In Grand Rapids, Mich., a climate control solution company is selling HVAC systems built to grow and preserve cannabis plants more efficiently, and they hope to reduce the carbon footprint of cannabis in the process.
Enthaltec, an offshoot of the company Fisen, is taking their expertise and experience with HVAC systems to sell climate control devices to cannabis growers in the state with technology built to reduce the impact of climate change.
Since most cannabis is grown indoors, HVAC machines and lighting systems are used instead of sunlight, adding to the carbon footprint.
“In Colorado, cannabis causes more greenhouse gas emissions than coal does,” said Raif Scharnowski, Enthaltec’s business development director. “I think it’s very important for growers and others in the industry to know the environmental impact it creates and ways it can be made better.”
Scharnowski said that he saw it as an opportunity to meet the specific needs for commercial cannabis growing that matches his entrepreneurial history and his scientific background as a biologist. Scharnowski hopes to see the business expand to other states as well.
“My passion is looking at specific and niche needs and how we can develop a way to meet them,” Scharnowski said. “I think my background in biology put me in a spot that helped me understand the specifics to help with cannabis growing.”
Enthalec’s first client is Grow Haven in Paw Paw, Mich. Scharnowski said that Enthaltec collaborated with Grow Haven to meet their needs in maximizing energy production while also maintaining the proper humidity to help the plants grow.
Grow Haven’s 20,000 square foot growing space uses eight of Enthaltec’s “Economizer” HVAC systems, which uses outside air to cool and dehumidify the flower in the facility naturally without the use of a humidifier. The unit intends to cut electricity costs by 75% of a normal HVAC unit.
Grow Haven representatives could not be reached for comment.
The system was implemented by Enthaltec both to reduce energy consumption in order to save energy costs and to reduce a facility’s carbon footprint, which Scharnowski says is a significant problem for the industry. In some states, growing one ounce of cannabis indoors is roughly the same as burning 7 to 16 gallons of gasoline.
