A Bright Idea to Double Yield

Transitioning from single-ended lighting fixtures to double-ended technology can increase yield in an indoor cannabis cultivation facility by about 50 percent, according to Sevan Derohanian, owner/operator of Commercial Grow Supply.

Since converting to Nanolux DE double-ended technology in all its flower rooms in 2015, the company, which operates its cultivation business out of Sun Valley, Calif., as LAHC Collective Inc., has effectively doubled its yields, Derohanian says.

The vertically integrated cannabis operation is headquartered in Clarita, Calif., and Commercial Grow Supply also offers consulting services and operates a hydroponics store. The company replaced the single-ended technology in its grow with Nanolux’s 1,000-watt double- ended fixtures and increased production from 1.5-2 pounds per fixture to 3-3.5 pounds per fixture, he says.

“Coming into the double-ended technology with Nanolux, they provided us with a superb fixture [and] amazing design, … [and] the fixture gives us a much better spread, much more uniformity throughout the crop itself,” Derohanian says.

The double-ended fixtures are also smaller and cost less to replace on an annual basis to remain in optimal condition, he adds. “Where we sit today, our ballast stays the same, our reflector and our bulb changes annually, we are as optimal as optimal gets throughout the years, and for the minuscule cost of $100 annually versus $130 just for bulbs [with single-ended fixtures].”

As Commercial Grow Supply adds an additional 44,000 square feet of indoor cultivation space to its current 28,000 square feet of canopy, Nanolux’s technology has helped decrease its initial investment due to these decreased costs, Derohanian says. More importantly, he adds, are the increased yields and, therefore, increased profits.

Opened: Founded as SCV Hydro in 2010, re-branded as Commercial Grow Supply in 2018

Location: Santa Clarita and Sun Valley, Calif.

Cultivation Space: 28,000 sq. ft. of active indoor cultivation space with 44,000 additional sq. ft. under development

No. of Employees: 40

Products/Services Offered: Cannabis cultivation, manufacturing and retail sales, as well as hydroponic equipment sales and consulting services

“We’re taking the same floor space, same layout, same square footage, and doubling the yield within that same canopy space,” he says.

In its vegetative space, Commercial Grow Supply has implemented Nanolux’s 630-watt ceramic metal halide (CMH) fixtures, which have produced a similar increase in growth, Derohanian says. It has also led to a 37-percent decrease in utility consumption, he adds, as less wattage gives off less heat, which means the company uses less HVAC to maintain the room’s temperature.

“So, in all of our new builds, we’ve saved a significant … amount of initial investment when it comes down to our air conditioning needs and our overall annual electrical consumption,” Derohanian says.

Commercial Grow Supply also uses Nanolux’s lighting controller technology, which allows growers to place a chip in each fixture to control the lighting cycle via Bluetooth or WiFi.

“They have actually improved it significantly by giving the ability [to use] an online app [and] wireless technology, [so there’s] no more running wires in between each fixture, which we would call ‘daisy chaining,’” Derohanian says.

Commercial Grow Supply passes its Nanolux success story on to its clients at its hydroponic garden supply store, he adds.

“I’m happy my cultivation facilities are doing grand, but I’m able to pass that technology over to our clients, which in turn, brings us success through our hydroponic space, as well,” Derohanian says. “We envision our clients are doubling their yields [and] decreasing their monthly overhead, and that’s due to Nanolux.”

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