IoT-Based Solar-powered

Smart Hydroponics system

with Real-Time Monitoring
2022 IEEE 14th International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Communication and Control, Environment, and Management (HNICEM) | 978-1-6654-6493-2/22/$31.00 ©2022 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/HNICEM57413.2022.10109358

and Control System

Ana Marie S. Ardina1, Deiscart D’Mitrio C.Maceda1,2,4,Christian Earl B. Borromeo1,Jennifer Dela Cruz2,Jodel M.
Fedeluz1,Airu Marcu F. Mauricio1,Glenn V.Magwili2, Jenette C. Centeno2,3, Andrew Bitancor4
1
College of Engineering, Columban College, Inc., 2School of Graduate Studies, Mapua University, College of
Engineering, 3Bulacan State University, 4College of Engineering, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
Rizal St., Bo. Barretto, Olongapo City, Zambales, Philippines
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract— This article describes the prototype In recent years,several studies have been done in IoT
developed capable of growing romaine lettuce in a smart hydroponics systems by applying different types of available
and controlled environment. The smart hydroponics technologies.A study about Iot based automated hydroponics
system prototype allows gardening without the use of soil used the IoT for monitoring the sensors value of
which is also integrated with technology that reads the temperature,humidity,pH,soil moisture sensor and TDS and
pH, EC, TDS, water temperature, ambient temperature, also adding ON/OFF controls of motor/pump.The studies
humidity, and light intensity in real-time, simultaneously also added some notifications like email,sms and alarm to
showing in a mobile app. It is capable of self-regulation notify users that they can now on/off the pump/motor.But the
based on set conditions from those parameters including gap of the previous studies are they are not fully automated
the activation of grow lights, humidifier, peristaltic or can be fully controlled remotely.Previous studies rely only
pumps, fan, and water pump. This system uses solar on the ON/OFF of the pump/motor to control the
energy as its main source of power while still connected to hydyropinics.The studies did not consider to grow plants
the grid in case of power issues. The lettuce growth rate remotely without even touching the system[3]–[6].
and efficiency of the automated process were made as a Hydroponics can already be referred to as an innovative
basis for comparison against the traditional approach. kind of farming by itself, nonetheless, technologies and smart
applications are needed to further upgrade this system. Air
Keywords— Smart Hydroponics, IoT, Blynk, DWC,pH, and water pumps are the typical devices present in a
EC, TDS, GUI, Sensor, Actuator, Solar PV System traditional hydroponics system, while sensors and regulating
tools for automation are not conventionally used.
I. INTRODUCTION Automation, especially IoT, allows for the system to enhance
The synergy between agriculture and technology is its monitoring and controlling processes through its wireless
becoming more prevalent these past few years. Agriculture, and self-regulating capabilities.
being the backbone of the Philippine economy, is expected to The Section II of this paper discusses the systems design
some changes that would better its traditional approach. Some of of the smart hydroponics system including the architecture,
the reasons for these changes are the country’s natural automation schedules and conditions, and flowchart of its
weather system that annually damages the crops. Aside from process. Section III shows the results of the efficiency of the
this, chemicals that are used to prevent the infestation of pests smart hydroponics system with regards to growing lettuce and
affect the soil where the crops are grown and the serious automated processes in comparison to the traditional method.
health issues that come from its long-term exposure. As of the Section 4 presents the conclusion of the study.
third quarter of 2021, there had been a negative 0.2% in
decline in crop production[1].Urbanization and gentrification II. SMART HYDROPONICS SYSTEM
also play major roles in the decline of agricultural lands. This
phenomenon does not only affect the major parts of the world
but also in thePhilippines, most notably the city of Makati. The A. System Design
construction of high-rise commercial buildings and the influx
of affluent people staying in, thus making it the financial The smart hydroponics system was designed in such a
center of the country. As an industry vital to economic growth way that allows itself to self-regulate based on the needs of
and livelihood assets, solutions were proposed in the country the lettuce and can be monitored and controlled remotely.
such as organic farming, crop programming, and Figure 1 shows the overall architecture of the smart
agroforestry[2] . hydroponics system. The system comprises of sensors,
actuators, control and displays, and a solar PV system

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978-1-6654-6493-2/22/$31.00 ©2022 IEEE
 hydroponics system by switching the relays of the following
devices:
a) An air pump was used to aerate or oxygenate the
reservoir of the hydroponic system.
b) A computer fan was used to control the heat and
humidity within the hydroponic system by providing
ventilation and airflow.
c) Ultrasonic mist maker (or humidifier module) was used
to regulate the humidity by misting.
d) LED light strip with a 3:1 ratio for red and blue lights,
and cool white LED strip are both installed for the
optimal growth of lettuce. The red light promotes the
flowering and fruit production of plants while blue light
is most effective for vegetative growth. The white light
is added to simulate full-spectrum light.
e) Peristaltic dosing pumps were used to dispense the exact
amount for each solution: Snap A, Snap B, and pH down.
This is a silicone type of pump that has a flow rate of
100mL/min.
f) Mini diaphragm pump will be used to transfer water into
the main reservoir. This allows a unidirectional flow of
water with a rate of 1.5-2L/min.

Lastly, the solar PV system which provided the main

Fig. 1. Smart hydroponics system architecture.
power supply for the smart hydroponics system includes the
The main processor of the system is the ESP32- following materials:
WROOM Development Board. This is a Wi-Fi + Bluetooth a) A 100-watt solar panel is installed to supply power to all
module that enables the hydroponic system to connect to a the devices and equipment in the hydroponic system.
smart device wirelessly. b) A 75Ah lead-acid battery which is ideal for providing
The sensors in the system as well as the optimal ranges enough power, especially at nighttime and in less ideal
for each parameter for the lettuce are the following: weather conditions.
c) MPPT charge controller which protected the solar power
a) SEN0161 (pH level sensor) was used to measure the
levels of acidity and alkalinity or the pH level of the system from overcharging.
nutrient-filled reservoir. For lettuce, the optimal range is
around 5 to 6 pH. Aside from this, an LCD 16x2 provided an on-site
display of some measurements collected by the sensors. This
b) SEN0244 (TDS sensor) measured the total dissolved
includes the pH value, TDS, EC, and relative humidity. An
solids in the solution. This indicates how many
automatic power switch module is also installed which
milligrams of soluble solids are dissolved in a liter of
water. TDS reflects the number of nutrients present in the enables the switching between a 12V power adapter and solar
system, in case of power supply issues.
reservoir. For lettuce, TDS values around 560 - 840 ppm
are the optimal range.
B. IoT System
c) DS18B20 (water temperature sensor) measured the water
temperature of the reservoir. The optimal range is around
B.1 Automated Processes
18C - 26C.
d) Light-dependent resistor (LDR) or photoresistor which is
Using an RTC module ensures the system goes through
a small device that can detect light and is a tool to
its programmed actions based on schedule. This means that it
measure light intensity. The optimal duration of light
continually operates even when the WiFi is unavailable.
exposure for plants is 16 hours maximum.
e) DHT11 (temperature and humidity sensor) was used to TABLE I
measure both the ambient temperature and the relative
DAILY MONITORING AND REGULATION CRITERIONS
humidity of the hydroponics setup. The optimal range is
12C-21C and 50% - 70% humidity, depending on the
growth stage. Parameter Optimal Condition Actuator Regulation Switch
Range Used Schedule
If the
Whether automatically timed or using a mobile phone via Blynk
<1” below water Water
Water level clearance virtual ON
with a Blynk app installed, the user can easily control the netpot Pump
is <1” button

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 Peristaltic
If the pH via Blynk
Dosing
pH level 5.0 – 6.0 level > virtual ON
Pump for
6.00 pH Down button
Ambient Computer 11:00NN –
12C – 21C None ON
Temperature Fan 4:00PM
If the
humidity 11:00NN –
Humidity 50% - 70% Humidifier ON
level is < 4:00PM
50%
560 – 840
TDS None - - -
ppm
0.8 – 1.5
EC None - - -
mS/cm
Water
18C – 26C None - - -
Temperature
LED
7:00AM –
Light 10 – 16 hrs None Grow ON
9:00PM
Lights

The Table I details the daily process of monitoring and

regulation of the smart hydroponics system using actuators,
Fig. 2. Blynk IoT GUI for Smart Monitor.
corresponding to the data received by their respective sensor.
The relay switches will turn ON if the conditions are met.
The water pump and pH peristaltic pump can be
2. Smart Control - Comprised of buttons and slider to turn
controlled using the virtual button in the Blynk mobile app.
on/off the air pump, LED strips, humidifier, pH down,
The fan will switch ON from 11:00 in the afternoon until 4:00
fan, and water pump. Even though all of these actuators
PM. The humidifier is activated at the same time but only in switch on and regulate on their assigned daily schedule
the condition that the humidity is less than 50%. The grow based on the programming with the RTC module, they
lights will turn ON at 7:00 in the morning and switches OFF
can also be turned on and off using the Blynk app outside
by 9:00 in the evening.
the set schedule. The pH down and humidifier
However, there are some points to be considered when automatically prevent the user from activating these
using the Blynk IoT mobile app. Communication between the buttons when certain values are reached as shown in
smart hydroponics system and the Blynk app has an Fig.3.
approximately one-second delay when pressing a button and
moving sliders. If the buttons are pressed successively or
simultaneously pressed on multiple mobile devices, it may
cause interruption or interferences on the circuit,
disconnecting the relays and other connections. It is best to be
careful when operating the IoT system.

B.2 Blynk App

The Blynk IoT system allows for remote monitoring and

controlling of sensors and actuators in real-time through WiFi
connection using ESP32-WROOM and Blynk application.
Controlling via Blynk can be done with the desktop
application, but preferably using the mobile app because of
its ease of use. There are two tabs in the Blynk mobile app
GUI:

1. Smart Monitor - Using the Blynk app, the user can keep
track of the hydroponics system’s relative humidity,
ambient temperature, pH level, TDS, EC, water
temperature, and light intensity values in real-time as
shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 3. Blynk IoT GUI for Smart Control.

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 At the bottom of the Smart Control tab, the change water
button can be found. Change water is the periodic process of
refreshing the water reservoir to prevent the accumulation of
bacteria and fungi in the system.
Before proceeding to press this button, the containers,
hoses, and other materials must be cleaned. Next, return how
the hoses and sensors are placed. Fill the reservoir container
with water, ideally stopping one (1) inch below the net pot by
pressing the virtual button in the Blynk app. Once done, the
user may long press the blue button on the smart hydroponic
box (offline) or press the virtual button in the Blynk app
(online) to start the process. First, Nutrient A solution is
dispensed to the container. Second, the air pump is turned on
which will help with the diffusion of the previous solution.
Third, the Nutrient B solution is dispensed. Lastly, regulating
the pH level of the water to a suitable level with pH down.
The following flow chart shows the process as shown in
Fig.4:
Fig. 5. Smart hydroponics system.

Fig. 6. Smart hydroponics electronic box.

Fig. 4. Change water process.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The traditional and smart hydroponics systems were

tested on two separate occasions.Fig.5 shows the set up of
smart hydroponics system. A set of five lettuce grownin the
traditional and smart hydroponics systems each were
observed within ten (10) days, in which both were placed in
a lanai of a residential house in New Cabalan, Olongapo City .
During that period, dependent variables based on the length
and width of a lettuce leaf, and the time duration of
Fig. 7. Solution containers (pH, Nutrient A & Nutrient B)
monitoring and regulating process to determine efficiency connected to the electronic box peristaltic pumps.
were measured.Fig.6.shows the smart hydroponics electronic
box.Independent variables, based on the reading of the
parameters by the sensors, include the pH level, ambient
temperature, humidity, TDS, EC, and watertemperature as
shown in Fig.7. For both systems, the light intensity was
the control variable as it only determined the value of
ambient light outside the system.

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 A. Lettuce Growth TABLE IV. Monitoring and Regulation Time Duration for the
Traditional Hydroponics System.
For the study, the researchers selected one lettuce plant
for each system as a basis for comparison.
Traditional Hydroponics
The lettuce grown in the traditional hydroponics system
Monitoring Regulation*
has an average width growth of 8.66% while having a 13.93%
average increase for its length. Its best condition shows a pH Day
Start Time End Time Start Time End Time
level of 5.82, TDS of 336 ppm, EC of 0.67 mS/cm, water
temperature of 26.6 Celsius, 65% humidity, and 27 Celsius 1 8:00 PM 8:07 PM 3:18 PM 8:00 PM
2 11:51 PM 11:53 PM 11:53 PM 11:56 PM
ambient temperature resulting in a 50.75% width growth on
3 8:27 PM 8:29 PM 8:29 PM 8:32 PM
day 10. The best length increase comes from a condition that
4 7:58 PM 8:04 PM 8:04 PM 8:06 PM
has a pH level of 5.86, TDS of 262 ppm, EC of 0.52 mS/cm,
5 8:18 PM 8:23 PM 8:23 PM 8:25 PM
water temperature of 25.9 Celsius, 53% humidity, and 26 6 8:03 PM 8:10 PM — —
Celsius ambient temperature, resulting in 46.33% length 7 10:01 PM 10:07 PM 10:07 PM 10:08 PM
growth on day 4 as shown in Table II. 8 8:25 PM 8:32 PM 2:28 PM 4:10 PM
The lettuce grown in the smart hydroponics system has 9 8:07 PM 8:14 PM 8:14 PM 8:18 PM
an average width growth of 6.01% while having a 10.01% 10 8:26 PM 8:32 PM 8:32 PM 8:36 PM
average increase for its length. Its best condition shows a pH
level of 5.74, TDS of 994 ppm, EC of 2.15 mS/cm, water TABLE V. Monitoring and Regulation Time Duration for the
temperature of 27.38 Celsius, 88% humidity, and 27.6 Smart Hydroponics System
Celsius ambient temperature, resulting in a 20.00% width
growth and 25.00% length growth on day 6 as shown in Table Smart Hydroponics
III. Monitoring Regulation*
Compared to smart hydroponics, traditional hydroponics Day
still results in a better growth rate for lettuce. Start Time End Time Start Time End Time

1 8:23 AM 8:27 AM 7:17 AM 8:23 AM

TABLE II. Growth Rate of Lettuce in Traditional Hydroponics 2 9:43 PM 9:45 PM 9:45 PM 9:49 PM
3 9:44 PM 9:47 PM — —
Traditional Hydroponics 4 9:58 PM 10:00 PM — —
Leaf Width Leaf Length Growth Rate Growth Rate 5 9:01 PM 9:04 PM — —
Day (mm) (mm) Leaf Width Leaf Length
1 38 31.9 0.00% 0.00% 6 9:12 PM 9:15 PM — —
2 39.4 35.2 3.68% 10.34% 7 9:14 PM 9:17 PM 9:17 PM 9:21 PM
3 41.4 43.6 5.08% 23.86% 8 9:22 PM 9:24 PM 9:24 PM 9:30 PM
4 47.7 63.8 15.22% 46.33%
9 9:50 PM 9:53 PM 8:53 PM 8:58 PM
5 48.4 79.6 1.47% 24.76%
6 51.3 85.6 5.99% 7.54% 10 5:07 PM 5:11 PM 4:20 PM 5:07 PM
7 52.6 89.3 2.53% 4.32%
8 53.6 99.1 1.90% 10.97%
9 53.6 106.2 0.00% 7.16%
B. Efficiency of Automated Processes
10 80.8 110.4 50.75% 3.95%
Average Growth Rate: 8.66% 13.93% The traditional hydroponics system has an average time
of 5.5 minutes to fully perform its measurements, while the
TABLE III. smart hydroponics system has an average of 2.9 minutes. On
average, the smart hydroponics system performs about
Smart Hydroponics 36.86% faster than the traditional one with regard to the
Leaf Width Leaf Length Growth Rate Growth Rate
Day (mm) (mm) Leaf Width Leaf Length monitoring process. This can be attributed to the continuous
1 20 50 0.00% 0.00% readings of the sensors from the smart hydroponics system.
2 20.3 60 1.50% 20.00%
3 24 65 18.23% 8.33%
4 25 70 4.17% 7.69%
TABLE VI. Average Time and Percentage Change of the
5 25 80 0.00% 14.29% Traditional and Smart Hydroponics Monitoring Process
6 30 100 20.00% 25.00%
7 30 101 0.00% 1.00%
TH SH
8 31 105 3.33% 3.96% Monitoring Duration Monitoring Duration Percentage Change
9 31 125 0.00% 19.05% Day (min) (min) (%)
10 35 126 12.90% 0.80% 1 7 4 42.86%
Average Growth Rate: 6.01% 10.01% 2 2 2 0.00%
3 2 3 -50.00%
Table IV and Table V shows the start and end time for the 4 6 2 66.67%
5 5 3 40.00%
monitoring and regulation process for each day in the traditional 6 7 3 57.14%
and smart hydroponics system, respectively. On days 1 and 8 of 7 6 3 50.00%
the traditional hydroponics system and days 1 and 10 of the 8 7 2 71.43%
9 7 3 57.14%
smart hydroponics system, change water was carried out. For
10 6 4 33.33%
day 6 in the traditional hydroponics system, and days 3 to 6 in Average: 5.5 2.9 36.86%
the smart hydroponics system, the time duration data were
nullified as the pH level remained the same, thus the regulation
process was not performed
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 Table VII shows the average time for the traditional REFERENCES
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IV. CONCLUSION

The development of an IoT-based smart gardening

prototype provides an efficient hydroponics system that can
monitor and control its environment remotely. This
minimizes effort from the user on tasks that typically involve
manual control and being in the same location as the device.
The smart hydroponics system presents a significant
difference in creating a controlled environment for growing
romaine lettuce. Based on the results of the study, it is much
faster in monitoring compared to the traditional
hydroponicssystem. With the real-time parameters shown
in the BlynkIoT app, the researchers were able to diagnose
issues that may arise while growing vegetables in
hydroponics systems.Aside from this, the solar PV system
was able to provideenough power supply to the system
under the right weather
conditions.
The lettuces did show signs of legginess due to
insufficient light which the traditional hydroponics have
lesser issues with. Even though the growth rate may lag
behind in the smart hydroponics system, it still shows that the
plant can grow healthier by adjusting some of the variable.

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