Resource Innovation Institute Releases Three New Best Practices Guides Providing Free Efficiency Resources for Indoor and Greenhouse Farming Operations

Developed in collaboration with growers, vendors, and academia, 

the objective guides provide tips on energy and water conservation related to construction, lighting and HVAC   

PORTLAND, Ore. (October 28, 2022) — Resource Innovation Institute (RII), the leading not-for-profit energy and water benchmarking organization providing resource efficiency best practices for CEA producers, announced today the availability of three horticulture best practices guides aiming to provide free resources on the topics of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) facility design and construction, lighting and HVAC. 

Each guide has been developed with expertise and input from business leaders, growers, government policymakers and members of academia to provide an objective, unbiased view on how to implement more efficient growing practices in CEA operations. The guides are available to download completely free of charge for anyone involved in a grow operation. 

“The pace of technological innovation, as well as our knowledge of what works best in Controlled Environment Agriculture, is constantly advancing,” said Derek Smith, Executive Director of Resource Innovation Institute. “Including input from experts across the industry, these guides are intended to provide a wide variety of information and advice to support grow operators and their vendors in the design, construction and operation of CEA operations.”  

Available for free download immediately, the guides include:

Information on designing and building high-performance greenhouses and indoor farms cultivation facilities. Download the guide here. 

“Controlled environment agriculture operations are complex, multifaceted and often require different strategies and techniques depending on what is being grown and the ultimate objectives,” said Travis Graham, International Account Manager, of Schneider Electric. “Developing these environments requires specialized expertise, which is  why a guide like this can be so useful in understanding all factors to consider.”

Best practices on how to speak the language of lighting as well as understanding crucial considerations when selecting LED lighting. Download the guide here.

“Lighting is one of the most critical decisions a grower will make when designing their facility,” said Casey Rivero, cannabis solutions architect for Fluence. “Understanding how lighting will affect your financial performance is essential to evaluating lighting providers and ultimately collaborating with them to drive cultivation success. This guide gives growers powerful tools to make informed choices about their lighting strategies.” 

Understanding HVAC equipment and how to stage systems efficiently and effectively. Download the guide here. 

“It should not be a surprise that HVAC requirements for CEA vary wildly depending on the desired outcome and the crop being cultivated,” said Keith Coursin, President of Desert Aire Corp. “This best practices guide should be a ‘must have’ for anyone developing a CEA operation and wish to have the highest energy efficiency results.”

The guides are backed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and were developed under a grant from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service that is designed to accelerate dissemination of objective, data-driven information surrounding the implementation of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) projects. In support of the guides, RII will be hosting a series of webinars on each guide beginning in September where attendees can hear from industry experts on each topic, as well as ask questions about the best practices presented in the guides. 

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Emily Meshell at 318-564-8195 or emily@themaverickpr.com.

About Resource Innovation Institute: Resilient harvests for the next hundred years

Resource Innovation Institute is an objective, data-driven non-profit organization whose mission is to measure, verify and celebrate the world’s most efficient agricultural ideas. We cultivate a better future for all of humanity with our vision of resilient harvests for the next hundred years. Our consortium of members brings perspectives from across the field—uniting architects and engineers, growers and operators, researchers and analysts. Founded in 2016 to advise governments, utilities and industry leaders on the resource impacts of indoor cultivation, an under-studied and resource-intensive market, we have since extended our research to other sectors in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture. To take on the challenges of our changing world, we believe that food, medicine and other vital crops demand data-driven insights, securely shared with integrity. By nurturing the human connections in our complex and dynamic industry, we can build deeply restorative systems for people and the planet. Visit our website at ResourceInnovation.org. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.