Automation is a Growing Trend in Indoor Grow Cannabis Facilities
Today, more indoor grow cannabis facilities are searching for new automation technology that would help increase their cannabis crop yields and annual sales numbers. Commercial medical marijuana seems to have started the next gold rush in North America with large projections for profits, that is… if you can produce the goods.
Cannabis grow operations for commercial purposes are booming recently because of the more relaxed legislation when it comes to cannabis cultivation, from seed to sale. According to Forbes, the legal cannabis market was worth $7.1 billion last year and is expected to grow to $22 billion in the year 2020. How are these growers staying on top of things like quality control and production issues?
The Answer? ….. Greenhouse Automation Systems
Anyone who is positioning themselves with this new type of Iot automation technology is quickly becoming a reputable cannabis grower who can get a high return on their investment in the years to come. Climate Control Systems Inc, has been creating greenhouse systems for over 35 years and is leading the way with greenhouse control innovation.
Getting involved in a commercial cannabis grow operation setup is not easy though. The legalities of becoming a licensed producer in Canada can be overwhelming. However, once everything is operational, you can set it in motion, especially if you have a greenhouse cannabis facility. Here is an article discussing some of the pitfalls in becoming a licensed producer of medical marijuana and #2 on the list is “Product Quality“. Getting together your Standard Operating Procedures and automating tasks are key to survival.
Keeping an indoor grow cannabis facility at the perfect growing environment for the marijuana plant, that increases in yields day to day… you will need to keep the internal growing environment at optimal levels. These days, however, a typical cannabis facility is not enough to achieve this with out the use of some greenhouse automation systems, particularly in a competitive market.
Greenhouse Automation for Effective Operation of Commercial Cannabis Grower
The use of greenhouse automation equipment is actually adapted from operations in growing other plants, most especially vegetables. One thing is for sure: they can help produce amazing results and stay on top of quality production.
Using a closed or sealed growing environment, such as a greenhouse or indoor grow op, can create the best growing conditions that will provide your cannabis crop with the maximum commercial benefits.
Without a doubt, greenhouses have become the latest trend in cultivating cannabis. The cheap structure and reduced venting and lighting, when compared to indoor growing, allow growers to save labour and energy costs.
The problem with indoor commercial cannabis grow operation setup is that it is not properly controlling the internal environment and growers should start realizing that. Beginning from the tiny control grow box or Co2 meter to the industrial standard growing facility, is going to take some cutting edge automation software couple with some advanced greenhouse machinery.
The highest items on the list to control is lighting when growing cannabis and we can even stage the software to mimic the sun. Meanwhile, ventilation systems are needed as well so that odor is properly vented and at the same time, temperature remains constant. Co2 levels stay at a constant value as well and if any thing gets too far away from the normal set values, the grower can be notified with an alarm. We have a lot of automation and controls for today’s Cannabis Grower, too much for one small article anyways.
So if you have any questions about our greenhouse equipment, call one of our Greenhouse Engineers at 1-519-322-2515
Benefits of Automating a Cannabis Greenhouse
Many years before, cannabis grow operation was pushed indoors. The use of greenhouses or warehouses can provide consistent harvests all-year round without high power consumption and carbon footprint, if utilizing automation to keep energy costs low.
Legal market operators target low carbon footprint as it is both a cost-saving method and being a responsible business as well. We have won some awards in the Green Tech Space so you can be rest assured that you will see a cost benefit in using our indoor growing control systems.
A greenhouse automation system, just like with any tasks, can save labour and energy costs. Together with reliable greenhouse with proper sensors and controls are the foundation for achieving high-quality yields in commercial medical marijuana business.
Depending on the automation process you choose when cultivating cannabis, there are some features that are truly helpful as you grow the plant:
Climate Control Systems: There is a large focus on taking advantage of automated irrigation, grow lighting, and even carbon dioxide for the crops. With climate control systems, the automation needs of the greenhouse are efficiently handled. Because it is automated, everything is calculated and based on a schedule. In other words, all elements are controlled, which aids in attaining the best plant growth.
Greenhouse Fertigation Management: Those who grow cannabis will be thankful for the integration of fertigation systems, along with climate control (or manager). It allows control of temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide dosing, misting, fogging, and grow lighting whenever and wherever they are required.
Soil Sensors: You can find automated systems that include soil sensors, which can also be used if you choose soilless media. These sensors have the ability to read moisture and temperature among others.
Ozone Water Treatment Systems: The CCS-SW80 Plasma Ozone Technology is ideal for sterilizing irrigation waste water for greenhouse flower and vegetable crops. The Ozone Pro systems are available for water flow rates from 10 US GPM to 1000 US GPM.
Each system is custom designed to suit your specific grower needs and water flow rate. Aside from the above features mentioned, it is important to remember that the automation systems are easy to install and use. This way, average growers can also benefit from the system. First step in getting your indoor cannabis operation automated is to talk to an engineer who will work with you to get the specifications of your greenhouse and better understand your growing needs. This way, the company can provide you with what is best for your marijuana facility.
The system is supported through WiFi, which is useful since you may never know when you will be required to pull out your growing data. This secure online feature can help you better manage your greenhouse. You can even remotely supervise the facility using a personal computer or a mobile phone.
More about Greenhouse Controls
Computerized systems now exist to aid you in monitoring and controlling various factors that can affect the growth of your cannabis plants. These factors include temperature, carbon dioxide (Co2) levels, lighting, and humidity among the environmental factors that affect the health of marijuana.
The controls can vary from one system to another but these are the most common. We have customization software and modular equipment so expansions are not a problem for our equipment.
We also offer irrigation feed formulas, scheduling and root zone monitoring as an advanced watering function for the plants. The configuration will determine the frequency, water flow, and type of feed formula to use. You can create custom batches for each strain of marijuana plant you have in the greenhouse. Our fertigation manager system can be activated on schedule or other trigger set points, such as the greenhouse getting too hot.
Our Fertigation machines are great for greenhouse irrigation management, which is crucial for cannabis crops. This type of control is computerized and can fertilize the plants in the greenhouse in the right and accurate proportions. This way, the plants get the required nutrients and fertilizers to boost cannabis growth. It is also useful if you have multiple cannabis strains, since it is possible to set up different formulas for fertigation and irrigation. Want some proof? here is a grower utilizing our world class greenhouse technology…
Lighting is also essential so that the buds flourish. Spectrum lighting can be set on a schedule to improve plant growth as well. When choosing the greenhouse automation equipment for your facility, you should look for a company that specializes in this type of technology.
Contact one of our automation experts that guarantees the reliability of the system as we will help you better operate your greenhouse, lower costs and grow a better cannabis yield.