Why Lighting Should Be Your First Step Towards Sustainability
As the move towards nationwide legalization continues, the cannabis industry is expected to reach a market size of $73.6 billion by 2027. Whether you just started your cannabis company or have been around since the “beginning,” it can be tough to keep up with that growth and stay competitive -- especially as your organization (and the entire world!) puts a greater emphasis on sustainability.
CULTA is a vertically-integrated medical producer of craft flower and extracts with cultivation facilities located in Cambridge, Maryland. In January 2022, CULTA joined the Sustainable Cannabis Coalition (SCC) as part of our own sustainability roadmap, which culminates in becoming totally carbon neutral within 10 years. Our sustainability initiatives include converting to a water-based cooling system, generating 80% of our energy from renewable sources and, you guessed it, migrating to light emitting diode (LED) lights.
So, when it comes to your own sustainability efforts you may be wondering where to start. After all, from equipment upgrades to recycling initiatives, there’s a lot to consider. Here are a few reasons why rethinking your lighting should be your first step in your ongoing sustainability journey.
The industry’s energy consumption is high…and getting higher
Did you know that, per square foot, an indoor cannabis growing operation uses 10x more energy than a typical office building? Not only that, but total electricity usage for legal cultivation has increased 162% since 2017 -- that’s A TON of energy! This may sound impossible; after all, offices have computers, printers, copy machines, and phones that are all sucking energy. But, unlike an office building, much of the equipment in a growing operation isn’t energy efficient to begin with and simply cannot be “turned off” at night or on the weekends. Every piece of equipment, from the HVAC systems to lighting, needs to run 24/7/365.
Ultimately, if you want to make your grow operation more sustainable your best bet is to start by “fixing” the biggest issue. And that issue, in almost every case, is energy consumption.
Lighting is the main culprit
So, why lighting? Well, because lighting is the largest energy-consuming system in the average grow operation. Light levels and burn hours are essential for a potent, healthy crop but traditional grow lights are very energy intensive and only a small portion of them allow users to adjust light levels. Basically, you’re stuck with what you have and can’t really change much. Unless you upgrade.
“As a part of CULTA’s move towards net carbon neutrality, we began to transition our lighting from HPS to LED in 2017,” said Jay Bouton, senior director of cultivation at CULTA. “As of 2020, LED lighting is the only type of lighting we install. In doing so, we were not only able to reduce the overall power consumption of our grow lights but we were also able to decrease the load on our HVAC system. Now, it’s much easier to cool and dehumidify the rooms.”
It’s less cost-intensive than other upgrades
As far as upgrades go, updating lighting is lower on the totem pole in terms of total financial investment. Though LED lighting is more costly than high pressure sodium vapor (HPS), upgrading lighting isn’t as expensive as purchasing a brand new HVAC system or establishing space for an outdoor grow operation. Plus, many utility companies and local governing bodies provide discounts, rebates, and tax benefits for companies that make energy-efficient upgrades. There’s a reason it was one of the first sustainability initiatives on our list!
In terms of the type of improvements you can expect, LED usage can lead to a 20% to 30% reduction in KwH when compared to standard technologies. When compared to HPS specifically, they use 70% less energy to deliver the same light illumination.
There are some added hidden benefits
Finally, there are some other “hidden” benefits to upgrading to LEDs that you probably haven’t thought of. Some of those benefits include:
Some systems include sensors and lighting controls that can adjust light levels, collect and monitor occupancy data, adjust temperatures, and monitor overall energy usage.
The footprint of LED fixtures is smaller than most traditional fixtures -- they require approximately 2:1 fixture density as opposed to current, higher fixture densities.
In some cases, fixture change-outs or upgrades that you’ll require in the future are included.
As mentioned, LED lighting could make you eligible for rebates from your utility provider. While the rebates vary by location, in some cases they can help offset initial purchase costs.
LED lights require less maintenance than HPS or MH lights. Re-lamping and disposing of mercury lamps is no longer needed, saving you on labor costs.
LED lights have a lifespan of up to 100,000 hours while HPS lights are only expected to last 10,000 hours. This means you’ll spend less time and money replacing the lights in your facility.
Energy-efficient lighting has other “trickle down” effects, including a reduction in HVAC costs and improved employee comfort within your facility.
Of course, the options and benefits vary from brand to brand, so be sure to inquire about these potential benefits as you explore your own lighting solutions. CULTA uses lights from Fluence Bioengineering and Fohse and so far we are very pleased with the results.
“Our overall power consumption for our grow rooms has decreased both in lighting and HVAC loads,” said Mackie Barch, co-founder and chief cannabis officer at CULTA. “This translates to lower OPEX and higher yield. Because LEDs put out little heat, we can vertically farm, which means higher yield per cubic foot without sacrificing anything on quality.”
For more information about CULTA, please visit our corporate website at www.Culta.io
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