How Can Facility Management Improve Productivity? With Analytics and Automation
Whether you manage all aspects of your facilities or contract out maintenance and integration...
The cannabis market is thriving. Driven by both legalization and growing demand, the value of the industry is expected to reach $56 billion globally by 2026. But as the market expands, it becomes more competitive. Capitalizing on the opportunities within this industry requires smart decisions and wise investments that improve efficiency and maximize yield. That starts with cannabis facility design that utilizes automation and integration between facility systems.
Internet of Things (IoT) and smart building technology are transforming commercial cannabis cultivation. Growers who integrate these elements in their cannabis facility design are not confined to the limitations of human management. You no longer have to negotiate the challenges of manually managing multiple devices in a fragile operation. Instead, you gain extraordinary automation capabilities that improve performance and yield while reducing expenses.
Compared to more traditional approaches, smart cannabis facility design can significantly lower operating costs in multiple ways. In a Canadian smart facility, for example, savings included:
In addition to increasing efficiency and cutting costs, smart automation minimizes crop loss, boosts yields, and improves consistency in quality.
Nutrient intake is one of the most important elements in cannabis facility design. Integrating automated systems with a smart building platform that continuously collects and analyzes data allows growers to make more informed decisions on irrigation and feeding. While cannabis-specific analytics software is available, companies that specialize in smart building integration and custom software with machine learning capabilities are a better choice.
Fully automating irrigation using a smart building platform allows growers to:
These capabilities increase yield and optimize water usage. Cutting-edge cannabis facility design can also allow for the reuse of water, creating further efficiency.
Growers who integrate automated lighting in cannabis facility design can schedule day and night cycles while regulating intensity to create ideal growing conditions. Smart technology allows you to make the most out of your lighting system.
LED lighting is quickly replacing HID lights for indoor commercial grows. LED’s are far more energy efficient, give off less heat, and last as much as ten times longer than their HID counterparts. However, advances in lighting go beyond bulb choice; commercial growers are also becoming more sophisticated with their lighting strategies. For example, a recent survey of North American cannabis cultivators found that 72% percent of growers are now measuring the amount of light their plants receive, up from 55% in 2016. Smart building software makes these measurements meaningful and opens up opportunities for advanced automation. This approach minimizes reliance on human intervention and supports peak performance at all times.
IoT sensors and smart controllers are an excellent way to control temperature, air velocity, humidity, and other factors that affect artificial indoor ecosystems. The most advanced cannabis facility design incorporates smart sensors that identify microclimates within each zone, allowing growers to make informed decisions on where to add fans, heaters, and other air circulation equipment. With a smart building platform, you can take your operations a step further by strategically automating equipment to deliver better quality and higher yields. Platforms with advanced fault detection and diagnostics also allow you to implement predictive maintenance, facilitate troubleshooting, and improve energy management.
Cybersecurity must be a top priority when integrating smart technology into cannabis facility design. Without proper protocols, IoT introduces significant vulnerabilities, including ransomware attacks. Recent research revealed that half of the cannabis companies evaluated had either poor or moderate levels of cybersecurity, leaving them unprepared for such threats.
Basic cybersecurity protocols include:
Choosing services and software designed to protect your facility is not just a wise investment, it’s essential to your business.
A truly smart commercial growing operation requires that systems work together seamlessly to allow for building optimization and mitigate environmental risk. Unifying systems and integrating a smart building platform allows for intelligent automation of irrigation, lighting, climate control, and other critical functions.
Buildings IOT provides a communication highway that allows all devices and platforms to interact with each other to support plant growth while monitoring and maintaining optimal energy outputs. Our innovative solutions also give you deep insight into building conditions and equipment performance so you can make better decisions. With this cutting-edge approach, you have the tools to thrive in the cannabis industry.
Buildings IOT offers state-of-the-art software and services to optimize cannabis facility design and implement smart automation strategies. Contact our team of experts to learn more about what we can do for you.
Shayne Taker, Director of Sales at Buildings IOT, leads business development and sales for strategic accounts at Buildings IOT. Shayne is a former student athlete and professional hockey player who transitioned his competitiveness from hockey to intelligent buildings. Prior to joining Buildings IOT, he engineered, designed, and integrated cannabis cultivation facilities across Canada and Southeast Europe, developing a deep understanding of the cultivation center’s form, function, and flow. Shayne began his smart building career designing complex, smart building backbones in commercial facilities and ensured the systems network design and availability met specification including an award-winning facility in Washington D.C.
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