Decisions around heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and dehumidification (HVACD) touch every component of a cultivation operation, at all phases of development. Budgets, design, construction, facility operation, operating costs and revenues are all directly affected by the design and implementation of the HVACD system.
"Being so closely involved in all phases of construction and operation during our years in the cannabis industry means that we have direct experience with every aspect of the grow," the Surna team explains. "However, we keep our focus on MEP design and HVACD equipment in particular because we understand that, instead of trying to be all things to all cultivators, we serve the industry best by narrowing our focus and striving every day to be the best in the world at what we do.
"This means that we will be all things environmental to all cultivators, and that’s a huge job in and of itself as it includes not just management of temperature and humidity but also includes controls and data collection, biosecurity, odor control and systems maintenance. It also directly impacts quality, yields, costs and revenues. Thus, the products and services we offer related to management of the cultivation environment are vast, and span early stage budgeting, engineering design, equipment, start up, and commissioning. This can include remediation of systems designed by others that may not be performing the way they should."
"Our recognition in the industry as the experts in cultivation climates means that we are often asked to diagnose performance failures in systems not of our design. When we audit these systems, we find there are common themes as to why they aren’t performing as expected. Let’s discuss the most common reasons we find for issues with HVACD system performance."
Misapplied technologies
Equipment selection in cultivation operations is vitally important. While there are several technologies with which a cultivator can succeed, there are also several technologies that are absolutely inappropriate. Unfortunately, the technologies that are least appropriate—namely, those designed primarily for comfort cooling—are also the most common and generally the least expensive.
As a result, the temptation for the inexperienced cultivator or engineer to specify these units can be high. The consequence is almost always early failure, constant maintenance, and compromised cultivation climates. With the right experience, your engineering partner can help you select equipment that meets the needs of both the cultivation environment, and the budget.
Technologies designed for comfort cooling, while generally less expensive up front, are not designed for the year-round precise climate control necessary for indoor cultivation.