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Resource Innovation Institute

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Accelerating an Energy Efficient and Decarbonized Agricultural Future

From Cannabis to Cucumbers: Applying Early Policy & Program Learnings to Inform the Future of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) By Derek Smith, Executive Director, Resource Innovation Institute   As weather patterns disrupt outdoor crop cycles in our rapidly climate-constrained world, a quiet agricultural revolution is taking place in warehouses and greenhouses. With electric lighting, HVAC,…
October 9, 2019
Blog

Illinois Follows Massachusetts with Energy Use Restrictions

With passage of Illinois’s new adult use cannabis law and its rules for cannabis grow facility energy and environmental performance, the Land of Lincoln becomes the 11th state in the country to regulate cultivation and sale of adult use cannabis products and only the second to impose energy use restrictions.   Cultivators (and “infuser organizations”)…
June 18, 2019
Blog

Resource Innovation Institute Releases Primer on LED Lighting

One common misconception among cannabis cultivators is that to grow a quality plant indoors, you need to use the long-held industry standard high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights. As a result, long-time cultivators have often shied away from the more energy-efficient Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) when establishing their operations. However, efficient lighting solutions are progressing at a rapid…
June 12, 2019
Blog

Cannabis PowerScore in the Spotlight at MJBizConNEXT

Join Resource Innovation Institute (RII) Executive Director Derek Smith in New Orleans on June 12-14, 2019 at MJBizConNEXT for an exclusive look into the future of efficient cultivation. RII brings together innovators and visionaries to establish best practices that maximize quality production while minimizing costs and environmental impact. RII will be presenting the latest features of the…
June 6, 2019
Blognews

Making it easy to compare grower performance on efficient use of energy

We’re at the Cannabis Sustainability Symposium in Denver this week to launch the beta version of our Cannabis PowerScore™. The PowerScore is a self-audit tool we’re developing to help growers compare their energy performance relative to like producers. Technical Advisory Committee members Brandy from Surna, Michael from Denver Water, and Keith from Desert Aire.Technical Advisory…
October 17, 2017
Blognews

Drain Or Reclaim? How To Prepare For Impending Water Regulations

As regulations on cannabis cultivation facilities come into shape, municipalities will continue to further investigate power, water, and nutrient use in the industry. Working with experienced engineers and consultants, sourcing the optimal equipment, and scrutinizing all essential inputs will ensure the most efficient cannabis production facility as possible. Many operation managers and municipalities have not…
March 20, 2017
Blog

Resource Efficiency And Why Cannabis Investors Should Care About It

Every cannabis conference I have been to in the last year has featured content on energy and water efficiency, or sustainability more broadly. It is a growing theme in cannabis, particularly in cultivation where energy accounts for one of the largest costs of production and we are completely reliant on a good, clean, long term…
February 6, 2017
Blognews

A New Generation: Jesce Horton And Panacea Valley Gardens

Jesce Horton is a new breed of cultivator. Not a grower steeped for years in the underground cannabis world or a suit-and-tie convert from the corporate world, Horton is part of a new generation of young professionals bringing specialized skills into the cannabis industry. Prior to becoming a professional cannabis cultivator, Horton worked in a…
January 29, 2017
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