For growing cannabis, indoor operations have become the norm. They’re discreet and owners can precisely control the climate – and their product. When strains have different THC contents and a quality product is the top priority, these indoor operations provide business owners the control they need to develop the exact product their customers want.

Vertical Growing
An easy way to make your grow operation more efficient is to expand up, rather than out. Vertical growing is a popular trend in the cannabis industry that allows for a more environmentally and financially sustainable operation.
Additionally, there is a convenience of access; vertical canopies can be serviced and maintained without having to reach into or over the canopy. This helps mitigate pests (mites, mold, bacteria) by reducing human-introduced elements. Prevention on the front end means less need for pesticides later on.
Apart from environmental benefits, vertical canopies can help the operation and business as a whole run more efficiently. With vertical, one person can service the same area in one-half day that it takes two people to do in an entire day. Additionally, fewer pesticides and organic indoor growing help create a better end product, meaning a more satisfied customer.

Automation
Climate control is a major key to indoor cannabis growth. Like any plant, cannabis has specific needs that will determine the highest-quality harvest.
The best way to achieve this balanced climate control is via automation; a system that monitors and adjusts based on the plant’s needs. It’s a delicate process, but one that will likely make or break your grow operation. If you don’t have the right climate, with too high humidity levels, with too big temperature and humidity swings, then it’s a recipe for disaster, because then the plants are susceptible to diseases. They don’t grow well … It is all about balance … Your relative humidity has to be in balance with CO2, temperature, and radiation. Those four factors all play together in having the ideal climate for the plant.

Energy
Growing cannabis is energy-intensive. According to MarketWatch, cannabis indoor grow operations account for one percent of electricity consumption in the U.S., approximately 40.3 million kWh per year. To power the lights and climate control systems, these facilities need a lot of power. “They use a lot of energy in a small footprint,” explained John Ryan, head of the financing division at Baker Energy Team. It was cannabis’ energy needs that made it perfect for Baker.
In a time when huge companies like Budweiser and a number of automobile makers are shifting their focus toward sustainability, namely cleaner energy, cannabis has the unique opportunity, as a young industry, to brand itself as sustainable. Utilizing alternative energy solutions won’t just benefit the bottom line, but could make cannabis companies champions of sustainability.

Cooling Systems
It’s already been established that a successful grow operations needs rigorous climate control equipment. But how can that equipment be more sustainable? Industrial chillers play a major role in temperature regulation for indoor operations. “The need for temperature control can cross your day in so many ways,” explained Philip Preston, president of PolyScience, manufacturer of liquid temperature control solutions. “It’s an extremely broad range of applications.”
However, these chillers can have an adverse effect on the environment, using valuable energy resources and releasing greenhouse gases in the process. For this reason, PolyScience developed their latest DuraChill line of chilling technology. The new series uses a natural and nontoxic refrigerant-grade propane which can regulate the temperature of your operation, without emitting ozone-depleting greenhouse gases.
The equipment chosen to run a grow operation will ultimately determine the sustainability of said facility – and the owner’s bottom line.

Grow Light
For the many growers who are unable to cultivate cannabis outside in the free abundant sunshine, grow lights are necessary to successfully grow cannabis indoors. Grow lights take the place of the sun, and power the growth of your plants and their buds. Light is like “food” for your plants, so without a lot of bright light, even a healthy cannabis plant won’t produce much bud at all.

There are lots of options for grow lights that work well for growing cannabis indoors but in the end they boil down to 3 major types:
1.) Fluorescent Grow Lights

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)
T5 grow lights (and other fluorescent tubes)
2.) High Intensity Discharge (HID) Grow Lights

Metal Halide (MH)
High Pressure Sodium (HPS)
Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH, LEC, Light Emitting Ceramic)
3.) LED Grow Lights