California Scientists Help Marijuana Growers Cut Energy Use
A group of scientists from the Western Cooling Efficiency Center at UC Davis , California, has recently tested a dehumidifier built by MSP Technology , a New-York-based company that develops equipment for dehumidification and energy recovery. According to the researchers, MSP Technology's new device may help marijuana growers save up to 65 percent of the energy they use.
A power-hungry industry
One of the most serious problems hunting the cannabis industry is its extremely low level of energy efficiency. This is especially true in the area of weed cultivation. Marijuana grow houses consume huge amounts of water and electricity, causing problems both for the growers who have to pay the bills and for people who leave nearby.
A sudden rise in electricity consumption caused by the launch of several grow houses may destabilize an energy system. And if a weed cultivator tries to reduce the amounts of power they consume by using some illegal tricks or low-quality devices, it may even cause some serious damage to both the unlucky grower and their neighbors.
Understanding this, the industry looks for alternative solutions that will benefit everyone. And it seems like the developers from MSP Technology have found one such solution.
An innovative solution
What MSP Technology offers is a new humidifier―a technology that allows you to use energy resources wisely. Standard indoor grow houses usually use several portable dehumidifiers that remove water but also heat the air. Therefore, a grower needs to install an additional air conditioner in order to lower the temperature and remove the excess heat.
MSP Technology's system, on the other hand, removes the moisture and cools the air simultaneously. According to the results of the study, this dehumidification system has two major benefits:
- It reduces the consumption of energy by 30-65 percent compared to a traditional dehumidification system.
- 100 percent of the water it removes from the air during the dehumidification process may be used to water the plants.
The full results of the study can be found here.
