One of the most challenging steps in getting your commercial grow operation up and running? Designing a grow room that’s going to meet all of your needs now and in the future.
To help kickstart the process, we break down the top considerations to keep in mind as you map out your space.
TIP #1: PLAN TO MAXIMIZE YOUR SPACE
Commercially growing cannabis is an expensive endeavor, so you want to make the most out of your indoor grow facility. To do that, your grow room design plan should include vertical, mobile racks.
Stationary, single-level racks require fixed aisles between each row, which ends up eating away at your square footage. Maximizing your growing capacity also means using up the volume of your space—an impossible task when you’re working with a single-tiered system. You want mobile, multi-tiered racks that take advantage of your vertical space while allowing you to create a single aisle where you need it and when you need it.
This flexibility is especially important in a rapidly evolving industry, in which you can’t afford to make costly expansions as you grow. Space optimization should be a top consideration in your design plans the first time around.
OTHER KEY TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR DESIGN
Know the local laws and regulations
You don’t want to get your perfectly designed grow room up and running only to have it shut down. Compliance regulations will vary by state and even by city, so before you start building, make sure you have a thorough understanding of the laws you’ll need to follow.
Divide up your grow rooms
A facility design rule of thumb is that each room should separated and well-sealed. With all of your plants in one room, you risk letting a single bug or fungus wipe out your entire canopy. By dividing up your facility according to the stages of the growth cycle, you not only safeguard your production, but you also get greater control over the environment that your plants require to thrive.
Go modular
As you scale, your needs are going to change, so you don’t want a racking layout that’s set in stone. A modular system has the flexibility to grow and adapt to any changes while meeting your current requirements.
Plan ahead for your lighting system
Don’t try to adapt your lights to your final setup, unless you want to drive up energy costs and potentially damage your plants. Instead, while planning your grow room, establish which type of system you’ll be using. If you want to take advantage of the benefits of vertical farming, plan to incorporate an LED lighting system, which lends itself well to vertical racks because of their slim design and minimal excess heat production.
Design according to your growing style
The financial and operational benefits of vertical mobile racking are undeniable, but you shouldn’t go squeezing together as many racks as possible. Instead, let your growing style guide the design of your space. If a slightly wider mobile aisle aids your workflow, don’t sacrifice that efficiency for the sake of getting just a bit of extra canopy.
Consult an expert
Even world-class cultivators may not have the design know-how to create a grow room that’s build to their exact needs. Bring in a design consultant to get expert insight into how you can best layout everything from you plumbing to your security system.
Start Planning Your Commercial Grow Operation
Wondering how to best optimize the space in your grow rooms? Contact us today or check out our Room Generator to discover the value of making Grow Glide a part of your grow room design.
