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Energy use in the cannabis industry declines as efficiency increases.
The cannabis industry is one of the nation's most energy intensive, with 24-hour indoor lighting rigs, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. The $3.5 billion industry accounts for one percent of total electricity use in the United States – roughly $6 billion per year. It's caused many cannabis growers to move toward more energy efficient practices. The use of sophisticated LED lighting technology in place of the typical, more traditional energy-intensive lighting systems, has allowed for reduced energy consumption and increased quality of products. LED technology can "cut energy use by 50 percent or more," according to Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) in Boulder, Colorado. Xcel Energy presents awards annually to recognize and encourage its customers to be more energy efficient through the use of sustainable practices. This year, LivWell Enlightened Health received the Xcel Energy 2016 Lighting Efficiency Achievement Award. LivWell Enlightened Health achieved the "highest energy savings in a single lighting project in the state of Colorado in 2016," as stated in a press release. The award recognizes the company's goal of reducing the amount of energy consumed in one of its primary cultivation facilities. LivWell Enlightened Health, with support from Fluence Bioengineering, saved over 2,936,266 kilowatt-hours (kWh) – about three gigawatt hours (GWh), or the same amount of electricity needed in order to power 176 homes for a year.
LivWell Enlightened Health is one of Colorado's largest cannabis companies, with 14 locations across the state. LivWell Enlightened Health is dedicated to providing its customers and patients with the best quality, value and variety of cannabis products. Its team of innovative farmers and scientists grow "more than 40 strains of cannabis to meet the varied and evolving tastes of its customers."
