How Much For Craft Grows in Illinois

You have 5,000 square foot flowering canopy space - any medium. And you probably are growing with LED lights to come in under the state's requirements for energy efficiency. How much yield can you get from such a flower space? The applications that I am reading are all over the map!
 

manfredo

Well-Known Member
over 100 pounds...Figure 1 medium large plant might need 10 s.f and will produce, easily 4 oz. , So 500 plants at 4 oz each is 125 pounds.
 
Way too many variables to answer this question.

Just so I'm the first to say it though...
About a pound.
Those the the frameworks provided by the State - leave it pretty darn wide open besides square footage in Flower. and ..."not exceed an average of 36 watts per gross square foot of active and growing space canopy. All installed lighting technology shall meet a photosynthetic photon efficacy (PPE) of no less than 2.2 micromoles per joule fixture and shall be featured on the DesignLights Consortium (DLC)"
 

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
Wow.... compliant lighting is going to be a massive investment.
I have no idea what the DesignLights Consortium is, but it sounds like that certificate isn't just handed out.
 

ElfoodStampo

Well-Known Member
Those the the frameworks provided by the State - leave it pretty darn wide open besides square footage in Flower. and ..."not exceed an average of 36 watts per gross square foot of active and growing space canopy. All installed lighting technology shall meet a photosynthetic photon efficacy (PPE) of no less than 2.2 micromoles per joule fixture and shall be featured on the DesignLights Consortium (DLC)"
Make sure you grow in soil to maximize the plants respiration rate. And you may want to look at plasma lighting instead of LED. Also adding some molasses during flower really boosts the yield so you could go from 1 lb per 5000ft2 to 2 lbs. per 5000ft2 pretty easily.
 

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
So the DesignLights Consortium has 62 horticultural fixtures.
The only name I recognized on that list, Fluence Bioengineering.
Based on their 650W fixture, lighting will be over 300 grand.
 
They wrote it into their law:

(B) Lighting. The Lighting Power Densities (LPD)
for cultivation space commits to not exceed an average of 36 watts per gross square foot of active and growing space canopy, or all installed lighting technology shall meet a photosynthetic photon efficacy (PPE) of no less than 2.2 micromoles per joule fixture and shall be featured on the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) Horticultural Specification Qualified Products List (QPL). In the event that DLC requirement for minimum efficacy exceeds 2.2 micromoles per joule fixture, that PPE shall become the new standard.
(C) HVAC.
(i) For cannabis grow operations with less
than 6,000 square feet of canopy, the licensee commits that all HVAC units will be high-efficiency ductless split HVAC units, or other more energy efficient equipment.
(ii) For cannabis grow operations with 6,000
square feet of canopy or more, the licensee commits that all HVAC units will be variable refrigerant flow HVAC units, or other more energy efficient equipment.
 

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
Ok well, that was a quick calculation for compliant lighting, for 5000sq feet, based on a max average of 36w per square foot.

What exactly do you mean by "craft grow"?
 
Make sure you grow in soil to maximize the plants respiration rate. And you may want to look at plasma lighting instead of LED. Also adding some molasses during flower really boosts the yield so you could go from 1 lb per 5000ft2 to 2 lbs. per 5000ft2 pretty easily.
1 lb per 5000 sq ft? What does that mean? I'm seeing quantities in pounds per light, or pounds per sq ft. Just trying to sort out proforma numbers from garbage.
 

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
Ok, craft grower is the licence type.
Allowing for up to 5000sq feet of flowering canopy, at inception.
So however much of that space, one decides to illuminate, at no greater than an average of 36W per square foot, with compliant fixtures listed with the DesignLights Consortium, will determine the yield potential.
 
Ok, craft grower is the licence type.
Allowing for up to 5000sq feet of flowering canopy, at inception.
So however much of that space, one decides to illuminate, at no greater than an average of 36W per square foot, with compliant fixtures listed with the DesignLights Consortium, will determine the yield potential.
Can you do that math for me, please?
 
A few minutes on DesignLights Consortium and I see the light requirement mentioned above is incorrect. It doesnt really matter though, the important thing is lighting must be certified by them. They seem to have quite a bit of horticulture lighting already approved with their new rules that went into effect on 2/14/2020.

To answer your question though, if the 5k canopy was split in quarters (harvesting every 2 weeks or so) you might harvest about 1k sq/ft of canopy (conservative, allowing for work/walk space). Folks can get 2 lbs in 16 sq/ft at home. 1000 sq/ft divided by 16 sq/ft equals 62.5 ( #of plants) multiplied by 2 lbs equals 125 lbs. 125 lbs multiplied by 26 = 3,250

Therefore, in a year, an operation could reasonably produce approximately 3,250 lbs with this canopy space. However, I might expect plant count to be higher per sq/ft vs home grow. Of course :cool:
 

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
incorrect.
If you're referring to my example, based on one randomly selected, retail priced, fixture from the compliance information provided, capable of illuminating the entire 5000sq feet at the average of 36w per square foot, I'd like to know what was incorrect.
Just out of curiosity.
 
Just reading through the application fees, wow. Plus sales/excise taxes of course for the buyer. IL is going to learn the hard way like CA did with their over reach. Buyers (and shops) go black market and cut out the tax man because weed is weed. Not many will pay 50% more for same thing because its in a store. IL will generate far less in taxes than projections after 1st year, remember this.
 
If you're referring to my example, based on one randomly selected, retail priced, fixture from the compliance information provided, capable of illuminating the entire 5000sq feet at the average of 36w per square foot, I'd like to know what was incorrect.
Just out of curiosity.
not referring to you.
 
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