Remote power servers are an increasingly important product in the world of indoor horticultural lighting. At TSRgrow, we pioneered the work that is rapidly transforming the LED grow light industry.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at the technology, its benefits, and what it means for your harvest and, ultimately, your bottom line.
At TSRgrow, we’ve been developing advanced LED lighting solutions for well over a decade, and remote power server technology is among our dedicated specialities.
As such, we have become industry leaders in the evolution of remote power, developing our proprietary GROWHub software along the way to allow cultivators to easily and confidently crop steer their grow operation with unlimited use of configurable lighting zone control, integrated controls and monitoring LED lighting solutions, with advanced data acquisition and analytics.
What is Remote Power Server Technology?
Remote power servers are decoupled power sources that are centrally located away from the grow light fixtures. Located outside of the grow room environment, remote power servers are stored in server cabinets, not unlike those utilized for large-scale IT systems. By decoupling LED grow lights from their power supply, many of the issues raised by indoor horticultural lighting systems are almost entirely mitigated.
The idea of removing ballasts from indoor grow lighting has long been something of a dream for experienced cultivators. Ballasts generate a ton of excess grow room heat, require extensive wiring, are a huge source of failure, and can add tons of weight to light fixtures. Since LED fixtures are not heavy, to begin with, LED manufacturers have needlessly been adding bulky, weighty ballasts to grow lights. Enter remote power servers.
Thanks to remote power server technology and our GROWHub software, growers now have unparalleled control over their grow environment, generating consistently better, heavier harvests and saving on installation, maintenance and energy consumption.
So, with all of that being said, let's take a closer look at some of the benefits of implementing remote power server technology.
Simplified Installation
Incorporating remote power server technology into a grow room’s design will make the installation of the entire system a far simpler and more streamlined process. Remote power servers simplify installation in a variety of different ways, including some of the following:
- Electrical gear - Remote power servers eliminate the need for relay contactors to turn off lights as the remote power servers can dim to off. GROWHub simplifies dimming even further, allowing cultivators to control dimming functions remotely using their smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Dimming wiring - fixtures no longer need hardwired 0-10V 2-wire circuits for each fixture, eliminating limitations from fixed wiring of zones and significantly reducing the installation cost. Power and dimming are integrated in the same wiring. Additionally, our Plug n Play technology makes the installation of fixtures and servers as easy as can be.
- Lighter fixtures - Decoupling the power supply from the fixture itself drastically reduces the fixture’s weight, thus reducing the load that supports and hangers will have to bear.
- Compatibility - Remote power servers are fully compatible with direct feed 480VAC 3-phase supply, eliminating the need for step down transformers or more costly investment in utility power service to the building.
Easy Maintenance
In addition to easy installation, maintenance of an entire LED lighting system is dramatically simplified by implementing remote power servers.
- Easy access to power supply - Mounting remote power servers in a cabinet outside of the grow room means cultivators can easily access power supplies without having to disturb their grow environment in any way, shape or form for maintenance. Changing a power module in the server rack is now as easy as opening the cabinet, sliding out the old one, and simply plugging in a new one. This means growers will no longer have to risk contamination of and precariously hanging over their canopy to reach a ballast in need of repair.
- Easy access to lighting fixtures - LED fixtures without a driver/ballast eliminates wiring, weight, and mounting constraints, especially for vertical cultivation racks with air ducts. TSRgrow’s simplified quick disconnects on power control cables make maintenance a breeze.
Greater Grow Room Control
While maintenance and setup are simplified by remote power servers, it’s the plants themselves that will truly enjoy the most significant benefits. Eliminating ballasts from grow lights and removing them from the grow room places complete control over grow room conditions back in the hands of the cultivator. This increased control over conditions, paired with our GROWHub software, is truly a recipe for cultivation success.
Here are some of the environmental benefits of using remote power servers:
- Temperature management - Removing ballasts from grow lights eliminates the problem of excess heat being generated by the ballast ending up in the rooms. This allows cultivators to set the conditions depending upon the phase of growth, walk away and not have to worry about massive temperature fluctuations due to HVACD systems trying to adjust for the extra heat loads. This makes for smoother transitions between phases of growth, day/night cycles, as well as reduces the stress that can shock plants from drastic temperature shifts. GROWHub also monitors grow room conditions, alerting the grower to any abnormalities or aberrations throughout the grow cycle.
- Reduced costs - A significant factor in a facility’s total monthly costs is energy consumption, and one of the worst offenders is the HVACD system. HVACD systems are crucial to controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations for temperature and humidity control over the grow cycles. Eliminating heat from in-room drivers/ballasts allows the HVACD to manage lower heat loads in the room while running at a higher efficiency to maintain the grow room environment, thus reducing the operating cost associated with HVACD.
- Zone control - Remote power servers with GROWHub also offers the cultivator the opportunity to create unlimited zones throughout their grow space. Each lighting portion of the cultivation racking and benches can be configured to different settings based on the loading of strains in the rooms, allowing for the creation of specific zones of control for those strains under those lights. GROWHub allows for the easy demarcation and maintenance of individual zones within the grow space, allowing cultivators to maintain perfect conditions dependent upon strain and phase of growth.
Software Enabled
One of the most significant advantages of TSRgrow’s remote power server technology is the ability to connect to our GROWHub software, putting even greater control into the hands of the cultivator. Software connectivity allows growers convenient access to their grow room conditions and data for monitoring grow room activity at all times.
- Unmatched diagnostics - Built in diagnostics, alerts the cultivator of any deviation from normal before it becomes a problem. GROWHub notifies the grower with alerts that identify the area of concern, as well as providing suggested corrective actions. Being proactive, as opposed to reactive, eliminates issues that could result in loss of productivity.
- Data management - The incorporation of our GROWHub software with remote power servers also enables growers to collect and analyze data from grow room sensors and lighting. This data can help cultivators to identify problematic fluctuations, determine proper settings for maximum yield, and replicate conditions to achieve the same results time and again. Specific strain-dependent settings can also be saved and accessed at a later time to ensure each strain is grown under its most optimized conditions.
- Zone control - . The Integrated GROWHub zone control software allows for micro-adjustments to particular lights, zones, or regions of the grow room, allowing for dimming, separate timing cycles and plant growth staging within the same space. GROWHub Software managed zone control allows growers to maximize their yields while optimizing operating costs.
TSRgrow: At the Forefront of Remote Power Server Technology
At TSRgrow, we’ve been installing and supporting our remote power server technology for years. With hundreds of thousands of square feet of canopy under remote power operation, TSRgrow has demonstrated that its advanced LED lighting solutions are the most comprehensive user-friendly technology in the horticulture industry - consistent quality, highest yields at the lowest cost.
TSRgrow is leading the way for commercial cultivation. Our TOTALgrow Solution includes 24x7 support from our dedicated network operating center, advanced LED lighting, remote power server technology and integrated GROWHub applications. A summary of benefits:
Maintenance
We are leading the industry for ease of maintenance. Featuring Plug n Play technology and connections, lighting fixtures are quick disconnect for ease of installation and our servers are housed in slide-out modules outside of the grow space, making access and replacement and servicing of power as easy as you could wish for.
Savings
Incorporating remote power servers with industry-leading TSRgrow high efficiency LED grow lights reduces both installation costs and maintenance while increasing performance. The reduction in ambient grow room heat prevents the need for cycling HVACD systems as frequently, resulting in reduced energy costs as well.
Crop Steering
Our clients absolutely rave about the power that our lighting solutions can deliver. With unparalleled control over all parameters, cultivators now have the ability to crop steer with relatively little extra effort. This means that all aspects of a grow can be constantly monitored by the grower, and factors such as light cycles, dimming, fertigation and humidity can all be easily manipulated to produce the most favorable results possible.
Consistently Improved Yields and Quality
Along with the ability to steer crops in any way that a cultivator desires, our lighting solutions provide the perfect spectrums for your plants, resulting in larger and more prodigious harvests.
Because growing conditions and settings can be stored and utilized again later, strain-specific parameters help growers to not only produce crops of the highest quality but to do so again and again.
Create Custom Zones Digitally
Our GROWhub software allows cultivators to customize zones right through the user interface dashboards. Accessible anywhere via a smartphone, tablet or computer, our GROWHub software is able to create independent zones to allow for various growth phases and strains in the same space. Thanks to GROWHub, our clients are now getting the most out of every single square foot of canopy.
Align Production and Demand
Our GROWHub360 handles all cultivation monitoring, tracking, control events and interactions for compliance and optimization of a single or multiple cultivation facility.
We are Metrc compatible for all strain characteristics and have integrated dispensary and POS management. On-line ordering, scheduling and point of sale commissioning keep production and demand in alignment for happy customers and on-time supplies.
Be Future Ready for GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices)
As cannabis legalization continues to spread across the US and beyond and with federal legalization now becoming a tantalizingly realistic prospect, growers can rest assured that their facility will be ready with good manufacturing processes and any regulation that the government should throw their way with active data tracking and analytics, our lighting solutions ensure that our clients are fully in the know about every aspect of their grow.
At TSRgrow, we can help you discover just what lighting solution is right for you. With our years of experience developing and managing remote power server systems, we pride ourselves on crafting the perfect customized system for each and every one of our clients.
So, If you’re ready to begin designing or retrofitting your grow facility, we’d be delighted to have a conversation with you. Contact us today to find out what TSRgrow’s remote power servers and fully integrated lighting solutions can do for your grow operation!
