The election was a big win for the Cannabis growth industry in the United States. California, Nevada, and Massachusetts have chosen to legalize recreation marijuana use, and Florida, North Dakota, and Arkansas approved medical marijuana initiatives. Experts predict that energy consumption in pro-cannabis states is will skyrocket. Lighting Science,
Lighting Science, an LED lighting producer, says that this increased energy usage will continue the trend towards the broader adoption of LED “grow light” solutions that reduce energy consumption and energy costs to growers. Lighting Science expects to greatly benefit from the legalization. The company says its patented VividGro™ LED lamp has been proven to increase yields by up to 30% while using 45% less energy than conventional grow lights.
The cannabis industry in the United States is projected to rocket from $6 billion in 2015 to about $50 billion by 2026.
Since its introduction in 2015, Lighting Science points out that VividGro has obtained rave reviews from growers and distributors across North America and was recently named One of the Top 5 Lighting Products by Marijuana Business Daily.
For some time, LEDs have been the most efficient alternative for lighting. They have replaced much of the high-pressure sodium lights and high-intensity discharge lights for horticultural applications. The business and agricultural communities have embraced LED lighting technology for its enormous potential for energy savings. The adoption of LED grow lights for marijuana growing is expected to accelerate from the legalization in several states.
“Cannabis is one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world,” said Pete Rumsey, Executive Vice President of Business Development at Lighting Science. “Statistics show that one percent of all electricity used in the United States today is used by indoor marijuana growers, to the tune of almost $6 billion annually. As the cannabis industry continues to mature, grow facilities are increasingly turning to LEDs to reduce energy costs and boost profits.”
Lighting Science boasts that VividGro has been especially popular in the cannabis-friendly Pacific Northwest, Michigan and Canada. Notably, in these regions, mom and pop grow facilities are quickly being scaled up to cash in on the lucrative opportunity. The company points out that the sales of LED grow lights from Lighting Science has doubled in just one year.
The company claims that its VividGro product line offers optimized photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) to maximize both plant growth and PAR efficacy. Additionally, Lighting Science says that the VividGro also provides light suitable for the human visual system and excellent color penetration. The company futher asserts that VividGro’s patented light spectrum has been proven to speed crop development and increase crop yield. At the same time, the VividGro system delivers a “white light” working environment for grow house employees.
“We found that standard HPS lights were really cutting into our profits,” said Ralph Sherman, a local grower of medical grade marijuana in Oregon. “We literally couldn’t afford to keep the lights on. By switching to LEDs, we were able to cut our energy costs, increase plant yields and even increase THC levels, which increased the value of the product by five times.”
A recent Dutch study proved that LED lights and lights with higher intensity grow cannabis with more medicinally active substances. Plants with more medicinally active contents are worth more both to the medicinal marijuana growers and those that grow for recreational users. (Ref: article).
Sherman says the use of HPS lights is having a significant impact on the local grid. “We see PGE, the local energy authority, struggling to meet the high demand. It’s causing real problems. It’s nice to find a solution that is environmentally innovative and that also helps our bottom line.”
