Ready. Set. Grow.
Agenda
The Business: Commercial Cannabis Cultivation
The Growing Process: From Seed to Finished Product
The Design: Load Calculations Facility Layout Unit Installation
Environmental Control Solutions
Industry overviewThe Business: Commercial Cannabis Cultivation
Industry overview
Industry overview
Industry overview
Cannabis is like wine Some people will only pay $2 per bottle Some people will only pay $200 per bottle Everybody else is in between
Industry overview
Source: Seeking Alpha
Industry overview
Source: Cannabis Benchmarks Weekly Report
12/14/2018Spot = $1,131Outdoor = $726Greenhouse = $937Indoor = $1,459
Wholesale price per pound Indoor flower - $999 to $6,400 per pound Median price was $1,800/lb.
Greenhouse flower - $850 to $2,800 per pound median price was $1,305/lb.
Outdoor flower - $700 to $1,600 per pound median price was $1,200/lb.
Wholesale price per pound
Several ways to grow cannabisOutdoor grow “Loose” Greenhouse grow “Tight” Greenhouse grow Indoor grow
Several ways to grow cannabisOutdoor grow
Several ways to grow cannabisOutdoor grow
Several ways to grow cannabis “Loose” Greenhouse
Several ways to grow cannabis “Tight” Greenhouse
Several ways to grow cannabis Indoor Grow
Several ways to grow cannabis Indoor Grow
Cannabis: The plant Female plants produce the psychoactive chemical THC Tetrahydrocannabinol
Commercial growers produce female plants
Pollination is avoided to prevent the female plants from developing seeds
Seed development consumes much of the plants energy and takes away from energy that could be spent on producing quality flowers
Flowers (Buds) are harvested for market
Cannabis: The plantCBD is the second major active chemical found in cannabis plants Cannabidiol: utilized for many medical benefits
Cannabis: The plantCannabis contains more than 100
active compounds that effect the human body = cannabinoids Our bodies produce many of these
compounds naturally which effect food regulation, cognition, motor skills etc.
Cannabis: The plant
Cannabis: The plant
In the 1960’s the products coming into the US from Mexico contained about 3% THC and were mainly “Sativa”
Cannabis: The plant
In the 1970’s “Indica” strains coming from colder climates in Asia were introduced into the US…. Cross breeding occurs =
HYBRIDS
Cannabis: The plant
Science + Advanced Breeding & Growing Methods + 50 Years = Higher THC
Cannabis: The plant Products available today can be found between 50% and 100% THC
Driven by the market, mainly consisting of heavy/frequent usersThus driven by profits
The growing process:From seed to finished product
The growing process: From seed to finished product
Typical cannabis growing facility
Trimming room
Curing (drying) room
Flower room
Vegetation room
Clone room
Mother room
The plant lifecycle
Seeding Clone Room
VegetativeVeg Room
FloweringFlower Room
CuringDrying Room
Seeding stage:Lighting during 24 hours
T5 Fluorescent Lights (low watts)
Temperature: 72-77F Humidity: 70-90% RHTimeframe: 3-4 weeks
Clone room
Vegetative stage:Lighting during 16-24 hours HID Lighting (1,000w)
Temperatures• Lights ON: 70-85F• Lights OFF: 60-70F
Humidity: 50-70% RHTimeframe: 4-5 weeks
Veg room
Flower Stage:Lighting during 12 hours Large variation (1000w to 1500w)
Temperatures• Lights ON: 72-76F• Lights OFF: 62-67F
Humidity: 40-50% RHCO₂ levels: 1,200-1,500 ppmTimeframe: 8-10 weeks
Flower room
Harvest stage:Temperature: 65-75F Humidity: 45-55% RHRemove 75% moisture
Timeframe: 5-9 days
Curing room
The designLoad calculations, facility layout, unit installation
Cannabis is a weed….but control = quality!
Stress VS Distress: Controlled Environment
Positive stress Stronger plants More potent buds
Distress Too much/little nutrients Too much/little light Too much/little water Too hot or too cold Too humid or too dry Too much CO2 or too little CO2
Questions to askThe design
Room Type and Size?
+ Number of Veg Rooms+ Square Footage of Veg Rooms
+ Number of Flower Rooms+ Square Footage of Flower Rooms
+ Number of Curing Rooms
Desired temperature and humidity set points?
Flower roomsLights ON: 72-76FLights OFF: 62-67F
40-50% RH
Veg rooms
Lights ON: 70-85FLights OFF: 60-70F
50-70% RH
Curing roomsLights ON: 65-75F
45-55% RH
**NOTE: These recommended ranges are not far off from comfort cooling applications….but don’t get caught mistaking these environments as suitable for comfort cooling equipment.
Lighting, watering, CO2? Type of lights?Watts per light?Number of lights per room? Plants per light?Gallons of water per plant per day?How is CO2 being controlled?
Estimating indoor agriculture loadsThe design
Indoor Cannabis Loads are Upside Down
Comfort cooling room loads (Highest to lowest) SolarVentilation Transmission Infiltration Lights (sensible) (1-2 watts/sqft) Latent (50sqft/person = 8 BTU/sqft)
Cannabis grow room loads(Highest to lowest) Latent (Watering) (~80 BTU/sqft) Lights (Sensible) (40-50 watts/sqft) Infiltration TransmissionVentilation Solar
Gallons of water per plant per day
Water weighs 8.334 pounds per gallon Latent heat of evaporation is 1,060 BTUH/lb 24 hours between watering cycleResult is latent load in Btu/h
Understanding the watering process
Every grower has his/her own recipe and styleMany growers utilize hand watering Some growers utilize simple drip systemsOther growers will utilize fully automated irrigation systems It is important to understand how and when watering occurs
Importance of humidity control
Mold Concerned above 60% RH Almost guaranteed above 80% RH Avoid condensation
Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) Similar to RH (affects plants ability to carry out photosynthesis) There is an optimal range Current evaporation potential of the air
Mold control - Keep an eye on dew point
Maintain cooling coil LADB above dew pointAvoid allowing dew to form on
the leaves
Mold control: Secondary prevention methodsRegulations require cannabis crops found to contain mold to be destroyed.
Regulations can also force recalls of a cannabis crop found to contain certain harmful pesticides used for mold control.
Best way to avoid either of the above scenarios from happening is to CONTROL THE DEW POINT with high levels of precision!
Mold control: Secondary prevention methods
Growers often implement additional organic mold control methods throughout the process.
Air purifiers with ionizers can help with mold control by killing contaminants such as powdery mildew, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Mucor, and Botrytis spores before they have a chance to multiply and spread.
Optimal transpiration temperature and humidity
Above: Vapor Pressure in millibarsAlso found on psychrometric chart measured in inched of mercury
Source: Argus Control Systems LTD
How plants use water and CO2
Type of lights – Watts per light – Lights per room
Plants need lumens not watts
LAMP TYPE EMITTED LIGHT FROM THE SOURCE (lumen/watt)
GLS Light Bulb 1) 10‐15
Low Voltage Halogen 20
Mercury Vapor 40‐60
Fluorescent 50‐90
Metal Halide 70‐90
White LED 80+
High Pressure Sodium 90‐125
Low Pressure Sodium 120‐200
Light spectrum for cultivation
Environmental Control SolutionsHVAC Equipment Selection
Competition
The budget Cannabis business is like the wine business Largest upfront costs are lights, and climate control systems
Lack of understanding of the systems required Lots of decision makers and lots of influencers
Other types of systems: Chilled water systems DX split systems DX rooftop units
How much moisture do they remove?
If you have a 2,000 sq. ft. room with 500 plants that get a gallon of water per day dehumidifiers must remove 20.8 gallons of water every hour. That is a latent load of 184 MBH
That same room will have (83) 1000 watt lights that is a sensible load of 283 MBHAdd those together and the total load is 467 MBH. Divide sensible by total and the system needs an SHR of 61%.
13Ton gPod removes 48% more moisture than same size RTU, meaning you would require 3 RTU units to perform the same moisture removal work as 2 gPods
How do they dehumidify at night?Grow room 2,000 sqft, with 500
plants that get 1 gallon per day 20 pints per day Test conditions 80/69.6/60% RH 15.6 Gallons in 12 hoursMore than 16 required to remove
250 gallons $3,000 each, plus freight
Compressorized equipment with HGRG is the only realistic way to dehumidify.Electric or natural gas reheat will increase the cost of dehumidification by 2 to 3 times
How do they control everything?
There is a better way
Veg room New Jersey Grow
Packaged DX with HGRH Eliminates the following: Remote electric dehumidifiers Field installed CO2 system Field installed control systems Separate timers for lights, CO2
and AC system
Packaged DX with HGRH
Horizontal or vertical configurations:
2.5 to 13 Tons
5 to 30 Tons
Packaged DX with HGRH
Hot gas reheat for dehumidification
Supplemental electric reheat Available
Unit mounted CO2 sensor & solenoid valve
Unit or remote mount Temp/Humidity sensor
Lights on/off set points (Temperature, RH, CO2)
dap4 microprocessor technology
idap – Internet-based control with smart phone or tablet
ZoneMaster – Lead/Lag control
System operation to -20 degrees F (-30 degrees F with optional receivers)
24/7/365 operation
Disconnect switch
Terminal strip to power grower mold/mildew/odor control device
Terminal strip to power field mounted condensate pump
Packaged DX with HGRH– Single point power
C02 Distribution & Control
Unit mounted Carel Co2 sensor & solenoid with field mounted photocell
Control all parameters from a mobile device
Facility layoutsThe design
Inside the grow room or not?
Floor units or ceiling units?
Ceiling unitsTake up no floor space
Floor unitsEasier to service
Floor units or ceiling units?
Ceiling detail example
Building layout
Building layout
Ductless installation in veg room
Elevation
Ducted installation
Plan View
Ducted - Flower room
Ducted - Multiple flower rooms
Cure room handled by 4 ton unit
Plan View
Example grow room table and light layout
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