ready. set. grow....greenhouse flower -$850 to $2,800 per pound median price was $1,305/lb. outdoor...

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

THANK YOU