A note to Electrical Contractors from our President, Andrew Montgomery: Indoor farming (aka, Controlled Environment Agriculture) is booming in many regions — and coming soon everywhere else. And without proper power, lighting, and control systems installed by trained experts, farmers know their indoor crops will not meet yield expectations (or maybe not grow at all). Trained…
Horticultural lighting in indoor growing facilities and nighttime treatment with specific wavelengths on outdoor crops are being shown to reduce pests and diseases that impact yields and profits. Integrated Pest Management & Biocontrols New research suggests that indoor growers and greenhouse operators can use lighting to fight pests as part of an Integrated Pest Management…
What Are Commercial Lighting Rebates? Commercial lighting rebates are incentives provided by utility companies, government agencies, or other organizations to encourage the use of energy-efficient lighting systems in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) operations. These rebates are designed to offset the upfront costs of purchasing and installing energy-efficient lighting systems, which can be more expensive than…
You can’t take for granted that water will always be readily available.
At a recent Resource Innovation Institute (RII)* conference, the attendees discussed common industry challenges impacting CEA growers consistently. While the breath of topics were varied, it was impressive to hear about the obstacles they face from those actively working in the industry. It was apparent they care deeply about solving the food insecurity issues occurring…
The key to profitability is driving out cost. This mantra is critical to any manufacturing facility regardless of what it produces. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is a classic example of leveraging scale and smart infrastructure to enjoy good profitability. The cannabis market is feeling extreme profit crunch, particularly in mature markets, making operational efficiency the…