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The SunChamber: a sealed geothermal growhouse, powered by the sun, the earth, and data

Ceres Greenhouse Solutions, a company specializing in smart greenhouse design and manufacturing, has named their new sealed growhouse design, the SunChamber - characterized by its sun harvesting and climate control capabilities.

"The SunChamber is more than a greenhouse," the team with the company explains. "The SunChamber is a holistic system design that includes the following components into one superior growing solution:

●The Ceres EcoLoop™ geothermal HVAC system

●A Ceres smart controller that monitors greenhouse conditions for continued optimization of the grow environment.

●QbD (Quality by Design) principles applied throughout both the grow houses and processing facility commonly called the headhouse.

●Ozone water treatment and water reclamation,

●Fertigation systems

●Customized grow systems, including air purification, CO2 enhancement at minimal CO2 cost and clean in place (CIP) sanitation systems."

"The sealed and insulated properties of the SunChamber envelope, combined with the full system automation of a Ceres smart controller, complete and precise climate control within each grow environment," they further explain. "Growers can precisely monitor and adapt the growhouse according to the needs of the plants (i.e., genetics, evapotranspiration rates, etc.), while maintaining optimal Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD)—maximizing plant growth and yield while minimizing operating costs. VPD-based climate control significantly reduces energy consumption without compromising plant health. Full growhouse automation also reduces the need for labor and lowers the potential for human error."

The SunChamber is designed to be built on a modular scale to grow with your business. As each greenhouse is sealed from the rest of the facility, there is complete biosecurity as well as independent climate control in each greenhouse unit.

SunChamber design also integrates seamlessly with Ceres’ innovative and highly energy-efficient ground-coupled heat pump HVAC system called the EcoLoop. "The EcoLoop™ heats, cools and dehumidifies the SunChamber by utilizing the steady temperature of the earth," they point out. "This geothermal HVAC system is up to 60% more efficient than a traditional HVAC system and can be replicated for each greenhouse environment. And, the ground coupling component of the system allows for a 10% federal tax credit. For the time being, the EcoLoop™ functions exclusively with the Ceres SunChamber™, but Ceres may be expanding its use to other products and applications in the near future."

The SunChamber includes custom system integrations to align with each client’s individual growing needs. After understanding the client’s site information and growing goals, Ceres designs an optimized facility that combines all the technology and grow systems needed for the cultivator to achieve the highest possible yields for the lowest energy input.

Benefits of growing in the SunChamber:

●Up to 50% more value per pound of flower than the average market value due to the high quality of product

●Expected yields of 1/2lb per square foot of greenhouse space per year

●Terpene levels are significantly higher than those found in indoor grows due to full UV light transmission provided by the sun

●Energy costs of approximately $4.20/sq ft/year which translates to $.02 per gram (the average indoor facility has a utility cost of $.30 - $.50 per gram)

Ceres applies QbD (quality by design) principles to all SunChamber facilities. "QbD is a systematic approach to product and product development in order to deliver safe, consistent products while emphasizing manufacturing efficiency. Some QbD design considerations include biosecurity, employee workflow, environmental consistency, measurability, and manufacturing efficiency. These principles ensure less crop failure, a more user-friendly workflow, and the ability of the facility to become GMP certified if need be," they conclude.

For more information:
Ceres Greenhouse Solutions
4760 Walnut St., Suite 106
Boulder, Colorado 80301
303-495-5006
[email protected]
www.ceresgs.com

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