Skip to main content
Category

Blog

Blog
February 14, 2024

Maximizing Yield and Efficiency: The Role of HVAC Commissioning in Controlled Environment Agriculture

Whether it's a mechanically cooled greenhouse, a sealed hybrid facility, or an indoor vertical farm, a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) business’s success hinges on finding the right balance between technology, ecology, and the specific needs of cultivated crops. There is arguably no system more important to that balance than the HVAC system. Whether or not…
Blog
February 2, 2024

Better HVAC, Better Plants: 4 Takeaways

"Cannabis cultivation facilities are more machine than building, and require an understanding of plant physiology, engineering, and even data science." That’s how Resource Innovation Institute’s Resource Efficiency Horticulturist Rob Eddy kicked off the New York State Efficient Yields webinar on "HVAC with Plant Perspective." The event, held on December 12, 2023, showcased a panel of…
Blog
December 22, 2023

Predictive Daily Light Integral: A Novel Approach to CEA Systems Optimization

Optimizing a greenhouse to maximize crop productivity and resource efficiency can be a tricky project to undertake. Dynamic production factors such as sunlight and outdoor climate (i.e. temperature and humidity) make these structures more difficult to control compared to their indoor farm counterparts. For example, greenhouse operators must design their facilities with the worst-case-scenario conditions…
Blog
December 18, 2023

How to Size HVAC Systems for CEA Facilities

Building an optimal cultivation environment takes careful consideration of all heat and moisture sources.   Identifying the ideal Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system size is a critical stride toward resource-efficient Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). Cultivating crops in precisely regulated conditions demands a tailored approach, acknowledging factors like crop diversity, facility dimensions, and location…
Blog
November 22, 2023

Airflow Design for Vertical Farms: 5 Tips

The pursuit of optimal crop yields and resource efficiency has led to groundbreaking innovations in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facility design. The popularization of light-emitted diode (LED) fixtures in recent years has preceded a boom in vertical farming in both indoor and greenhouse environments. These tiered systems allow operators to maximize production by multiplying their…
Blog
October 30, 2023

How CEA Can Connect With Utilities to Unlock Rebates & Incentives: 5 Tips

CEA operators (including cannabis growers) may or may not be aware that their facility upgrade projects might be eligible for various incentive and rebate projects that can offset costs for a variety of equipment, or even make those projects economically feasible. To help understand how these programs work and their requirements and opportunities, Cody Allen,…