Date: December 18, 2019
TOPIC: Cannabis Grow Facilities and the New Engineering Challenges
Location: The Engineer’s Club of STL, 4359 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108
EVENT SCHEDULE:
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM Registration & Breakfast
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Brad Hess – “Understanding HVAC & Plant Dynamics in Grow Rooms”
This session will describe why the typical HVAC system design for grow rooms does not work. Also discussed will be the alternatives for controlling indoor environments to promote proper plant growth, maximize yields and minimize operating costs. Through well-informed choices in grow room climate conditions and equipment, growers can minimize operational costs while producing larger, more profitable yields with higher levels of desirable traits. This Session will share real-world strategies to help attendees create a more sustainable business that is also very good for cannabis plants.
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Ben Roush – Part 1: “Dude, It’s Like Totally Weed 101. Part 2: “How Green is Your Weed?”
Dude, It’s Like Totally Weed 101
You can avoid common rookie mistakes that are both costly and time-consuming, limit change orders and lengthy permitting process. In this introduction to Cannabis operations we will discuss grow, oil extraction, and retail operations. We will discuss the basic science of Cannabis and target compounds. We will introduce equipment and chemicals in use, and we’ll discuss ventilation and dehumidification requirements.
How Green is Your Weed?
Sustainability is not just for hippies, it’s also for hard-nosed business types. The next core differentiator in the cannabis industry will be eco-conscious products, and lowering your energy costs will make your business more competitive. In this session, we’ll discuss the energy use in Cannabis grow, processing, and retail operations. We’ll discuss energy saving technologies, including energy recovery available for HVAC. We’ll look at lighting technologies and plant growth.
12:00 PM – 12:15 AM Break
12:15 PM – 2:15 PM Lunch Session Jeff Wiseman – Indoor Agriculture
Growing plants indoors presents unique challenges to accurately control and maintain desired environmental conditions. This presentation will discuss the loads associated with growing plants indoors and how these loads differ from traditional comfort cooling. We will also discuss typical indoor farm configurations and the different desired environmental conditions and set points as plants mature. Finally we will discuss the three most popular HVAC systems used to control the environmental conditions of indoor grow rooms and the pros and cons associated with each system.
2:15 PM – 4:15 PM Ben Roush – “They said I need a what??? What you don’t know about building codes and what it will cost you.”
When it comes to building codes ignorance is expensive. In this session, you’ll learn about what the building codes require now and what they’ll require in the next code cycle. Having worked on nearly 100 grow and extraction facilities from start-ups to expansions, Ben knows the specific ways cannabis operations are affected by building codes. Among other topics, he’ll answer the question, “Why can’t I use the $10,000 piece of equipment I just bought?” You’ll learn: How building codes can dictate facility locations,How to navigate equipment specifications and code requirements, How codes apply to grow, extraction, and retail enterprises, Who evaluates compliance and how to make them happy, and How to recover from expensive mistakes
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM Social
SPEAKERS:
Ben Roush
Ben Roush is a Principal at Cannabis Engineering and Compliance ( www.canngineers.com ). CE+C provides consulting and mechanical engineering services with specialized expertise in grow, extraction, and retail facilities across the country. Receiving his Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University in 2003, Ben has spent the last 16 years gaining engineering experience and earning credentials. He began designing cannabis facilities around 2015, making him one of the most experienced mechanical engineers in the cannabis industry. The growers and processors he works with trust him to provide cutting-edge technical advantages and many of the 70+ projects he has worked on are with repeat clients as their businesses grow and prosper. Many processors find permitting to be a significant obstacle. As a certified Fire Protecton Engineer, Ben speaks the
language of fire marshals in counties from the west coast to the eastern seaboard. This means you save time and money by getting your permit applicatons done right the first tme. Sustainable design isn’t just good for the planet, it’s a solid business strategy. Ben designs mechanical systems for new constructon, remodels, and building retrofts with sustainability in mind, saving energy costs and providing a market differentiator. From the breadth of his design experience, Ben can recommend a wide range of off-the-shelf processing equipment, a real money-saver.
Brad Hess
Brad Hess is a Regional Manager for Desert Aire, a manufacturer of dehumidification and indoor environmental control equipment. Brad has worked for HVAC manufactures, and an HVAC manufacturer’s representative. He is a sought-after speaker especially to meetings and seminars conducted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
Jeff Wiseman
Jeff Wiseman is the Indoor Agriculture Segment Leader for Trane. Jeff joined Trane in April, 2018 to help develop and lead Trane’s strategy for the fast growing indoor agriculture market. Prior to joining Trane, Jeff worked 14 years in the aviation industry in various roles across engineering, marketing and product management for commercial jet engines and associated digital products and services. Jeff has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of South Florida and an MBA from Xavier University.
