Cannabis is considered a true miracle cure. Over 500 substances are contained in the plant, and its healing properties have been known since ancient times. The active ingredients in the flowers have a pain-relieving and muscle-relaxing effect and stimulate the appetite. For a long time, the use of cannabis was illegal in most countries, but more and more governments have relaxed their laws in recent years and allowed its use for medicinal purposes. Since then, the industry has been booming, recording double-digit growth rates worldwide every year. And as demand increases, companies specializing in cultivation are investing in new indoor plantations to meet this need.
Although the cannabis plant is quite undemanding, the fact that the weather usually does what it wants means that indoor cultivation is much more reliable, and is also possible regardless of the season or climate zone. The quality and growth of the plants is also easier to control and manage. Another advantage of indoor cultivation is that this valuable produce is better secured in a lockable building. This is good news for Grow-tec from Israel.
Did you know?
Israel is a pioneer in cannabis research and is considered a world leader in this field. In 1964, Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem managed to isolate an active ingredient in the cannabis plant called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for the first time.
He is therefore regarded as one of the founders of medicinal cannabis research. Medicinal use was legalized in Israel at the beginning of the 1990s. In Germany, legalization did not occur unti 2017.
Pioneer for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis
The company, located between the city of Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, specializes in indoor facilities and offers high-tech turnkey systems that enable the cultivation of cucumbers, tomatoes, and even medicinal cannabis indoors with ultra-high yields and quality that could not otherwise be achieved.
Grow-tec designs finely balanced systems for HVAC, irrigation, and climate control. Thanks to Grow-tec’s expertise, these systems create the optimum climate for the plants, while taking all the environmental conditions – light, CO₂ concentration, and, most importantly, air circulation – into account. To achieve this, the specialists at Grow-tec needed high-performance air handling units (AHUs) so that the temperature and humidity in the buildings, some of which are several thousand square meters in size, remain stable.
This is because excessive humidity damages the plants. In addition to air performance, energy consumption is also an important criterion, from both an environmental and a financial perspective. And Grow-Tec also had a special wish: that the AHUs be painted green. With this list of requirements, the Israeli experts set out to find a suitable manufacturer. They found what they were looking for in Klimallco, an air conditioner manufacturer from Greece, just 30 kilometers east of the capital Athens.
A breath of fresh air from Greece
Klimallco was founded 25 years ago and exports its climate control solutions to 14 countries worldwide. Jim Borsis, Managing Director at Klimallco says: “Our customers are mainly companies that require turnkey solutions for various sectors such as hospitals, logistics centers, or schools.” Efficient and environmentally friendly devices are a trademark of the Greek manufacturer. “This is why we have been working with ebm-papst since we were founded. And this project in Israel is no exception,” explains Borsis.
Efficient and environmentally friendly devices are our trademark. This is why we have been working with ebm-papst since we were founded.
Jim Borsis, Managing Director at Klimallco SA
Klimallco uses RadiPac fans from ebm-papst for the AHUs required by Grow-tec – 26 fans in total. The RadiPac product range was specially developed for AHUs. Thanks to the EC motor, the RadiPacs can be regulated as required, which makes them very energy efficient. The geometry of the impeller has also been optimized so that particularly high air performance and a high pressure increase are possible at the same time.
The future of agriculture
Indoor farming is seen as a promising alternative to conventional cultivation methods. Indoor plantations and what is known as vertical farming, in which lettuce, for example, is grown on several levels, can achieve higher yields with the help of cutting-edge technology. In principle, this can be done anywhere in the world, even in the Arctic or in desert regions where no plants would normally grow. Thanks to controlled irrigation and precision fertilization, this form of agriculture requires less water and less fertilizer than in the open countryside. And it also uses less space. However, cultivating crops in this way requires more electricity – which is why efficient ventilation solutions for instance are crucial.
As Borsis explains: “The fan offers a brilliant combination of efficient performance and compactness thanks to its small external dimensions and air flow capacity.” Klimallco’s solution proved a winner and Grow-tec now offers its customers efficient and powerful systems for cannabis production. And thanks to the special green paintwork, the AHUs blend in well among the thousands of cannabis plants gently swaying in the artificial wind.
Leave a comment