Denver-based grower retrofits entire cultivation with LED

Libra Design has announced that Olio has transformed its Denver-based cultivation facility following a complete lighting retrofit to new, customized LED systems by Libra. With the new lighting equipment, Olio has improved its cost of production for a gram of hash by increasing crop yields, quality, and overall canopy size while simultaneously reducing energy use. Olio has seen harvests up to 40 percent higher than previous yields and is consuming 20 percent less energy since operating its new LED equipment.

"When we started working with Libra, we had a pretty challenging set of goals we wanted to achieve, and Libra worked with us hand-in-hand to design pretty much every aspect of the lighting retrofit from the design phase, the install phase and even the actual form factor of the light," said Zach Klimko, Managing Partner at Olio. "And we've seen dramatic yield increases under the Libra lights coupled with a reduction in energy use which brings our cost per production for a gram of hash significantly below our previous production cost."

With support from Resource Innovations and Cascade Energy, Libra secured rebate incentives for Olio provided by utility provider, Xcel Energy which covered the majority of the lighting retrofit capital costs. To ensure a quick and efficient installation process, Libra developed a custom power distribution wiring solution which enabled full use of Olio's existing power infrastructure, and the retrofit to take place with minimal disruption to ongoing operations of the facility.

Olio's new lighting solution is a 660-watt customized fixture based on the Libra Mid-Flux LED Module emitting a broad spectrum at 1,829 µmol/s for an impressive efficacy of 2.8 µmol/J. Libra provided a tailored lighting plan to Olio which delivers an average photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) up to 1,500 µmol/m2/s with even light distribution throughout each room. With a passive thermal management system, wet-location IP66 rating, and aluminum housing, the lighting fixture is designed for years of maintenance-free operation backed by a five-year manufacturer's warranty.