from the

top of the clean water supply tank in centimeters. If Twater < 16

oC, warmer lamps (W) are turned ON. If the water is too cold,

nitrifying bacteria will stop working and some fish may not

eat properly then they become vulnerable to diseases [20]. If

Twater < 12 oC or Twater > 35

oC, an SMS is sent to the farm

owner since these range of temperatures are lethal to

maximum number of fish species [26].

Fig. 3. Block diagram of the aquaponics control and monitoring system.

The pH level measures the acidity or alkalinity of the water

in the aquaculture tank and hydroponic beds. The tolerance

range of pH level for most plants is 5.5 to 7.5. If the pH goes

beyond the acceptable range, plants experience nutrient

deficiencies [20]. On the other hand, fish in fresh water

aquaculture tank can tolerate a wide range of pH from 5.5 to

10 [27], but they grow best in waters with a pH ranging from

6.0 to 9.0 [7]. With these conditions, the set normal range of

pH level sensor in the designed aquaponics system is from 5.5

to 8.0 ppm. If the pH sensor circuit reads a value of pH < 5.5

or pH > 8.0, the water pump (WP) is turned on for 25% partial

water replacement and an SMS is sent to the farm owner for

notification of critical parameter.

The dissolved oxygen (DO) indicates the amount of free,

non-compound oxygen present in water of the aquaculture

tank. Ideally, DO > 5.0 mg/L is necessary for good fish

production [26]. As for the plants, they need higher oxygen

levels of about DO > 3 mg/L within the water [20]. In the

aquaponics system, the acceptable level of DO is set from DO

>= 5.0 to DO <=11.5 mg/L. If the dissolved oxygen sensor

circuit reads a value of DO < 5.0 mg/L, the aeration pump

(AP) is turned ON to increase the oxygen level. If DO < 5.0

mg/L or DO > 11.5 mg/L, the water pump (WP) is turned ON

for 25% partial water replacement and an SMS is also sent to

the farm owner.

The electrical conductivity (EC) is a measure of how well

the water in the aquaculture tank conducts electricity, and it is

correlated to its salt content [27]. Since EC specifies the total

ionic content of water, this will indicate its freshness [28]. In

the aquaponics system, the set range of electrical conductivity

is from EC >= 30 to EC <= 5,000 µS/cm based on the

acceptable values specified by Stone and Thomforde [27]. If

EC exceeds the predefined range, it indicates that the water is

polluted and may cause death in fishes.

The total dissolved solids (TDS) indicates the amount of

inorganic salt and dissolved organic matter in the aquaculture

tank [29]. Typically, the acceptable TDS value in mg/L is

about half of EC in µS/cm [27]. In the designed system, the

normal value of TDS is set to TDS <= 2,500 mg/L. If TDS

exceeds the pre-set range, it indicates that the water is polluted

and may cause death in fishes.

The salinity (SL) indicates the salt concentration in water,

in which fish are sensitive to [26]. According to Grag and

Bhatnagar [30], the desirable range of salinity level of water

for aquaponics system is up to 2 ppt for common carp. In the

aquaponic system, the set range of salinity is SL >= 0 to SL

<= 2.0 ppt.

A Conductivity K 1.0 sensor is used to measure the EC,

TDS and SL of the water in the aquaculture tank. If one of the

parameters is not within the set range, the water pump (WP) is

turned ON for 25% partial water replacement, and an SMS is

sent to the farm owner.

E. Cooling and Heating System of the Greenhouse and

Aquaculture Tank

A pad and fan type evaporative cooler is used to cool the

air inside the greenhouse through the evaporation of water.

The temperature of dry air can be dropped significantly

through the phase transition of liquid water to water vapor

(evaporation), which can cool air using much less energy than

refrigeration [31]. In extremely dry climates, like in the

Middle East regions, evaporative cooling of air has the added

benefit of conditioning the air with more moisture for the

comfort of building occupants or for green house cooling

applications.

The heating requirements of a greenhouse depend on the

desired temperature for the plants being grown. Majority of

the daily heat requirement of a greenhouse comes from the

sun. However, heat sources must be provided to warm the

greenhouse to a temperature more than a few degrees above

the outside temperature at cold winter nights [32]. The heating

system must be adequate to maintain the required day or night

temperature. Warmer lamps are used as heating system for

greenhouses and aquaculture tank during winter time.

F. Solar Energy Conversion System

The estimated AC power requirement of the aquaponics

system is 305 Watts and the total energy requirement per day

is estimated at 4,758 watt-hours. Based on these, two (2) 300

W, 28 V PV panels and four (4) 12V, 200 Ah deep-cycle

batteries are utilized, which are designed to be discharged at

50% to prolong the life of the batteries. A PWM solar charge

controller with 60 A, 24 V rating was considered, since it must

match the ratings of the batteries in series-parallel connection.

Since inverter power rating should be generally 25% to 30%

greater than total watts (W) of appliances and input DC

voltage must match the voltage of the battery bank, an inverter

of 1000 W with 24 V DC input and 220 Vrms AC output is

used for the system. Switched mode power supplies provide a

regulated 12V and 5V DC voltage to the electronic sensors

and circuits.

G. Fish Feeder

A fish feeder mechanism was constructed to dispense fish

feeds automatically. A program was written to control the

motor of the feeder using Arduino microcontroller. The feeder

system (FS) turns on every 12 hours for a period of 30 seconds

to release approximately 40 grams of feed to the fish in the

aquaculture tank. The amount of feed released by the feeder

system in grams is calculated based on the fish’s body weight,

feeding rate and the total number of fish in the aquaculture

tank [22]. In an aquaponics system, underfeeding can result in

loss of production while overfeeding will cause water

pollution and death in fish [34].

III. EXPERIMENTAL DATA AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

A. Test Results of the Control and Monitoring System for the

Greenhouse Environment

The environmental parameters read from the sensors and

the status of the actuators recorded on a typical summer day

are presented in Table I. Prior to the actual testing, the

temperature readings of DHT11 were calibrated with a digital

thermometer, and its relative humidity readings were

calibrated with a psychrometer. The carbon dioxide readings

were correlated with the MG811 sensitivity curve, temperature

and relative humidity characteristics as specified on the data

sheet. Based on the test results, the greenhouse control system

responded in accordance with the predefined set of threshold

values.

Table I shows that the air temperature inside the

greenhouse increases during daytime while the relative

humidity decreases in summer, which correlates with the

typical weather data for an arid region like Oman [35]. Due to

hot and dry weather during summer season, the exhaust fan

(F) and evaporative cooler (E) were on most of the time to

lower the temperature in the greenhouse as compared to the

outside temperature. The exhaust fan (E) lowered the air

temperature by 1oC to 2oC without the evaporative cooling

system. On the average, the greenhouse is cooled 4°C lower

than the outside air temperature when the evaporative cooler is

activated. Even though the air temperature can decrease on the

average to as much as 8°C across the evaporative cooler, this

cooling cannot be maintained in the greenhouse due to effect

of radiation and re-radiation of incident solar energy coming

from the outside and transmitted through the transparent walls

[5]. Fig. 4 shows the temperature in the greenhouse recorded

on a typical summer day as compared to the outside

temperature when the evaporative cooler is working. The

highest recorded temperature inside the greenhouse was 41oC

and the lowest relative humidity was 39%. These conditions

caused the microcontroller to enable exhaust fan (F),

evaporative cooler (E), as well as the GSM shield to send

critical parameter alert to the farm owner. Sample SMS sent

by the system to the farm owner is seen in Fig. 5.

Moreover, the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the

greenhouse during daytime were lower compared to night time

because the plants use carbon dioxide to carry on with the

photosynthesis process during daytime [21]. At sunset, the

LDR responded to the light properly as expected. The

greenhouse light was turned on during night time to serve as

an artificial grow light. This greenhouse light introduced heat

to the greenhouse which causes the air temperature to increase

slightly as compared with the outside temperature.

Fig. 4. Reduction in greenhouse temperature by evaporative cooling for

average outside RH=23% [5].

TABLE I. DATA FROM THE GREENHOUSE CONTROL AND MONITORING SYSTEM

TAKEN ON A TYPICAL SUMMER DAY FOR AN AVERAGE OUTSIDE %RH = 27%

Fig. 5. Sample SMS from GSM shield of the greenhouse control and

monitoring system [5].

B. Test Results of the Control and Monitoring System for the

Aquaponics Set-up

The water quality parameters read from the sensors and

status of the actuators taken a typical summer and winter days

were presented in Tables II and III respectively. The pH, DO

and EC sensors used to measure the water quality parameters

were initially calibrated by using solutions provided by the

manufacturer before they were dipped in the aquaculture tank.

The pH sensor readings were also compared with the result of

the pH test strip that was dipped in the aquaculture tank. The

D18B20 temperature sensor was calibrated using a digital

thermometer. Based on the test results presented in Tables II

and III, the aquaponics control system responded according to

the predefined range of threshold values. The acquired water

quality parameters and the status of the actuators were

displayed in the LCD and NI LabVIEW GUI as shown in Fig.

6 and 7 respectively. Critical water quality parameters were

sent to the farm owners as SMS through the SIM900 GSM

module interfaced with the microcontroller when one of the

water quality parameters exceeded the predefined set of values

as seen in Fig. 8.

It was observed from Table II that the dissolved oxygen

(DO) decreases as temperature of the water in the aquaculture

tank increases. This is due to the low solubility of oxygen

when the water temperature is high [36]. Also, as seen in

Table II and III, the DO decreases at night time caused by

respiration of the fish in the aquaculture tanks [36]. When DO

drops to a value lower than 5.0mg/L, the aeration pump turned

on to supply oxygen to the fish, and the water pump (WP) was

activated for 25% clean water replacement. This controlled

operation causes the water quality parameters to normalize.

Only 25% of the water in the aquaculture tank was replaced

because the fish cannot adapt abruptly to change in water

conditions [37]. The disposed water from the aquaculture tank

was not wasted since it was used as an irrigation water for the

trees and plants outside the greenhouse. The lowest recorded

water temperature was 15.75oC which causes the

microcontroller to enable the warmer lights (W).

The pH readings presented in Tables II and III fluctuate all

throughout the day ranging from 5.8 to 8.2. According to

Stevens [38], these fluctuations are due to photosynthesis and

respiration by plants and vertebrates. As observed, the pH

values are low at night time till dawn due to respiration of fish

which increases the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in

water. The chemical reaction of CO2 with water forms

carbonic acid, which causes pH to decrease [38]. At day

time, photosynthesis exceeds respiration, so pH increases as

CO2 is absorbed by the plants from the water [37].

Significant changes in pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total

dissolve solids (TDS) and salinity (SL) readings occurred 1 to

2 hours after feeding the fish which caused the microcontroller

to enable the water pump (WP) for 25% clean water

replacement. These changes in the water quality were caused

by uneaten fish feed and generation of fish waste [34], [39].

The solar energy conversion set-up was able to provide

power to the aquaponics system continuously for 24 hours

during winter season. However, the battery power supply

lasted 21.5 hours during peak summer season since the

evaporative cooler, exhaust fan and water pumps were turned

on and operating most of the time. To address this problem,

additional solar panels and batteries were connected to the

existing set-up.

TABLE II. DATA FROM THE AQUAPONICS CONTROL AND MONITORING SYSTEM

TAKEN ON A TYPICAL SUMMER DAY

Fig. 6. Water quality parameters displayed on the LCDs of the aquaponic

control and monitoring system.

TABLE III. DATA FROM THE AQUAPONICS CONTROL AND MONITORING

SYSTEM TAKEN ON A TYPICAL WINTER DAY

Fig. 7. Data displayed in NI LabVIEW GUI of the aquaponic control and

monitoring system.

Fig. 8. Sample SMS from GSM shield of the aquaponics control and

monitoring system [5].

IV. CONCLUSION

The aquaponics system allows water spinach (Ipomoea

aquatica) and tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) to co-exist

in an interdependent and controlled environment in both

winter and summer times. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is also

produced during winter season. In the design and construction

of the aquaculture tanks and hydroponic beds, a waste

product management and water recycling process are

presented, and an automated aquaponics control and

monitoring system was achieved with low maintenance cost

and minimal human intervention. The experimental results

obtained during summer and winter times showed that the

over-all system’s performance was sustainable to be used in

Oman and other arid regions. It was demonstrated that the NI

LabVIEW program can be a useful tool in reading and logging

values for all the parameters used in the system. It is

recommended that a total ammonium nitrate (TAN) sensor be

installed in the system to provide a more detailed water quality

analysis. The use of Wi-Fi technology and cloud data storage

are also recommended instead of GSM to reduce the cost in

monitoring the system performance.

The solar power conversion set-up supplied electricity to

the aquaponics and greenhouse system. However, to ensure

that the system is powered-up reliably for 24 hours a day and

7 days a week with an additional cooling system, solar panels

and batteries with higher ratings are required and control

optimization can be explored as future directives.

Furthermore, it was shown that evaporative cooling is a

feasible method of decreasing the temperature of the

greenhouse to desirable levels for improved microclimate

condition. However, its efficiency is below average.

Therefore, increasing the number of evaporative cooler unit

and improving the cooler design should be considered.

The research project promoted sustainable agriculture by

disseminating information about the designed aquaponics

system through social media, through visits to nearby farms

and by conducting technical workshop to engineering

students. A business plan for implementing this project in a

larger scale is recommended to support a possible source of

livelihood for the local communities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Special thanks to Al Musanna College of Technology

(ACT) for the full support given to this multi-disciplinary

project, and The Research Council (TRC) of Oman for funding

major part of this project. Thanks to other Smart and Energy-

Efficient Aquaponics Greenhouse (SEAGSAO) project

members: Nahum Bravo, Lilibeth Mendoza, Bindu P.V.,

Emanuel Rances, Jefferson Zason, Rolando Cabais, Alex

Boral, Angelito Carigaba, Rashid Al Yahmadi, Amal Al

Hadhrami, Hiba Al Rujaibi, Mahir Al Busaidi, Mohammed Al

Maqbali and Ghareeb Al Muhairzi, for all their support and

cooperation. Also, thanks to Dr. Emmanuel A. Gonzalez of

Schindler Elevator Corporation, OH, USA for his valuable

feedback on this paper.

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