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What Can CO2 Enrichment Do for Your Greenhouse? 

Close up of Sunnyside Greenhouse tomatoes growing in greenhouse equipped with CO2 Enrichment from BioTherm Solutions.

You rely on your greenhouse and its controlled climate to provide the right growing conditions for your ornamental plants, flowers, cannabis or produce. Giving the carbon dioxide levels a boost with a CO2 Enrichment system can improve photosynthesis to help you exceed your budgeted goals.  

As part of their natural photosynthesis process, plants absorb CO2 (carbon dioxide) and light from the environment to create the energy required to grow. In an indoor growing space or greenhouse, increasing the CO2 concentration can have very positive benefits on the plants within. In fact, greenhouse CO2 enrichment, in a controlled manner, can increase photosynthesis efficiency in plants by 30%.  

Benefits of CO2 Enrichment for Indoor Growing and Greenhouses 

Supplementing the indoor environment with higher levels of carbon dioxide provides growers with a variety of benefits.  

The benefits of Greenhouse CO2 Enrichment include:   

  • Higher yields 
  • Faster growth 
  • Earlier flowering 
  • Improved stem strength 
  • Improved plant health 
  • Increased plant biomass 
  • Improved water retention in leaves 
  • Increased number of flower buds 
  • Enhance antioxidant capacity in produce 

In an environment that has optimal levels of CO2, growers can increase their plant production while also improving the overall quality of their harvests, thus increasing their revenue.  

How Does CO2 Enrichment Work? 

When the available CO2 in a greenhouse is insufficient, the photosynthesis process is inhibited, in turn reducing the amount of energy a plant has to grow. By increasing the CO2 levels in a greenhouse, it is possible to boost the photosynthesis potential of plants, resulting in larger yields of healthy, high-quality product. 

BioTherm CO2 Enrichment System  

With the BioTherm greenhouse CO2 enrichment system, growers can easily achieve elevated carbon dioxide levels in their indoor grow facilities. The BioTherm system pulls carbon dioxide directly from the greenhouse’s boiler flue and uniformly delivers it throughout the growing environment at a safe level.   

Bright Farms – a CO2 Enrichment Case Study

CO2 Enhancement Case Study: Bright Farms, Rochelle, Illinois 

The greenhouse production manager at Bright Farms, a 160,000-square-foot greenhouse in Rochelle, Illinois, is responsible for producing more than one million pounds of produce per year.  

He knows that supplementing the carbon dioxide in a growing environment increases the efficiency of photosynthesis, and provides higher crop yields. So, he had been receiving monthly deliveries of commercial CO2. However, at $.50-$.70 per pound, he was eager to find a more cost-effective solution to maintaining the farm’s large volume of produce production.  

The BioTherm team was happy to partner with Bright Farms and install a greenhouse CO2 enrichment system in their facility. This innovative system harvests CO2 from a Raypak boiler and evenly distributes it throughout their greenhouse at a safe level. 

With the BioTherm CO2 enrichment system and Raypak boilers, Bright Farms is on track to be fully CO2 self-sufficient. In less than a year, they have already reduced their dependency on bulk CO2 tanks by more than 830,761 lbs. Assuming an average cost of $.60 per pound, that would be a $498,456 reduction in production costs since the BioTherm Co2 Enrichment system was installed.

2021 CO2 Usage2021 Total Cost 2022 CO2 Usage2022 Total CostTotal Savings
962,207 lbs.$577,324131,446 lbs.$78,868$498,456

*Figures based on $.60/lb for CO2. Actual savings may differ, slightly.

Learn What a Greenhouse CO2 Enrichment System Can Do for Your Commercial Operation 

Increasing the CO2 levels within your greenhouse can help increase the growth potential of your plants, and improve their overall quality. Our innovative greenhouse CO2 enrichment systems utilize Raypak boilers to achieve optimal carbon dioxide levels to promote increased plant growth and health. 

Whether you specialize in horticulture, floriculture, or cannabis, we can tailor a BioTherm CO2 Enrichment System specific to your commercial cultivation operation. When you partner with industry experts with more than 40 years in the business, you can count on measurable results. Take the first step to unlocking the full potential of your indoor grow operation or greenhouse by contacting us online, or by phone at 1-800-GET-HEAT. 

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