Is solar energy the future of cannabis cultivation when electricity is such a huge cost?

Installing solar panels in an indoor growing system helps to significantly reduce energy consumption and the resulting electricity costs.

Every grower knows that growing indoors is quite energy intensive. In fact, according to available data, about 1% of all energy input in the US goes into growing plants indoors. The number is also predicted to increase to 3% by 2035.

Regarding indoor cannabis cultivation, it is estimated that all the equipment used to grow quality buds in a 3.5m3 grow space consumes around 13,000kWh of electricity annually. In addition, the equipment used to grow healthy and happy cannabis plants produces so much CO2. To have a clear picture, growing one kilo of cannabis buds results in 4.3 tons of CO2.

Due to the secrecy of indoor cultivation, its impact on the environment and the ozone layer has not been determined until now. But with the legalization of cannabis around the world, numbers are beginning to pour in to suggest that growing indoors is not an eco-friendly endeavor.

Fortunately, there are several ways to solve these mentioned problems. One solution is to move to outdoor growing, going back to square one and letting the wind do the conditioning and the sun do the lighting. However, this is not an option for many growers living in countries where cannabis is still considered illegal. Therefore, it is necessary to hide the plant.

Well, the other solution that farmers have in such a situation depends on the sun, albeit with a different approach. We are certainly referring to solar panels.

Installation of solar panels

Solar powered grow rooms are not the latest invention. This type of facility was popular due to its high initial investment costs. But if solar modules don’t become cheaper and more efficient in converting energy, the question of cost is slowly disappearing.

Another reason why solar panel setups are not popular is the lack of technical know-how on the part of the growers. Many growers prefer to opt for tried and tested methods rather than experimenting with solar panel setups. This is the reality as the average grower has little room to experiment as it could result in crop losses and ultimately financial losses.

For nearly a decade, renewable energy production has increased significantly thanks to high production levels in China. Meanwhile, there has also been steady technological advancement over the same period, which has resulted in renewable energy becoming a more stable source of energy. But given the working principles of solar energy, powering the sodium light print in grow rooms can prove tricky. Sodium light printing requires a lot of energy to work, which means more batteries are needed, which also take up more space.

Luckily, switching to CFLs or LEDs would help resolve this situation, but how many experienced growers are willing to make such a sudden switch? The best approach now is to develop a hybrid system – one that uses both solar power and the grid. This is a perfect solution to the dilemma. It offers many renewable energy benefits while significantly reducing electricity costs.

For many who desire nothing less than a fully functional solar powered grow room, the latest innovations in power storage come to the rescue. Today, high-performance batteries have been developed that can generate up to 10 kWh and are efficiently charged by solar energy. These batteries can also be charged with electricity at convenient hours and thus used in a hybrid system. A good example of such a battery would be the high-end Solar Tesla battery that was launched just last year.

The result

Building a fully renewable energy system for indoor growing is an expensive proposition. Imagine buying Tesla’s expensive 10kWh battery that isn’t even sold at local utility stores. You would also need to buy solar panels, which aren’t cheap either, although prices vary from country to country.

Let’s say a grow space that is 0.6 x 0.6 m requires a total energy of 2 kW and solar panels cost $7 per watt. That’s a total of $14,000 spent on solar panels, and it’s obvious you’re spending more for a bigger space. For the Tesla battery, one costs about $3,500, and buying just one certainly won’t be enough.

However, one important thing to know is that this is all a one-time purchase. Once the panels are installed, they pay for themselves. The panels do not need to be replaced and maintenance is minimal (regular cleaning of the panel surface). However, efficiency tends to decrease per year, with an estimated 0.5% drop in efficiency being highly negligible. Most modules are said to retain 80% efficiency after 25 years of use.

The batteries, on the other hand, have to be changed frequently because the capacity decreases from day one. The battery capacities had deteriorated considerably after five years. While this system is expensive to set up, understand that electricity costs could reach these numbers in the years to come, depending on your farm size.

Considering the cost of setting up this system, the ROI could be anywhere from three to four years. But when technological advances hit the field, the time frame keeps getting shorter. Imagine not having power issues or worrying about electricity bills or having a backup generator to avoid suspicion. Also, imagine not contributing to the environment’s carbon footprint – that’s what solar panels and renewable energy offer.

Conclusion

Honestly, trying to set up a solar powered grow room involves a lot of logistics and planning. And above all, a large pool of investment capital. For growers who already have a working setup that does not use renewable energy sources, it would be best to familiarize yourself with the renewable system, especially if you are running a huge setup.

However, for growers just building a new setup, integrating solar panels into the system should be a consideration. Because to tell you the truth, self-sufficient grow rooms are the future of indoor cannabis cultivation.

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