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The purpose of this study is to develop a design framework for retrofitting a light industrial building with a hybrid renewable energy-assisted hydroponics farming system for production of fresh food in rural north Canadian communities. This design protocol is targeted at facilities in rural areas of northern Canada, which could benefit from better access to fresh food, especially given the harsh climate as well as the long and limited transport routes. The process includes 1) a review of the existing building; 2) an estimation of design loads for system sizing, such as temperature and humidity control, adequate lighting, airborne carbon, and water; 3) multi-objective genetic algorithm optimization of the hybrid renewable energy system for minimal operating cost and emissions; and 4) comparison of costs and greenhouse (GHG) emissions of the proposed farming operation with the traditional food supply chain. To demonstrate the proposed methodology, a case study building in a rural community in Alberta, Canada was evaluated for retrofit. The results showed that the GHG emissions generated from local hydroponic lettuce production, aided by a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES), are three times greater than those emitted by transporting an equivalent quantity of food from southern California, USA. On the other hand, the life cycle cost showed that the cost to produce lettuce from the case study facility is comparable to the price of lettuce available from traditional import, which shows a promising potential to provide fresh and cost-competitive food in the community, among other qualitative benefits gained from this empowering opportunity.

Background Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological condition causing multiple motor and non-motor symptoms that have a serious adverse effect on quality of life. Management is problematic due to the variable and fluctuating nature of symptoms, often hourly and daily. The PD_Manager mHealth platform aims to provide a continuous feed of data on symptoms to improve clinical understanding of the status of any individual patient and inform care planning. The objectives of this trial are to (1) assess patient (and family carer) perspectives of PD_Manager regarding comfort, acceptability and ease of use; (2) assess clinician views about the utility of the data generated by PD_Manager for clinical decision making and the acceptability of the system in clinical practice. Methods/design This trial is an unblinded, parallel, two-group, randomised controlled pilot study. A total of 200 persons with Parkinson’s disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage 3, experiencing motor fluctuations at least 2 h per day), with primary family carers, in three countries (110 Rome, 50 Venice, Italy; 20 each in Ioannina, Greece and Surrey, England) will be recruited. Following informed consent, baseline information will be gathered, including the following: age, gender, education, attitudes to technology (patient and carer); time since Parkinson’s diagnosis, symptom status and comorbidities (patient only). Randomisation will assign participants (1:1 in each country), to PD_Manager vs control, stratifying by age (1 ≤ 70 : 1 > 70) and gender (60% M: 40% F). The PD_Manager system captures continuous data on motor symptoms, sleep, activity, speech quality and emotional state using wearable devices (wristband, insoles) and a smartphone (with apps) for storing and transmitting the information. Control group participants will be asked to keep a symptom diary covering the same elements as PD_Manager records. After a minimum of two weeks, each participant will attend a consultation with a specialist doctor for review of the data gathered (by either means), and changes to management will be initiated as indicated. Patients, carers and clinicians will be asked for feedback on the acceptability and utility of the data collection methods. The PD_Manager intervention, compared to a symptom diary, will be evaluated in a cost-consequences framework. Discussion Information gathered will inform further development of the PD_Manager system and a larger effectiveness trial. Trial registration ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN17396879. Registered on 15 March 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2767-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.