California Cannabis Firm Completes Renewable Energy Project

Canndescent has completed its commercial-scale solar project in Desert Springs, California, the company announced on Monday. The 282.6-kilowatt system uses 734 solar modules to power the production facility. The Environmental Protection Agency and National Renewable Energy laboratory estimates the system offsets as much carbon as a 430-acre forest, reducing annual carbon emission by 365 metric tons.

The company points out that indoor cannabis growers consume an estimated 1 percent of the electricity in the United States and CEO Adrian Sedlin said it was “natural and appropriate for the cannabis industry and Canndescent to lead business community in addressing some of the world’s pressing challenges” as the industry “comes of age.”

The California Energy Commission requires all new nonresidential buildings to have rooftop solar by 2023.

Canndescent Chief Compliance Officer Tom DiGiovanni noted that the lack of access to traditional financial services delayed the project, which took eight weeks to construct.

“Given the restrictions around cannabis banking and lending and the complexities of energy projects and California civil construction in general, this was extraordinarily difficult to pull off. Nevertheless, we got it done and have established a template for the ‘green industry’ to go greener.” – Giovianni, in the release

The company plans to release an opensource whitepaper later this year sharing its solar project plans.