Cannabis Facility Management Solutions | Buildings IOT
Today’s commercial growers largely rely on indoor operations. Indoor cultivation gives you greater control over the environment, producing higher quality and yields. It also makes cultivation extremely energy-intensive. Smart cannabis facility solutions minimize energy consumption while optimizing operations and creating a better end product.
Cannabis Facility Solutions for Key Systems
Internet of Things (IoT) and smart building software dramatically expand cannabis growers’ ability to monitor and control conditions. When integrated with a centralized building management system (BMS), these technologies also open the door to extraordinary automation opportunities.
Automated cannabis facility solutions can regulate:
- Carbon dioxide levels
- Humidity
- Irrigation
- Lighting
- Nutrients
- Soil moisture
- Temperature
Automation means you no longer have to rely on human oversight of a delicate operation. Instead, you can rely on data-driven performance optimization and advanced fault detection and diagnosis capabilities to achieve your goals.
Energy Efficiency: Solutions for Cannabis Facilities
Cannabis facility solutions that improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact help you thrive in a competitive industry. Indoor cannabis cultivation uses far more energy per square foot of floor area than almost any other type of commercial structure, and energy expenses account for 25-50% of the wholesale price of the product. A typical energy consumption breakdown for indoor cannabis production includes:
Lighting: 38%
Climate Control: 58%
Water handling: 3%
Drying: 1%
Cultivators are increasingly embracing smart automation to reduce energy costs and maximize profits. Integrating IoT sensors that gather data and smart buildings software that turns data into action allows you to continuously monitor energy use, quickly identify underperforming equipment or systems, and easily uncover waste. With this technology, you can also implement predictive maintenance strategies and identify areas within your operation that can benefit from efficiency-focused upgrades.
Lighting
Controlling lighting is integral to any plant’s growth. This makes electricity a huge expense for an indoor cannabis facility.
Traditional lighting methods that rely on high-intensity lamps not only consume a lot of electricity, they also give off a lot of heat. To keep conditions optimal, HVAC systems need to work overtime, adding to energy costs.
An intelligent BMS paired with environmental sensors allows growers to create fully automated lighting systems to minimize energy use and streamline maintenance while protecting plants. It can also help identify slight changes in lighting to understand how these changes affect specific strains at developmental different stages.
Irrigation
Growers who use data-driven automation to ensure plants are kept properly watered do not have to guess whether plants are receiving the right amount of water. Instead, analysis of sensor data triggers adjustments and provides the insights you need to make informed decisions on irrigating and feeding plants.
Combining your irrigation system with a smart building platform has significant benefits, including:
- Activating irrigation according to plant size, light intensity, vapor pressure deficit, light accumulation, or time.
- Moderating duration of irrigation.
- Improving plant quality by keeping water supply more constant.
- Logging data on growth, media, nutrients, and other aspects of plants’ nutritional intake.
- Alerting you when irrigation equipment malfunctions or plants get too dry.
Climate Control and Ventilation
Smart climate control systems that monitor and manage carbon dioxide levels, temperature, and humidity are an excellent way to maintain ideal grow conditions.
Every indoor growing environment is different. Even within the same cannabis facility, various microclimates may exist, with varying temperatures and humidity. Using smart technology, HVAC and other climate-related systems can respond to environmental conditions in every area of your facility to support plant health. And it can do it while optimizing efficiency.
HVAC is usually the single largest source of energy consumption in a cannabis facility. A smart building platform will give you the insights you need to reduce energy use whenever possible and implement efficiency-focused automation strategies.
Cybersecurity
The increasing use of IT and Internet connections in cannabis operations makes cybersecurity a growing concern. This is particularly true when cannabis facility solutions rely on IoT devices. Identifying and alleviating vulnerabilities should be a top priority. Integrated smart equipment and systems have appropriately arranged network topology, guard against malware, and securely back up systems. Cloud-based integration software specifically designed for end-to-end security will mitigate threats to cannabis operations and protect your valuable data.
Creating Intelligent Cannabis Facility Solutions
A smart buildings solutions expert is an invaluable resource for cannabis growers who want to make the most of their facility.
When creating a cannabis facility solution, decisions should not be made arbitrarily. By unifying building systems and adding a smart building platform, you can access data from a single source to determine what works and what does not. This allows you to prioritize the tools and strategies that best meet your needs. Whether you’re building a new facility or retrofitting an existing one, partnering with a trusted expert will ensure you take the right approach, use the right tools, and get the best results.