With ballot results confirmed in three U.S. states for the recreational use of marijuana, and three for medical use, the increased demand on energy consumption in pro-cannabis territories is expected to skyrocket, continuing the trend towards LED “grow light” solutions that curb energy consumption and reduce energy costs to growers. Lighting Science’s^® patented VividGro^™ LED lamp is proven to increase yields by up to 30% while using 45% less energy. Today, the company announced that sales of their VividGro LED indoor grow lights increased by more than 100 percent over the past year alone. The cannabis industry is anticipated to jump from $6 billion to $50 billion by 2026.

Since its introduction in 2015, VividGro has obtained rave reviews from growers and distributors across North America, recently being named One of the Top 5 Lighting Products by Marijuana Business Daily. With the successful ballot initiatives to legalize the recreation use of, and growing and manufacturing of marijuana in California, Nevada, and Massachusetts, and with Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas approving medical marijuana initiatives, the potential for energy saving technologies are being embraced by the business and agriculture community on an accelerated scale.

“Cannabis is one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world,” said Pete Rumsey, Executive Vice President of Business Development at Lighting Science. “Statistics show that one percent of all electricity used in the United States today is used by indoor marijuana growers, to the tune of almost $6 billion¹ annually. As the cannabis industry continues to mature, grow facilities are increasingly turning to LEDs to reduce energy costs and boost profits.”

Lighting Science's popular VividGro™ V2 Fixture in use at a grow facility in Washington. (All photos courtesy of Lighting Science)

LEDs Offer Energy Efficient Alternative to HIDs

Lighting Science was one of the first on the scene to offer an energy efficient alternative to high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting, which have been draining the grid, as well as bank accounts. VividGro has been particularly popular in the cannabis-friendly Pacific Northwest, Michigan and Canada, where mom and pop grow facilities are quickly being scaled up to lucrative multi-million-dollar business operations. A surge in sales has been seen in the last six months, as the industry continues to grow exponentially.

“We found that standard HPS lights were really cutting into our profits,” said Ralph Sherman, a local grower of medical grade marijuana in Oregon. “We literally couldn’t afford to keep the lights on. By switching to LEDs we were able to cut our energy costs, increase plant yields and even increase THC levels, which increased the value of the product by 5 times.”

Sherman says the use of HPS lights are not just a financial concern, they are having a real impact on the local grid. “We see PGE, the local energy authority, struggling to meet the high demand. It’s causing real problems. It’s nice to find a solution that is environmentally innovative and that also helps our bottom line.”

Lighting Science's VividGro™ V2 Fixture - a true one for one replacement for a 1,000W HPS / Metal Halide Fixture