"Demand for our services is incredibly high, and rising energy costs is only one of the many reasons why. The simplest explanation is that there is not a single business anywhere that couldn't use more money," says Dylan Collins, CEO of Green Rebates. The company helps growers, suppliers, and rebate program managers navigate the ever-changing administrative landscape surrounding horticultural rebates. "Collectively, our team has over 50 years of experience across horticulture and rebates. Our goal is to make sure that growers get the biggest rebate possible and to make the process seamless and hassle-free for all parties involved."
A big impact
According to Dylan, energy rebates are more important in horticulture than in any other industry. "For other companies that could be eligible—a gas station or a hospital, for example—most rebates would likely have a negligible effect on their bottom line and little-to-no effect on the quality of service they provide their customers. Because indoor and greenhouse environments are so dependent on lighting, it has a huge impact on production and quality. The money involved makes an even bigger difference, especially with high energy costs and uncertain economic markets leading to tighter bottom lines for many growers. The average lighting rebate outside of horticulture is typically in the $10,000 to $20,000 range, while the average horticulture rebate is more than $150,000—with some exceeding $1 million."
Yet cannabis companies are not yet using energy rebates to their full potential. "A huge part of our day-to-day work is still educating and raising awareness for cannabis companies about the potential benefits of seriously pursuing energy rebates and incentives. A lot of companies are wasting potential cost-savings by not pursuing rebates at all, or only pursuing rebates based on recommendations from their equipment supplier—who has no incentive to discuss anything that does not apply to their specific product," Dylan says. "We are able to add value and increase rebates on every project we work on by taking a big-picture look at all of the rebates a company is eligible for, based on their local regulations and the equipment they're using. We're basically handing out dehumidifiers for free in Oregon. If you're only talking to your lighting provider, you wouldn't even know that's possible."
Helping cannabis growers
Green Rebates has completed over 200 projects for cannabis operators, and their goal for 2024 is to put $100,000,000 in growers' pockets. "Some of our customers include StateHouse, Harborside, Loudpack Farms, STIIIZY, and Lowell Farms in California and dozens more throughout the U.S."
"We worked with a specific client in Washington state who wanted to retrofit over 800 light fixtures to energy-efficient LEDs," Dylan gives as an example. "The cost of replacing that many fixtures can be tough to swallow, but we helped them secure rebates for more than 75% of the project cost. That customer will save over 2 million kWh per year with the upgrade, approximately 41% of their total energy usage. Their electricity savings alone covered the remainder of the project cost, meaning they would fully recoup the cash flow dedicated to the project within a year and keep benefiting every year after that."
The approximately 2 million kWh saved each year from this one project represents nearly 1,000 metric tons of reduced CO2 emissions. "That's the equivalent of planting tens of thousands of trees or taking hundreds of cars off the road. This upgrade was not only an economic slam dunk for the client with a rapid payback period—it proved that energy rebates help growers dramatically reduce their carbon footprints," Dylan explains.
According to Dylan, cannabis companies have a very unique opportunity when it comes to rebates. "They are eligible for larger incentives than any other kind of business, and this is in an industry that is usually shunned financially. Every cannabis operator should be reaching out to identify opportunities to put money in their pockets, and every cannabis company should be integrating incentives into their plans and business model from day one. With our cost- and risk-free estimates, we're able to support cannabis growers, assess and add value quickly, and inject cash directly back into their grow operations through rebates and incentives."
For more information:
Green Rebates
www.greenrebates.com