Cannabis Guide - 2022 - 9

LIGHTING
INDOOR PRODUCTION
One of the main advantages of complete indoor
production is environmental control and consistency.
Cultivators can manipulate all influencing factors on plant
growth with precision, giving them the ability to have very
predictable production. When determining what lighting
solution would be best suited for a cultivator's facility, the
cultivator needs to determine what DLI they want to achieve
during both the vegetative stage and flowering stage of
production. Once the DLI is determined, the cultivator will
know what their light intensity level at the canopy needs
to be. Indoor cultivators are not able to utilize any ambient
sunlight so all crop lighting requirements will be applied
artificially. Because of this, the energy efficiency of their
fixtures needs to be taken into consideration, and this is
measured in µmols per joule.
Another consideration is the lighting's impact on the
indoor growing environment. Without proper consideration
of the heat load generated from the sole-source lighting
choice, it may negatively impact HVAC requirements. As we
all know, energy and labor are our top costs during cannabis
production. Choosing the right sole-source lighting solution
is critical to keeping cost and carbon footprint low while still
maintaining and pushing crop performance.
Lastly, the light spectra a grower chooses is very important
indoors. The spectra you choose should not only be based
on your crop's growth and developmental needs and your
energy goals, but also on employee work conditions. A
cultivator's lighting choice will influence employees' ability
to properly identify pests and diseases while also influencing
predatory insects used for biocontrol.
GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION
A greenhouse enables a cultivator to take advantage of the
ambient environment at their location while simultaneously
having the ability to manipulate that same environment
through environmental controls. As the cannabis market
develops, more cultivators who are pushing the limits of
at-scale production are doing so in greenhouses as the cost
and environmental impact are much lower than indoor
production per square foot. When determining lighting
for a greenhouse, location is key. A cultivator has to fully
understand the seasonal changes at their location regarding
natural sunlight along with the glazing material covering the
greenhouse, temperature, rain, day length, and anything else
that could influence the environment inside the greenhouse.
Cultivators should understand their natural day length
(photoperiod) throughout the year while understanding
the total light penetrating their greenhouse through their
internally measured DLI. From here, cultivators would need to
determine a minimum DLI they do not want to go under and
work with their lighting vendor to determine the proper light
intensity/supplemental lighting design to achieve the proper
light accumulation, annually, at canopy level.
GROW PACKAGES FOR
CANNABIS
PRODUCTION
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Cannabis Guide - 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cannabis Guide - 2022
