The modern cannabis industry is facing shrinking profit margins and increased commoditization of goods, forcing growers to seek new technologies that reduce their operating expenses (OPEX). Particularly in cannabis cultivation, where the plants thrive under relatively high light intensities, lighting is one of the greatest operational costs to a business. To make matters worse, highly efficacious, red-rich spectra that are commonly used in other crops for their lower operational costs but production of “good enough” plants isn’t possible in cannabis. Such spectra induce an undesirable phenotype called “photobleaching” or “white tipping” and dramatically reduces the market value of cannabis flower.

Over the course of 5 years, Fluence has investigated the effects of light intensity, spectrum, and distribution across several cannabis cultivars. That research has culminated in two new lighting strategies called “T48 Dynamic” and “Red Sandwich”, which reduce lighting OPEX by 19% and 26%, respectively, compared to today’s next best lighting solutions, without inducing photobleaching. In addition to significant OPEX reduction, Red Sandwich also significantly elevates flower uniformity and quality compared to conventional lighting.

This presentation with recap the scientific methodology and findings that led to these new lighting strategies, as well as a detailed description of how and why both methods work. The presentation will conclude with an example return-on-investment (ROI) calculation and a brief discussion of best practices when deploying these technologies.

Learning Objectives:

• How to more critically assess the market claims of technology providers

• Understanding the next generation of cannabis lighting technologies