ENGS 89/90 Reports
Degree Program
B.E.
Year of Graduation
2022
Sponsor
Sustainable Cannabis Coalition, Boston, MA
Project Advisor
Stephen Doig
Instructor
Solomon Diamond
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2022
Abstract
As the legalization of cannabis continues to spread across the US, the electrical energy demand (kWh) from indoor cannabis cultivation is increasing at an alarming rate. Cannabis cultivators, including our sponsor, have rushed to retrofit facilities, quickly acquiring crucial grow room equipment, and harvesting products to meet product demand. Recently, new Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) type regulations by state cannabis regulators have aimed to address indoor cultivation practices and their electricity loads on local electric grids. Additionally, efficient equipment and expensive utility bills have motivated cultivators to lower their electrical energy consumption.
Our project goal is to increase the electrical energy efficiency of the sponsor cannabis operator’s indoor cultivation facility located in Massachusetts. The facility utilizes multiple ventilation and dehumidification units in each room, a high lighting power density, and a multi-zoned packaged Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. System analysis based on submeter data, site visits, and interviews revealed opportunities to reduce the electrical energy consumption of the sponsor's facility. These opportunities include adoption of efficient lighting fixtures and centralized HVAC systems, as well as reducing the need of auxiliary equipment.
Partnering up with Sustainable Cannabis Coalition, we have worked with experts in energy modeling, horticulturists, and building design teams to provide a design plan that the sponsor can implement in their expanding facility, which could result in 50% less electricity use when compared to the overall electrical energy consumption of their current Massachusetts facility.
Level of Access
Restricted: Campus/Dartmouth Community Only Access
Dartmouth Digital Commons Citation
Carpio, Jason; Firestone, Jack; Han, Clara; Lehman, Griffin; Qu, Grace; and Yan, Ivy, "Radically Efficient Cannabis Cultivation Facility Design" (2022). ENGS 89/90 Reports. 44.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/engs89_90/44
Restricted
Available to Dartmouth community via local IP address.