Solar Panels for Farms and Agriculture
Grow room electricity used for commercial cannabis production is now estimated at 1% of all electricity used in the USA. Recreational and/or medicinal pot is legal in 31 states and Washington DC.
Indoor growing systems, using fans and lights, sometimes operate 24 hours a day.
Recent estimates show that indoor cannabis cultivation racks up as much as $6 billion each year in energy costs.
Marijuana Growers Can Offset High Electricity Costs with Solar
The $6 billion-per-year figure is equivalent to about 1.7 million American homes and is about 1 percent of total national electricity consumption. The annual greenhouse gas pollution from the indoor cannabis industry is equivalent to that of about 3 million cars, said Evan Mills, an energy analyst and research affiliate at the University of California at Berkeley.
Though marijuana cultivation may produce large quantities of “green,” it’s definitely not environmentally friendly. In fact, some estimate that the industry creates 15 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually. The large amounts of energy required by grow operations are one of the primary contributors to these negative environmental externalities.
According to the 2016 Marijuana Business Factbook, 63 percent of commercial grows are completely indoor, while 20 percent are at least partially indoors. To mimic natural light, these indoor commercial operations utilize high-intensity lights that are as strong as hospital lights. The amount of heat they produce often requires high-powered air-conditioning systems to keep things cool, in addition to other necessary machinery like dehumidifiers and water pumps. All these machines run almost continuously, which means that indoor grows have become one of the most-energy intensive industries in America. For example, producing a pound of marijuana requires 2,000-3000 kilowatt hours of electricity under current warehouse conditions. A multimillion commercial grow operation might have 500-lights, which would require a roughly 1.5 megawatts solar array. It is unlikely most operations have sufficient space for an array of that size. However, even will less space available, they can still rely on solar to offset most of their highest electricity costs.
At American Array Solar, we have the solution. We offer package systems with the best quality products and top-rated warranty, paired with one of the highest rated solar companies in California.
All our products offer a full 25-year warranty. That gives you the longest lasting system available with little if any maintenance. The financial benefit is significant, and the entire process will normally be completed in 1-3 months. Our experience in the industry makes us the easy choice!
American Array offers menu pricing for Growers that is unmatched in Value.
Take that first step today in calling the number below and arranging a free virtual or in-person quote.