A grow room or growth chamber refers to a room in a residential building for growing plants. These rooms have different sizes and are locations where plants are grown under controlled conditions. This article describes the basics of grow rooms in residential buildings.
How many lights do you need?
Not all lights in grow rooms are created equal; some are brighter than others. This goes beyond the mere wattage levels – those numbers won’t tell the whole story. How long does the bulb last? What color temperature is best? Will the light throw shadows with its position?
Is there such thing as too bright? These questions go beyond the traditional thinking that higher-quality bulbs are always better, and you will find yourself spending many hours trying to figure out which lighting solution works best for your business and lifestyle. Do your homework and make sure you get everything covered.
Essentials before constructing a Grow Room?
Don’t underestimate the sheer number of wires required for the grow rooms. With multiple circuits running through a single room, you must plan ahead for maximum efficiency and safety if somebody trips over a wire. Start by understanding which outlets are dedicated to specific uses – such as lights, fans, pumps, etc. That way, you can plan out wiring accordingly.
Next, figure out which circuits you actually need. Ideally, you want at least four primary circuits (with at least two breakers). Three electrical circuits are better, although many growers opt for five because they feel safer. Keep in mind that if you want to add a second fan to each electrical circuit, you’ll need even more electrical circuits (e.g., 1–4) because every electrical circuit needs two outlets.
If you happen to have extra space on one side, consider adding additional power strips to facilitate easy plugging. Finally, keep in mind how much current each outlet receives. A good rule of thumb is this: The smaller the amount, the more power it takes per ampere.
Whether you aim to have a modest out-of-season garden or a gigantic medical cannabis center, you’re going to need a top-notch grow room for that. Like any new structure, the first step towards success is excellent arrangement and design. You’ll require the proper power installation for a growing center for plant sustenance. Before constructing an indoor grow room, here are crucial questions to seek answers to help you determine whether the space will be suitable for growing cannabis.
How much electricity will you need?
Most individuals know that growing cannabis indoors requires more electricity than growing outdoors, but they don’t think of or know the amount of power needed. Grow rooms can use around ten times as much electricity as their regular counterparts. A general thumb rule is to expect to need 10 amps of electricity for every 100 square feet of growing space. If you rely on solar power, this can range from 2,000 watts to 5,000 watts for lighting alone.
Unless you’re arranging for a small-sized grow space or have a high-service center (like an old data facility) that’s already equipped for power, it’s unexpected your room has enough electricity as-is. It doesn’t count if you’re one amp less or 100 amps short. Not sufficient is not adequate. This assumption is ahead of accounting in the fact that your circuits may not be running at total capacity all the time. Before you start, investigate what power quantity is currently present, the amount you’re going to require to reform, and the amount you’ll need to start.
What power will you use?
You’ll need to decide whether you want to use solar energy or dedicate an electrical circuit to your grow room. There are two primary choices for this: single-phase option and triple-phase choice. Single-phase supplies operate at 110 to 220 volts AC (or VAC), while three-phase power supplies operate between 277 and 480 volts AC (VAC). The latter works well for heating, cooling, ventilation, and more grow space devices than the former. A few of these devices even need electricity.
However, it is much more expensive beforehand, whether through three-phase inverters or having an electrician install new wiring for your circuit. Before investing in new equipment, investigate whether the improved performance/ operational savings are worth the upfront cost. If an upgrade to three-phase power is unsuitable, you may have to rely on single-phase adapters for some appliances.
In case you have any architectural, structural, and MEP design requirements, or need full multifamily conversion design including structure, and HVAC design, feel free to contact us. We provide you with the full permit set design + T24 for your request.
