Marijuana Business Magazine February 2019

another dollar on indoor grows. Period. You want to save money on indoor? Don’t build it.’” McConnon instead recommends a greenhouse or hoop house. The energy savings in using sunlight could add up to $100-$250 off your cost of production per pound of cannabis, he said. If you're building a greenhouse, McConnon suggests using dou- ble-paned windows to help with insulation. If you follow McConnon’s advice, Singh recommends LEDs for sup- plemental lighting. Even in Canada, the major issue with greenhouses is keeping them cool. It’s crucial you don’t let the temperature exceed 84-85 degrees, Singh said. “Our biggest challenge is getting rid of heat,” he added. “Even in northern climates.” Other Tips Beyond the three main ways to cut energy costs, other tweaks can save you money. Singh has seen some success with a voltage stabilizer, which helps to deliver a constant voltage load, depending on the power grid. If your system sees a lot of surges, you might end up using more power than you require. “You could get surges where you’re drawing 150 volts, when you only need to be drawing 110,” he said. Sensors also come in handy. You can use voltage meters to determine if your fans are drawing too much power, for example. If for some rea- son your equipment is using power it shouldn’t, you can evaluate and adjust accordingly. Also, if your power provider allows for energy consumption during off-peak hours, you might be able to operate at a discount. “You’re going to consume the same amount of energy, just going to have it cost less,” Singh said. According to Franz, another ave- nue to explore is cogeneration, the simultaneous production of at least two forms of energy from one source of fuel. Utilizing natural gas to gener- ate electricity on-site could save you money, depending on the cost of the gas. Natural gas-generated electric- ity may be cheaper than the energy you buy from the power company. “The upfront costs can be pretty pricey for a system like that, but there are companies that will come in and finance that for you,” Franz said. “There’s a lot of opportunity to get cogen plants set up for little or no money out of pocket.”

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