Homestead System Flow Chart¶
Date: 2026-02-05 (Updated: 2026-02-06) Related Document: Homestead-Scale System
System Overview¶
%%{init: {'theme':'base', 'themeVariables': { 'primaryColor':'#00897b','primaryTextColor':'#fff','primaryBorderColor':'#00695c','lineColor':'#00897b','secondaryColor':'#e0f2f1','tertiaryColor':'#fff'}}}%%
graph LR
%% Inputs
SUN[☀️ Sunlight]
SW[🌊 Seawater]
SEAWEED[🌿 Seaweed]
%% System
SYSTEM[INTEGRATED SYSTEM]
%% Outputs
VEG[🥬 Vegetables]
FISH[🐟 Fish]
EGGS[🥚 Eggs]
MILK[🥛 Milk]
MEAT[🍖 Meat]
WOOL[🧶 Wool/Fiber]
SALT[🧂 Salt]
%% Connections
SUN --> SYSTEM
SW --> SYSTEM
SEAWEED --> SYSTEM
SYSTEM --> VEG
SYSTEM --> FISH
SYSTEM --> EGGS
SYSTEM --> MILK
SYSTEM --> MEAT
SYSTEM --> WOOL
SYSTEM --> SALT
style SYSTEM fill:#00897b,stroke:#00695c,color:#fff
style SUN fill:#ffeb3b,stroke:#f57f17,color:#000
style SW fill:#0277bd,stroke:#01579b,color:#fff
style SEAWEED fill:#4caf50,stroke:#2e7d32,color:#fff
Detailed System Flow¶
%%{init: {'theme':'base', 'flowchart': {'curve':'basis'}}}%%
graph TB
%% Sunlight Input
SUN[☀️ SUNLIGHT]
%% Solar Systems
PV[SOLAR PANELS<br/>~8.5 m²<br/>~5.7 kWh/day]
GH_LIGHT[GREENHOUSE GLAZING<br/>Natural light for plants]
EVAP_HEAT[EVAPORATION PONDS<br/>Solar heating]
%% Electricity
ELEC[ELECTRICITY<br/>RO: 1.3-1.5 kWh<br/>Pumps: 2.0-3.0 kWh<br/>Lighting: 0.7-1.5 kWh<br/>Ventilation: 0.2-0.5 kWh]
%% Seawater System
SW_IN[🌊 SEAWATER INTAKE<br/>~1,333 L/day]
COOLING[SEAWATER COOLING LOOP<br/>18-22°C → 30-32°C<br/>Absorbs ~15 kWh heat]
%% RO System
RO[RO DESALINATION<br/>Pre-warmed input<br/>600 L/day output<br/>1.3-1.5 kWh]
FRESH[FRESH WATER<br/>600 L/day]
BRINE[BRINE<br/>733 L/day<br/>70,000 ppm]
%% Fresh Water Uses
FW_USE[FRESH WATER USES<br/>Aquaponics: 100-150 L<br/>Livestock: 77-144 L<br/>Human: 200 L<br/>BSF: 10-20 L<br/>Cleaning: 20-40 L<br/>Green roofs: 55-95 L<br/>TOTAL: 462-649 L/day]
%% Salt Production
PONDS[EVAPORATION PONDS<br/>204 m² total, 7 ponds<br/>CaCO₃ pond: 4 m²<br/>Concentrators 2A,B,C,D: 144 m²<br/>Crystallizers A,B: 50 m²]
SALT_OUT[🧂 SALT<br/>30-33 kg/day<br/>11.5 tonnes/year]
BITTERNS[BITTERNS<br/>29-35 L/day<br/>Mg, K salts]
%% Aquaponics
AQUA[AQUAPONICS<br/>100 m²]
GROW[GROW BEDS<br/>Vegetables, Herbs<br/>20-30 kg/day]
FISH_TANK[FISH TANKS<br/>Tilapia<br/>1-2 kg/day]
WASTE[PLANT WASTE<br/>Fish mortality]
%% Mushroom Production
MUSHROOM[MUSHROOM PRODUCTION<br/>Manure composting<br/>Substrate: 12 kg manure + 12 kg straw<br/>Output: 2 kg mushrooms/day<br/>SMS: 18 kg/day]
%% BSF Composting
BSF[BSF COMPOSTING<br/>SMS + Plant waste + Seaweed waste<br/>Production: 2.7 kg larvae/day<br/>Omega-3 enriched]
LARVAE[BSF LARVAE<br/>Protein feed<br/>Omega-3 enriched]
FRASS[FRASS<br/>Fertilizer]
%% Livestock
LIVESTOCK[LIVESTOCK]
CHICKENS[CHICKENS<br/>24 birds<br/>Feed: BSF larvae<br/>🥚 12-18 eggs/day]
SHEEP[SHEEP<br/>5 animals<br/>Feed: Seaweed mix<br/>🧶 Wool: 36-72 kg/yr]
GOATS[GOATS<br/>5 animals<br/>Feed: Seaweed mix<br/>🥛 Milk: 12-24 L/day]
MANURE[MANURE<br/>12 kg/day]
%% Seaweed
SEAWEED[🌿 SEAWEED HARVEST<br/>From ocean/tidal zones<br/>23.5 kg/day total<br/>Seawater rinse only]
SEAWEED_PROC_CHICKEN[CHICKEN FEED PROCESSING<br/>0.5 kg → Freshwater soak 2 days<br/>10 L water/day<br/>Reduces salt 95%]
SEAWEED_RUMINANT[RUMINANT FEED<br/>23 kg unwashed<br/>Goats/sheep salt-tolerant<br/>Zero freshwater]
%% Solar connections
SUN --> PV
SUN --> GH_LIGHT
SUN --> EVAP_HEAT
PV --> ELEC
ELEC --> RO
ELEC --> COOLING
%% Seawater flow
SW_IN --> COOLING
COOLING --> RO
%% RO outputs
RO --> FRESH
RO --> BRINE
%% Fresh water distribution
FRESH --> FW_USE
FW_USE --> AQUA
%% Brine to ponds
BRINE --> PONDS
EVAP_HEAT --> PONDS
PONDS --> SALT_OUT
PONDS --> BITTERNS
%% Aquaponics system
GH_LIGHT --> AQUA
AQUA --> GROW
AQUA --> FISH_TANK
GROW -.nutrients.-> FISH_TANK
FISH_TANK -.waste.-> GROW
AQUA --> WASTE
%% Mushroom pathway
MANURE --> MUSHROOM
MUSHROOM --> BSF
%% BSF composting
WASTE --> BSF
BSF --> LARVAE
BSF --> FRASS
FRASS -.fertilizer.-> GROW
%% Livestock system
LARVAE --> CHICKENS
SEAWEED --> SEAWEED_PROC_CHICKEN
SEAWEED --> SEAWEED_RUMINANT
SEAWEED_PROC_CHICKEN --> CHICKENS
SEAWEED_RUMINANT --> SHEEP
SEAWEED_RUMINANT --> GOATS
SEAWEED_PROC_CHICKEN -.washed waste.-> BSF
SEAWEED_RUMINANT -.unwashed waste.-> BSF
CHICKENS --> MANURE
SHEEP --> MANURE
GOATS --> MANURE
LIVESTOCK -.contains.-> CHICKENS
LIVESTOCK -.contains.-> SHEEP
LIVESTOCK -.contains.-> GOATS
%% Styling
classDef input fill:#0277bd,stroke:#01579b,color:#fff
classDef solar fill:#ffeb3b,stroke:#f57f17,color:#000
classDef water fill:#4fc3f7,stroke:#0288d1,color:#000
classDef process fill:#00897b,stroke:#00695c,color:#fff
classDef output fill:#4caf50,stroke:#2e7d32,color:#fff
classDef waste fill:#ff9800,stroke:#e65100,color:#fff
class SUN,SW_IN solar
class SEAWEED input
class PV,GH_LIGHT,EVAP_HEAT,ELEC solar
class COOLING,RO,FRESH,BRINE,PONDS water
class AQUA,GROW,FISH_TANK,MUSHROOM,BSF process
class CHICKENS,SHEEP,GOATS,LIVESTOCK process
class SALT_OUT,BITTERNS output
class WASTE,MANURE,LARVAE,FRASS waste
Simplified Material Flow¶
%%{init: {'theme':'base', 'flowchart': {'curve':'linear'}}}%%
graph TB
%% Inputs
SUN[☀️ Sunlight]
SW[🌊 Seawater]
SEAWEED[🌿 Seaweed]
%% Solar conversion
PV[SOLAR PANELS]
GH[GREENHOUSE LIGHT]
EVAP[EVAPORATION PONDS]
ELEC[ELECTRICITY]
%% Water processing
COOL_RO[COOLING + RO]
FRESH[FRESH WATER]
BRINE[BRINE]
%% Core systems
AQUA[AQUAPONICS]
BSF[BSF COMPOST]
LIVESTOCK[LIVESTOCK]
%% Outputs
VEG[🥬 Vegetables]
FISH[🐟 Fish]
SALT[🧂 Salt]
EGGS[🥚 Eggs]
MILK[🥛 Milk]
WOOL[🧶 Wool]
MEAT[🍖 Meat]
%% Connections
SUN --> PV
SUN --> GH
SUN --> EVAP
PV --> ELEC
SW --> COOL_RO
ELEC --> COOL_RO
COOL_RO --> FRESH
COOL_RO --> BRINE
FRESH --> AQUA
GH --> AQUA
BRINE --> EVAP
EVAP --> SALT
AQUA -.waste.-> BSF
BSF -.larvae.-> AQUA
BSF -.larvae.-> LIVESTOCK
SEAWEED --> LIVESTOCK
AQUA --> VEG
AQUA --> FISH
LIVESTOCK --> EGGS
LIVESTOCK --> MILK
LIVESTOCK --> WOOL
LIVESTOCK --> MEAT
%% Styling
classDef input fill:#0277bd,stroke:#01579b,color:#fff
classDef solar fill:#ffeb3b,stroke:#f57f17,color:#000
classDef process fill:#00897b,stroke:#00695c,color:#fff
classDef output fill:#4caf50,stroke:#2e7d32,color:#fff
class SUN,SW,SEAWEED input
class PV,GH,EVAP,ELEC solar
class COOL_RO,AQUA,BSF,LIVESTOCK process
class FRESH,BRINE process
class VEG,FISH,SALT,EGGS,MILK,WOOL,MEAT output
Energy Flow¶
%%{init: {'theme':'base'}}%%
graph TB
SUN[☀️ SUNLIGHT<br/>5.7 kWh/m²/day]
PV[SOLAR PANELS<br/>~8.5 m²<br/>~5.7 kWh/day output]
ELEC[ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION]
RO[RO DESALINATION<br/>1.3-1.5 kWh/day]
PUMPS[PUMPS & AERATION<br/>2.0-3.0 kWh/day]
LIGHTS[LIGHTING & MISC<br/>0.9-2.0 kWh/day]
TOTAL[TOTAL CONSUMPTION<br/>4.4-7.0 kWh/day<br/>Multi-structure design<br/>with natural light]
SUN --> PV
PV --> ELEC
ELEC --> RO
ELEC --> PUMPS
ELEC --> LIGHTS
RO --> TOTAL
PUMPS --> TOTAL
LIGHTS --> TOTAL
classDef solar fill:#ffeb3b,stroke:#f57f17,color:#000
classDef elec fill:#ff9800,stroke:#e65100,color:#fff
classDef load fill:#00897b,stroke:#00695c,color:#fff
class SUN,PV solar
class ELEC elec
class RO,PUMPS,LIGHTS,TOTAL load
Water Flow¶
%%{init: {'theme':'base'}}%%
graph TB
SW[🌊 SEAWATER<br/>1,333 L/day intake]
COOL[COOLING LOOP<br/>Absorbs 15 kWh heat<br/>18-22°C → 30-32°C]
RO[RO DESALINATION<br/>45% recovery<br/>0.6 m³/day capacity<br/>Pre-warmed input]
FRESH[FRESH WATER<br/>600 L/day]
BRINE[BRINE<br/>733 L/day<br/>70,000 ppm TDS]
CONSUMED[FRESH WATER CONSUMPTION<br/>• Aquaponics: 100-150 L<br/>• Livestock drinking: 77-144 L<br/>• Human domestic: 200 L<br/>• BSF composting: 10-20 L<br/>• Cleaning: 20-40 L<br/>• Green roofs 200 m²: 60-100 L<br/>TOTAL: 447-614 L/day]
PONDS[EVAPORATION PONDS<br/>204 m² total<br/>7 ponds batch/rotating<br/><br/>CaCO₃ pond: 4 m²<br/>Concentrators 2A,B,C,D: 144 m²<br/>Crystallizers A,B: 50 m²]
SALT[🧂 SALT OUTPUT<br/>30-33 kg/day<br/>11.5 tonnes/year<br/>Food-grade sea salt]
BITTERNS[BITTERNS<br/>29-35 L/day<br/>Mg, K salts<br/>→ Nigari/Fertilizer]
SW --> COOL
COOL --> RO
RO --> FRESH
RO --> BRINE
FRESH --> CONSUMED
BRINE --> PONDS
PONDS --> SALT
PONDS --> BITTERNS
classDef water fill:#0277bd,stroke:#01579b,color:#fff
classDef process fill:#00897b,stroke:#00695c,color:#fff
classDef output fill:#4caf50,stroke:#2e7d32,color:#fff
class SW,FRESH,BRINE water
class COOL,RO,CONSUMED,PONDS process
class SALT,BITTERNS output
Nutrient Cycling (Closed Loop)¶
%%{init: {'theme':'base', 'flowchart': {'curve':'basis'}}}%%
graph TB
%% Aquaponics
AQUA[AQUAPONICS<br/>Fish produce ammonia<br/>Plants absorb nitrogen]
FISH[Fish 🐟]
PLANTS[Plants 🥬]
%% Waste streams
PLANT_WASTE[Plant waste<br/>Fish mortality]
LIVESTOCK[LIVESTOCK<br/>Sheep, Goats, Chickens]
MANURE[Livestock Manure<br/>12 kg/day]
%% Mushroom production
MUSHROOM[MUSHROOM PRODUCTION<br/>Grows on manure + straw<br/>Output: 2 kg/day 🍄]
SMS[Spent Mushroom Substrate<br/>SMS: 18 kg/day]
%% BSF composting
BSF[BSF COMPOSTING<br/>SMS + plant waste + seaweed waste<br/>14-16 day cycle<br/>Omega-3 enriched]
LARVAE[BSF Larvae<br/>2.7 kg/day<br/>Fish feed 49%<br/>Chicken feed 30%<br/>Omega-3 enriched]
FRASS[Frass Fertilizer<br/>8-10 kg/day<br/>Thermally pasteurized]
%% External inputs and processing
SEAWEED[🌿 Seaweed<br/>23.5 kg/day<br/>Ocean harvest]
SEAWEED_CHICKEN[Chicken Seaweed<br/>0.5 kg washed<br/>10 L water/day]
SEAWEED_RUMINANT[Ruminant Seaweed<br/>23 kg unwashed<br/>Zero water]
SEAWEED_WASTE[Seaweed Waste<br/>3.6-4.7 kg/day<br/>Mostly unwashed]
FOOD_SCRAPS[Food scraps<br/>Human waste]
%% Aquaponics internal loop
AQUA --> FISH
AQUA --> PLANTS
FISH -.waste/ammonia.-> PLANTS
%% From aquaponics
PLANTS --> PLANT_WASTE
%% Livestock to mushrooms
LIVESTOCK --> MANURE
MANURE --> MUSHROOM
%% Mushrooms to BSF
MUSHROOM --> SMS
SMS --> BSF
PLANT_WASTE --> BSF
FOOD_SCRAPS --> BSF
SEAWEED_WASTE --> BSF
%% BSF outputs
BSF --> LARVAE
BSF --> FRASS
%% Back to systems
LARVAE -.protein feed.-> FISH
LARVAE -.protein feed.-> LIVESTOCK
FRASS -.fertilizer.-> PLANTS
%% Seaweed processing split
SEAWEED --> SEAWEED_CHICKEN
SEAWEED --> SEAWEED_RUMINANT
%% External feed with processing
SEAWEED_CHICKEN --> LIVESTOCK
SEAWEED_RUMINANT --> LIVESTOCK
SEAWEED_CHICKEN -.processing waste.-> SEAWEED_WASTE
SEAWEED_RUMINANT -.processing waste.-> SEAWEED_WASTE
%% Styling
classDef aqua fill:#4fc3f7,stroke:#0288d1,color:#000
classDef process fill:#00897b,stroke:#00695c,color:#fff
classDef waste fill:#ff9800,stroke:#e65100,color:#fff
classDef external fill:#4caf50,stroke:#2e7d32,color:#fff
classDef output fill:#8bc34a,stroke:#558b2f,color:#fff
class AQUA,FISH,PLANTS aqua
class MUSHROOM,BSF,LIVESTOCK process
class PLANT_WASTE,MANURE,SMS waste
class SEAWEED,FOOD_SCRAPS external
class LARVAE,FRASS output
Scale-Up Path: Adding MED¶
%%{init: {'theme':'base'}}%%
graph TB
subgraph HOMESTEAD["HOMESTEAD SCALE (Current)<br/>0.5 m³/day"]
SW1[Seawater]
COOL1[Cooling]
RO1[RO Desalination]
FW1[Fresh Water<br/>500 L/day]
BR1[Brine<br/>733 L/day]
POND1[Evaporation Ponds]
SALT1[🧂 Salt<br/>30-33 kg/day]
SW1 --> COOL1
COOL1 --> RO1
RO1 --> FW1
RO1 --> BR1
BR1 --> POND1
POND1 --> SALT1
end
subgraph EXPANDED["EXPANDED SCALE (Future)<br/>>50 m³/day"]
SW2[Seawater]
COOL2[Cooling]
RO2[RO Desalination]
FW2A[Fresh Water<br/>Primary output]
BR2[Brine]
MED[MED System<br/>Multi-Effect Distillation]
FW2B[Fresh Water<br/>Additional +70%]
BR2C[Concentrated Brine<br/>70% less volume]
POND2[Evaporation Ponds<br/>Smaller]
SALT2[🧂 Salt]
SW2 --> COOL2
COOL2 --> RO2
RO2 --> FW2A
RO2 --> BR2
BR2 --> MED
MED --> FW2B
MED --> BR2C
BR2C --> POND2
POND2 --> SALT2
end
classDef water fill:#0277bd,stroke:#01579b,color:#fff
classDef process fill:#00897b,stroke:#00695c,color:#fff
classDef output fill:#4caf50,stroke:#2e7d32,color:#fff
class SW1,SW2,FW1,FW2A,FW2B,BR1,BR2,BR2C water
class COOL1,COOL2,RO1,RO2,MED,POND1,POND2 process
class SALT1,SALT2 output
Complete Nutrient Pathway: Manure → Mushrooms → BSF¶
%%{init: {'theme':'base'}}%%
graph TB
LIVESTOCK[LIVESTOCK<br/>24 chickens + 5 sheep + 5 goats]
MANURE[MANURE<br/>12 kg/day total<br/>Chickens: 2 kg<br/>Sheep: 5 kg<br/>Goats: 5 kg]
SUBSTRATE[MUSHROOM SUBSTRATE<br/>12 kg manure + 12 kg straw<br/>Solar thermal pasteurization 60-70°C<br/>Weekly batch: 168 kg total]
MUSHROOM[MUSHROOM PRODUCTION<br/>Growing period: 6-8 weeks<br/>Output: 14 kg fresh/week<br/>2 kg/day average 🍄]
SMS[SPENT MUSHROOM SUBSTRATE<br/>SMS: 18 kg/day<br/>~70-75% original volume<br/>Nutrients extracted, compostable]
BSF_INPUT[BSF COMPOSTING<br/>SMS: 18 kg/day<br/>Aquaponics waste: 1-2 kg/day<br/>Seaweed waste: 3.5-4.6 kg/day (optional)<br/>Food scraps<br/>Total substrate: ~20-25 kg/day<br/>Omega-3 enriched when seaweed added]
BSF_OUTPUT[BSF OUTPUTS<br/>14-16 day cycle]
LARVAE[BSF Larvae<br/>2.7 kg fresh/day<br/>990 kg/year]
FRASS[Frass Fertilizer<br/>8-10 kg/day<br/>Thermally pasteurized<br/>Returns to aquaponics]
ALLOCATION[LARVAE ALLOCATION]
FISH_FEED[Fish Feed<br/>2.0 kg/day<br/>49% of fish diet<br/>730 kg/year]
CHICKEN_FEED[Chicken Feed<br/>0.7 kg/day<br/>30% of chicken diet<br/>260 kg/year]
COMMERCIAL[COMMERCIAL FEED<br/>STILL NEEDED<br/>Fish pellets: 2.1 kg/day<br/>Chicken feed: 1.8 kg/day<br/>Total cost: $1,610/year]
LIVESTOCK --> MANURE
MANURE --> SUBSTRATE
SUBSTRATE --> MUSHROOM
MUSHROOM --> SMS
SMS --> BSF_INPUT
BSF_INPUT --> BSF_OUTPUT
BSF_OUTPUT --> LARVAE
BSF_OUTPUT --> FRASS
LARVAE --> ALLOCATION
ALLOCATION --> FISH_FEED
ALLOCATION --> CHICKEN_FEED
classDef animal fill:#8d6e63,stroke:#5d4037,color:#fff
classDef waste fill:#ff9800,stroke:#e65100,color:#fff
classDef process fill:#00897b,stroke:#00695c,color:#fff
classDef output fill:#4caf50,stroke:#2e7d32,color:#fff
classDef feed fill:#cddc39,stroke:#9e9d24,color:#000
classDef external fill:#9e9e9e,stroke:#424242,color:#fff
class LIVESTOCK animal
class MANURE,SMS waste
class SUBSTRATE,MUSHROOM,BSF_INPUT,BSF_OUTPUT,ALLOCATION process
class LARVAE,FRASS output
class FISH_FEED,CHICKEN_FEED feed
class COMMERCIAL external
Outputs Summary¶
| Output | Daily Yield | Annual Yield | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥬 Vegetables | 16-27 kg | 6.5-9.7 tonnes | Aquaponics |
| 🐟 Fish | 1-2 kg | 430-750 kg | Aquaponics |
| 🥚 Eggs | 12-18 | ~5,500 | Chickens (24) |
| 🥛 Milk | 5-10 L | 1,800-3,600 L | Goats (5, 2-3 lactating) |
| 🍖 Meat | ~0.3 kg | ~100 kg | All livestock |
| 🧶 Wool/Fiber | -- | 15-30 kg | Sheep (5) |
| 🧂 Salt | 30-33 kg | 10-12 tonnes (11.5 avg) | Brine evaporation |
| 🍄 Mushrooms | 2 kg | 730 kg | Manure substrate |
Seaweed input: ~23 kg fresh/day (~1 hour harvest) for 10 ruminants
Key Points: Material Flow¶
- ALL manure goes to mushrooms first (not directly to BSF)
- SMS from mushrooms becomes BSF substrate (not manure)
- BSF production: 2.7 kg/day from SMS + aquaponics waste (omega-3 enriched when seaweed waste added)
- Feed self-sufficiency: 42% from BSF larvae
- Bonus output: 730 kg mushrooms/year (14 kg/week)
- Seaweed waste valorization: Processing waste (15-20% of harvest, 3.6-4.7 kg/day) adds omega-3, iodine, vitamin E to BSF larvae. Unwashed ruminant scraps can go directly to BSF - dilution with SMS achieves safe 0.33% salinity. Only chicken feed (0.5 kg/day) requires 10 L freshwater for washing.
Why This Flow?¶
- Mushrooms grow on fresh manure (with straw as carbon source)
- SMS is ideal for BSF (still has organic matter, pre-composted)
- Maximizes value extraction: Manure → Mushrooms (human food) → BSF (animal protein) → Frass (fertilizer)
- Seaweed waste adds nutrition: Processing scraps (stems, damaged portions) enrich BSF larvae with omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, vitamin E - especially beneficial for fish feed
- Eliminates double-counting: Can't use same manure twice
Status: Interactive flowchart diagrams using Mermaid syntax. Updated 2026-02-07 to show 100 m² aquaponics greenhouse, 8.5 m² solar panels, 200 m² green roofs, and all metric units. System capacities: 0.6 m³/day RO, 4.4-7.0 kWh/day energy, 11.5 tonnes salt/year from 204 m² evaporation ponds (1 CaCO₃ pond 4m², 4 concentrator ponds 144m² batch/rotating, 2 crystallizer ponds 50m² batch/rotating).