7 Ways Marijuana Farmers are Keeping The Lights On

The emergent legalized marijuana industry has considerable operating risks which can compromise profitability. These seven tactics employed by the most successful marijuana farmers and agriculturalists are allowing them to mitigate crop loss and best capitalize on the rapidly expanding market demand

1. Commercial Generators Take Power Supply Off The Grid

Marijuana greenhouses and grow houses demand consistent, sustained lighting for fast and reliable crop growth. Standalone generators are the preferred power supply for successful marijuana farmers because generators offer a cost-efficient source for off-grid power to dozens, or even hundreds, of lamps.

Early stage marijuana growth requires as much as 24-hours lighting cycles. Budding-phase growth demands approximately 12 hours of stable lighting cycles before harvesting. These light cycles make marijuana one of the most temperamental crops to grow inside greenhouses. Improper power can break up light cycles, resulting in split harvesting periods and inconsistent crop yield. Similarly, poor power supplies can produce inadequate lighting, such as flickering, dark spots, and outages. Inadequate lighting can cause significant crop loss or even kill an entire harvest.

A common mistake made by novice marijuana growing operations is relying on standby generators. While a standby generator is certainly preferable to not having a backup power supply at all, they offer little benefit to marijuana farmers and agriculturalists in the event of a power outage. Most standby generators lack the power necessary to maintain greenhouse lighting. Even standby generators with ample kilowatt output will lack the consistency required to avoid flickering and dark spots.

Marijuana plants demand steady lighting for growth and stable heat output to fight off fungal infestation. Power supply issues are the most common and fastest way for grow houses to fail. This is why the most successful marijuana farmers are using standalone power to take their operations off state-supplied power grids. Whether the operation is in or around a city or working in a more rural location, obtaining the power needed for a successful marijuana agricultural venture will not come from a power grid.

TecnoGen offers the largest selection of standalone commercial generators. Every TecnoGen generator can be customized to accommodate individual greenhouse growing needs to assist marijuana farmers in optimal, cost-efficient power for accelerated growth and regimented harvesting.

2. Simultaneously Manage Multiple Growth Phases

Most large-scale marijuana farming businesses will grow smaller plants in lieu of a single, large plant. While either choice will theoretically yield the same crop output, smaller plants contained in individual planters allow farmers to transition out budding-phase plants into different greenhouses and better regulate their light cycles. This practice helps prevent fungal infestation and mitigate the risk of crop loss.

Having multiple greenhouses allows marijuana farmers and agriculturalists to manage multiple harvests at different phases all at the same time. While the benefits of multi-phase growing operations are evident, many farmers feel the added overhead expenses that accompany greenhouse expansion are unjustifiable. This is particularly true when considering standalone power supply via commercial generators.

While many of the largest commercial generators are perfectly capable of powering several greenhouses at the same time, their physical size and upfront cost are common barriers-to-entry for marijuana farmers. For an industry as young as legalized marijuana, investing in large-scale equipment is often considered risky and can easily compromise nearterm profitability.

Many successful marijuana farmers are using mobile commercial generators to manage multi-phased growing while simultaneously supporting steady professional expansion.

Budding-phase growth can leverage a single mobile generator to alternate power between two greenhouses, successfully cycling 12-hour light and dark periods. A mobile generator allows farmers to reposition their power supply and temporarily phase greenhouses out of operation for cleaning or maintenance without sacrificing the speed or yield of their harvest.

As the marijuana farming business grows and is ready for expansion, additional mobile generators can be added without turning the earlier generator purchases into sunk costs. This is a very agile way of facilitating market expansion without considerable risk to profitability.

TecnoGen’s wide range of mobile commercial generators are preferred by top marijuana farmers and agriculturalists because they are rugged, reliable, and cost effective. TecnoGen’s customer service representatives can help you understand your current power consumption and evaluate your power needs for the future of your business.

3. Parallel Generators for Added Power and Longer Run Times

Running two generators in parallel is an ideal way to increase redundancy, facilitate expansion, and moderate overhead costs for marijuana farmers and agriculturalists.

Running two generators “in parallel” is the practice of connecting the two power sources together and having them operate as one. This increases the power output of the generators, enabling marijuana farmers to add additional lights, upgrade irrigation systems, or even add another greenhouse altogether without sacrificing the performance to the existing growing operation.

Parallel generators offer the benefit of power redundancy which gives marijana farmers the peace of mind that their greenhouses will never be compromised by power failure. This is a particularly important feature for farmers who are not within close proximity to their growing operation. While it is highly unlikely that a generator would fail during operation, something as simple as running out of gas or as unprecedented as a short circuit can cause a generator to temporarily or permanently break down. Having parallel generators on-site can help prevent any unforeseen power outages in the event of generator failure and mitigate the risks of crop loss.

Generators in parallel can continue to operate independently when their paired power source is not operational. This is why parallel generators are essential for any marijuana farmer who is running 24-hour lighting cycles in early-phase growth. Every commercial generator needs to be powered off periodically to prevent mechanical seizure or catastrophic failure. Ignoring max run-time limitations on a commercial generator can cause overheating and lead to costly generator repairs or total replacement. If a greenhouse is used for early-phase marijuana agriculture and is implementing 24-hour lighting cycles to accelerate crop growth, parallel generators provide a perpetual power supply to all lighting and irrigation while still adhering to run-time recommendations.

Every TecnoGen generator can be run in parallel--even across different prime power ranges. TecnoGen helps marijuana farmers pick the right generators to start, expand, and optimize their business.

4. Silent Generators Keep Operational Noise To A Minimum

The decibel output of a generator is an important consideration for every marijuana farmer. A quieter generator makes for a more pleasant greenhouse working environment and is less likely to offend neighboring residents or businesses. Many successful marijuana agriculture businesses find that quieter generators help create a healthier, more productive workplace which, in turn, increases productivity.

When it comes to the noise of diesel engine generator, there is a very wide range of decibel outputs. Some commercial generators are as loud and intrusive as a motorcycle with an open throttle. Others are, quite literally, as silent as a whisper. Choosing the right generator with the appropriate level operating noise is essential to the long term success of a marijuana farming business.

Research shows that plants do not grow as quickly and are more susceptible to root rot when exposed to excessively loud noises for extended periods of time. Many diesel generators will put out such loud, droning noise that they will actually stunt the growth of marijuana plants. Marijuana is already temperamental when grown in a greenhouse, adding nearby generator noise can lead to slower crop production, lower crop yields, or even total crop loss. Whether a generator is operating inside an expansive greenhouse with exterior ventilation or if the generator is running outside the greenhouse, the noise during operation can be significantly detrimental to marijuana plants. It’s recommended that every marijuana greenhouse leverage a low-decibel output generator to reduce the risk of noise pollution harming the crops.

The noise of a generator is important to consider when evaluating the working conditions of a greenhouse. Excessive generator noise can make a greenhouse a truly unpleasant workspace. Workers may not be able to hear well and often are required to wear ear protection to avoid damage to the eardrum. Even if the generator is not excessively loud, exposure to persistent droning noise can cause headaches and nausea. Marijuana farmers will often spend several hours a day tending to their crops, so using a silent generator creates a far more enjoyable working environment.

When a greenhouse generator runs quietly or silently, farmers are more focused on their work and don’t need to take breaks to escape the operating noise. This helps farmers apply the necessary level of care and attention to their crops, maximizing yield and reducing crop loss.

Many marijuana agriculture greenhouses will operate in close proximity to neighboring residents or businesses. In these cases, a silent generator is essential. Many marijuana farmers will need to adhere to local noise ordinances and will be fined or shut down if found in violation of those ordinances. Additionally, excessive generator noise can tarnish relationships with neighbors which can put undue stress on your business.

Every TecnoGen Generator runs at or below 70 decibels (DBA), making them the quietest, most reliable generators on the market. Our most popular generators for marijuana farming, The Mega Silent series, operate at 55 DBAs, which is comparable to the volume of a normal, indoor conversation between two people. TecnoGen Generators help marijuana farmers run their business quietly and professionally for optimum crop yields.

5. Select The Right Prime Power Generator to Save on Fuel Consumption

Choosing the right generator to power the lamps and irrigation equipment inside a marijana crop greenhouse is tantamount to maintaining profitability at every stage of the business. TecnoGen works closely with marijuana farmers to ensure they have the appropriate kilowatt (kW) output necessary to run, grow, and optimize their business.

TecnoGen Generators can work in parallel across the full spectrum of kW output options, allowing marijuana farmers to creatively and effectively sustain standalone power while minimizing generator fuel consumption. This allows agriculturalists to launch their business with a small 25kW or 39kW power source and then add a more substantial 212 kW or 276 kW parallel generator at a later date. Working with TecnoGen’s customer service reps, many marijuana farmers have found it easy and effective to add power to their greenhouse operations in a staged, cost-efficient way. This helps avoid investing in an overpowered generator early on in the business lifecycle and minimizes unnecessary fuel consumption. Similarly, it allows farmers to expand their business without risk of having unused smaller generators as a sunk cost against the business’ overhead expenses.

Managing fuel consumption is also important for state and federal EPA emissions regulations. A generator is a big investment, so marijuana farmers need to ensure their generators can legally operate before purchasing. Every TecnoGen Generator is Tier-4 compliant, allowing them to be legally purchased and operated in all 50 states and Canada. TecnoGen takes the guesswork out of the regulatory process by building every generator to meet the strict guidelines set forth by the EPA.

TecnoGen helps marijuana farmers run their business legally and safely while also reducing the rate of fuel consumption. This is why TecnoGen Generators are used by the largest, most successful marijuana businesses in the country.

6. Professional Setups Help Attract Professional Relationships

Growing and harvesting the marijuana crop is only half of the business for marijuana farmers. Establishing professional relationships to foster the sale of the crop to dispensaries is what transforms the growing operation into a profitable venture. Having a professional growing operation allows marijuana farmers to best present, tour, and sell their business to prospective clients.

The marijuana agricultu
re industry is crowded with low-grade facilities attempting to quickly cash in on the emergent market. While these facilities are finding their own levels of success in the early states of operation, they are not constructed for expansion or sustainability. This is why most purchasing clients are unable to establish contracts for purchasing harvests and, instead, elect to purchase from an assortment of marijuana farming businesses ad hoc.

The best marijuana farming businesses are leveraging silent generators to cement a more professional environment for their greenhouses. This enables the farmers to tour current and prospective clients through the facility, showcasing their efficiency and effectiveness. While presentation will always be secondary to product, having the ability to display both of these aspects has helped elevate many of the country’s top marijuana farmers and greatly improve their contract viability and profitability in the field.

Marijuana farmers using TecnoGen generators not only benefit from the low DBA output, but also can use the generators as a selling point to prospective clients. By highlighting TecnoGen Generators as ready-to-ship equipment and emphasizing their parallel capabilities, new clients can be assured that a marijuana farming business can quickly and easily be expanded to accommodate added demand without compromising the efficiency of existing greenhouses.

The right generator can make a marijuana growing operation more agile and expansion ready while also assisting in making the business itself more presentable to prospective clients and investors. TecnoGen prides itself on having the best looking, more reliable generators on the market. We proudly support the marijuana agriculture industry and work closely with our marijuana farming clients to help them select the best generators for their needs.

7. Future-Proof Your Greenhouse by Going Tier-4 Compliant

Like any other emergent market, marijuana farming is among the most competitive fields in the country. The quantity of marijuana growing businesses are increasing by the day and the demand for the crop is scaling nearly as fast. Capitalizing on this market requires marijuana farmers not only act quickly but also firmly cement long term business objectives for sustained operations.

States like Washington and California are among the two most popular areas for marijuana growing businesses, however they also happen to be two of the most strict areas of the country for emissions regulations. These regulations have already imposed significant equipment restrictions on the construction and film industries and will soon have an equally significant impact on farming.

While marijuana farmers can ill afford to hesitate on acquiring a standalone power supply, many farmers are learning that the Tier-3 generators they purchased only a year or two ago will soon be illegal to operate in Canada, California and Washington State. It is expected that Tier-3 generators will not meet emission standards in all 50 states and Canada by the year 2028 and will either need to be decommissioned or shoulder an offsetting fine to legally run in the US.

For all the marijuana agriculture businesses that have launched in the past 10 years, only the most successful ones have planned ahead by acquiring generators that meet Tier-4 emission standards. Tier-4 generators typically do not cost more than new Tier-3 generators but benefit greatly from reduced fuel consumption which makes them cheaper to own and operate over time. Additionally, Tier-4 generators will not need to be replaced nor will they endure EPA fines over the next 10 years, making them a stable investment for and marijuana farming business.

Every TecnoGen Generator sold today meets the strict guidelines for Tier-4 emissions standards, making them legal to buy and operate in all 50 states and Canada. Furthermore, TecnoGen offers the quietest, and most customizable generators on the market, making them the ideal solution for every marijuana farming business in the country.

Submit Information

or call us at 855-303-7900