In this blog, we look at steps you can take to protect yourself from huge cannabis growing bills, as well as 5 tips for saving energy costs in your garden.
Check your energy tariff to save on indoor energy costs
So some of the tips in this article may require some investment, but here's a quick and easy way to make sure you're paying the lowest electricity bills for your cannabis growing room. Most energy companies charge for electricity during peak hours, but prices during off-peak periods will not be cheap. Check with your provider to see where the cheapest rates are. They usually start late in the evening and last all night until morning. Use this to determine the best time to turn on your lights.
Switch to LEDs to reduce the electricity costs in the grow box.
Yes, we know that the debate about HPS and LED grow lights has raged over the last few years, but the energy crisis will almost certainly make reliable HPS obsolete. Although savings estimates range from 30 to 70% between HPS grow lamps and LED grow lamps, the undeniable truth is that LEDs are cheaper. Because LED bulbs are cool (meaning that they do not produce the same amount of heat as HPS bulbs), there is less need to adjust the temperature to save energy in the plant room. This may be less relevant this winter, but is worth considering if the energy crisis moves into next summer.
Using LEDs to reduce energy costs in a grow box
For growers who already use LED bulbs for growing, there are ways to save money by installing them. By using dimmer LED bulbs, you can flexibly reduce the light intensity as the flowering plants approach harvest. Based on a 9-week flowering plant, we suggest:
- - Vegetative stage, use 25%.
- - Flowering 1 week, use 50%
- - Week 2-3, use 75%.
- - Week 4 - 8, use 100%.
- - last week use 50%.
Using light rails will also help increase energy efficiency in the grow room by allowing 1 bulb to cover an area of 2-3 metres.
Check the energy efficiency of fans and other equipment.
Many manufacturers have kits that have evolved organically over time, especially if you don't have the budget for everything to be high specification for the initial installation. Now is the time to look at your equipment and assess whether you have any obvious sources that are draining energy. Consider switching to a passive hydroponic system or an EC fan.
Choose fast-growing seeds to save on energy costs.
As we're approaching winter energy bills, it's time to choose cannabis varieties which have a shorter flowering time. By reducing the weeks your plants spend in the grow box, you can save precious money! Autoflowers are an obvious choice, such as a high-yielding variety like Auto Kong 4, but photoperiodic indica-dominant plants can help speed up the growing process. Short-ripening strains (50-60 days) with medium to high yields include the perennial favourite Paradise, Wappa, Durga Mata, Sunset Paradise and Purple Mints.