Reports

This guide supports Commonwealth cultivators and their businesses with objective recommendations on operating an energy-efficient cultivation facility and to help you make informed decisions that consider upfront costs, operating costs, available incentives and greenhouse gas emissions impacts. The guide is assembled by the non-profit organization Resource Innovation Institute, funded by the Massachusetts Dept. of Energy Resources and peer-reviewed by Massachusetts-based practitioners with experience designing, constructing and operating cannabis cultivation and other horticultural facilities with energy efficiency in mind.

Growers can now choose between a greater quantity and variety of sophisticated heating, cooling, ventilation and dehumidification options which are much more customizable, durable, and suitable for horticultural facilities than the options designed for human occupancy spaces sitting on the shelf at the box store. These systems are also better able to maintain optimal conditions for cultivation facilities, which is crucial for successful crops and achieving expected yields.

Learn key terms related to heating, cooling, air conditioning, and dehumidification in cultivation facilities, their units of measurement and how they are used, why the terms are important to consider as a cultivator, and how the terms may be commonly misunderstood or misapplied. 

The key terms address the topical areas listed below:

• Cultivation
• Energy & Power
• Environmental Conditions
• General HVAC
• Energy Efficiency
• Construction
• Cultivation Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Demand for a variety of lighting solutions and cost compression in cannabis markets have also produced new attitudes about LED lighting, as growers consider operational energy and resource efficiency to become a cut above the rest. In some regions, standards and regulations for energy performance have emerged, and cultivators everywhere can benefit from understanding how LED lighting can be a tool for their facility’s compliance and operational success.

Learn key terms related to horticultural lighting, their units of measurement and how they are used, why the terms are important to cultivators, and how the terms may be commonly misunderstood or misapplied. 

The key terms address the topical areas listed below:

• Cultivation
• Energy & Power
• Horticultural Lighting
• Cultivation Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Learn about how LED lighting systems can reduce operating expenditures and how utility incentives can offset the higher first costs of efficient technology. Read the story of how growers can achieve more productive operations while avoiding common pitfalls.