Wind technology is growing to become a cost-saving and sustainable way to help power indoor cannabis operations.
Solar power has long been discussed as a way for indoor cannabis cultivators to lower energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint. However, as of recent, wind power is now being considered as a viable solution to some of the energy and environmental concerns the indoor cultivation industry faces.
If you’re operating an indoor cultivation facility in California, then you’ll be paying close to $0.16 per kilowatt hour. In Massachusetts, that figure is near $0.17. According to some estimates, you’ll need anywhere between 1,500 and 3,000 kilowatt hours to produce one pound of cannabis. Do the math and you’ll see that every pound of cannabis produced indoors costs hundreds of dollars.
Using wind turbines can be a great way for indoor cultivators to offset high energy costs. Wind-turbines cost less than solar panels and wind power is only an option in high-wind areas. Additionally, wind is not always present, even in high-wind areas, and it’s often unpredictable, compared to sunlight. Because of these factors, wind turbines are great auxiliaries to grid power but currently may not offer a complete solution to an operation’s energy and environmental challenges.
Nevertheless, wind energy can play a key role in a comprehensive approach to indoor cannabis cultivation operations. For example, some companies, such as Solar Cultivation Technologies (SCT), have systems that utilize solar panels and wind turbines together to generate the energy indoor growers need. Given the state of wind and solar technology, these setups work best in conjunction with light-emitting diode (LED) lights instead of high-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) lights because LEDs require much less power than HPS and MH systems.
Wind turbines are quickly becoming part of the power-generation dialogue in indoor cultivation circles. Due to some of the challenges of using wind technology (unpredictability, location), wind turbines may not be able to satisfy all electricity needs of a commercial indoor grow. However, in conjunction with the grid and/or solar systems, wind technology can have a powerful and positive impact on the energy costs and environmental effects of an indoor cultivation operation.
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