Radically Efficient Cannabis Cultivation Facility Design

As the legalization of cannabis continues to spread across the US, the electrical energy demand (kWh) from indoor cannabis cultivation is increasing at an alarming rate. Cannabis cultivators, including our sponsor, have rushed to retrofit facilities, quickly acquiring crucial grow room equipment, and harvesting products to meet product demand. Recently, new Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) type regulations by state cannabis regulators have aimed to address indoor cultivation practices and their electricity loads on local electric grids. Additionally, efficient equipment and expensive utility bills have motivated cultivators to lower their electrical energy consumption. Our project goal is to increase the electrical energy efficiency of the sponsor cannabis operator’s indoor cultivation facility located in Massachusetts. The facility utilizes multiple ventilation and dehumidification units in each room, a high lighting power density, and a multi-zoned packaged Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. System analysis based on submeter data, site visits, and interviews revealed opportunities to reduce the electrical energy consumption of the sponsor\u27s facility. These opportunities include adoption of efficient lighting fixtures and centralized HVAC systems, as well as reducing the need of auxiliary equipment. Partnering up with Sustainable Cannabis Coalition, we have worked with experts in energy modeling, horticulturists, and building design teams to provide a design plan that the sponsor can implement in their expanding facility, which could result in 50% less electricity use when compared to the overall electrical energy consumption of their current Massachusetts facility

Availability of Safe Childbirth Supplies in 284 Facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India

This dataset contains data referenced in the publication "Availability of Safe Childbirth Supplies in 284 Facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India"

Recently identified microbial guild mediates soil N₂O sink capacity

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is the predominant ozone-depleting substance and contributes approximately 6% to overall global warming1,2. Terrestrial ecosystems account for nearly 70% of total global N2O atmospheric loading, of which at least 45% can be attributed to microbial cycling of nitrogen in agriculture3. The reduction of N2O to nitrogen gas by microorganisms is critical for mitigating its emissions from terrestrial ecosystems, yet the determinants of a soil’s capacity to act as a source or sink for N2O remain uncertain4. Here, we demonstrate that the soilN2Osink capacity is mostly explained by the abundance and phylogenetic diversity of a newly described N2O-reducing microbial group5,6, which mediate the influence of edaphic factors. Analyses of interactions and niche preference similarities suggest niche di erentiation or even competitive interactions between organisms with the twotypes of N2O reductase.We further identified several recurring communities comprised of co-occurring N2O-reducing bacterial genotypes that were significant indicators of the soil N2O sink capacity across di erent European soils