Electrical Management for Marijuana Cultivation Facilities
I’ve hardly ever encountered a marijuana grow operation that wasn’t maxing out its electrical panel. In fact, 95% of electrical transformer failures are caused by indoor pot growers, according to the Oregon electric company. This is due to the intensive lighting requirements of indoor plants, along with the cooling and ventilation that’s required to offset their heat production. Fortunately, new technologies like efficient lighting and gas-powered air conditioners are now available to help cut power usage, and these technologies also cut the cost per gram of production, which is a great added perk in an ever-competitive industry.
Inexpensive tools like the Kilawatt will help measure electrical usage and distribute power evenly across the circuits. Keep in mind that continuous loads can only occupy 80% of a circuit without creating a fire hazard over time. The Kilawatt will tell you the actual draw of a particular light or fan, which is often a bit more amperage and wattage than is listed on the label. Look for the most energy efficient fans, lights and HVAC systems you can find. These systems will comprise the bulk of your electrical bill. Use 220v equipment whenever possible to increase the amount of safe wattage you can put through the panel. 220v usage is a bit more dangerous because it only requires contact with one side of the plug or wire to get a power jolt, whereas you’d have to touch both prongs on a 110v plug to get shocked. Make sure the 220v electrical outlets have different plug shapes on them so workers cannot accidentally plug 110v items into them.
I'm happy to say that the latest generation of LED lights, which are full spectrum, are finally competing with HPS lights, watt for watt, and are definitely worth the investment for new cultivation businesses. The two companies I think that are currently the best out there are Fluence and Bios. Using LED lights that produce as well or better than HIDs has many associated advantages. If you are producing 40% less heat from your lights, you are also using 35-40% less air conditioning, resulting in a significantly reduced power bill expense. Further, the lights will almost never need bulb (diode) replacements, and the surface temperature of the lights is so low that the risk of fires, as well as the burning of leaf tissue and human skin is all but eliminated.
Here is a picture of happy marijuana plants under Tall Trees edison-style LED's (no color correction has been applied):
Inexpensive tools like the Kilawatt will help measure electrical usage and distribute power evenly across the circuits. Keep in mind that continuous loads can only occupy 80% of a circuit without creating a fire hazard over time. The Kilawatt will tell you the actual draw of a particular light or fan, which is often a bit more amperage and wattage than is listed on the label. Look for the most energy efficient fans, lights and HVAC systems you can find. These systems will comprise the bulk of your electrical bill. Use 220v equipment whenever possible to increase the amount of safe wattage you can put through the panel. 220v usage is a bit more dangerous because it only requires contact with one side of the plug or wire to get a power jolt, whereas you’d have to touch both prongs on a 110v plug to get shocked. Make sure the 220v electrical outlets have different plug shapes on them so workers cannot accidentally plug 110v items into them.
I'm happy to say that the latest generation of LED lights, which are full spectrum, are finally competing with HPS lights, watt for watt, and are definitely worth the investment for new cultivation businesses. The two companies I think that are currently the best out there are Fluence and Bios. Using LED lights that produce as well or better than HIDs has many associated advantages. If you are producing 40% less heat from your lights, you are also using 35-40% less air conditioning, resulting in a significantly reduced power bill expense. Further, the lights will almost never need bulb (diode) replacements, and the surface temperature of the lights is so low that the risk of fires, as well as the burning of leaf tissue and human skin is all but eliminated.
Here is a picture of happy marijuana plants under Tall Trees edison-style LED's (no color correction has been applied):
One special note for licensed grow operations: only buy UL listed equipment. Not many lighting companies are UL listed because it costs money and the bulk of their sales are still to illegal growers. Yet, inspectors will usually not allow non-UL listed equipment, so check with your equipment supplier to ensure this problem is averted before making the investment. See my article on this topic in the Published Articles section of the site.