10,000 Watt Shipping Container Grow

Hello again,

Within the next couple of months I will be setting up a shipping container grow with 2 containers. This is in NorCal Bay Area and it's been pretty hot. I'm going to insulate the insides and put an inclosed carport over the containers.

Container 1 Veg

4 4ft 8 bulb T5 systems

Container 2

Air cooled 10,000 watt HPS

I have a few questions regarding AC.

1. I already have a 24,000 watt BTU split system AC. Is this enough to cool the Flower container with air cooled lights?

2. I could make the Flower room sealed with less lights and Co2. Would the AC unit cool 8 non-aircooled lights? Never done Co2 yet but really should.

3. I'm going to need a smaller AC for the Veg container. I will probably have up to 8+ T5 systems in the future. Any suggestions on this?


I appreciate any help. Thanks.

If your cooling your lights you can still run co2 just seal your system that AC should be ok if they are ducted and what you should look for is a mini split ac and put a handler in each container a 4-5 ton will rock em both nicely with lights ducted could prob get away with the 4 maybe 3 tons if alternating

I wouldn't waste my time with t5s. Only ones I recommend are the 4 ft single for cloning. 315s will do a much better job with veg, with less heat and power than t5s.

cool your room. Not your lights. 4000 btu per SE 1000 or 6000 btu per DE 1000.

If you haven't bought the lights yet you should do some serious research into cmh. I've changed all my lights to it. Way better than standard hid. I changed out 6 600s for 12 315s. went from 7lbs to 12 lbs per harvest. I did double my growing space though. Watt for watt they are much better.

If your gonna go for it do de gavitas by far best lights out imo I'm sure the cmh and led people will saying something but seeing 2.3-2.4 lbs per light and stupid fire and dense as hell is what my partner did on his first run with them. If you just count gg4 he hit 3 a light but had a low yielding jesus og in the room as well

Cool your lights, cool the rooms. Heavy heavy insulation needed. Id recommend at least 3" of insulation on top and sides

I cooled 8000 watts non air cooled before with 24000 btu it ran almost the entire time the lights were on . you may need another ac unit . its a toss up if it will cool it . I will have to say no not if its not air cooled hoods . better to find a way to suck that hot air out and filter the cold air in and run that ac unit . this will cool that .

Afgan King said:

If your gonna go for it do de gavitas by far best lights out imo I'm sure the cmh and led people will saying something but seeing 2.3-2.4 lbs per light and stupid fire and dense as hell is what my partner did on his first run with them. If you just count gg4 he hit 3 a light but had a low yielding jesus og in the room as well

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The heat they put out is astronomical. It makes them almost not worth it because your cooling cost go through the roof.

I run 12 315s and a 36k btu mini split. Pull 12 lbs per harvest with a 350 dollar power bill.
My buddy runs 6 600 DE and a 36k btu mini split. Pulls 8 lbs per harvest with a 500 dollar power bill.

Anyone who's a number person will clearly see the correct choice.

My partner runs 14 of them with a 5 ton central and a 3ton mini split and pulled 35lbs machine trimmed and dried. His electric is 1000 a month so 2k$ in electric for 35lbs

I think I'll take the 35lbs Bob! Just cuz the price is right lol plus they make vented ones but his are straight butterfly wings

To each his own. I'm not gonna fight that heat from them anymore.

Carolina Dream'n said:

The heat they put out is astronomical. It makes them almost not worth it because your cooling cost go through the roof.

I run 12 315s and a 36k btu mini split. Pull 12 lbs per harvest with a 350 dollar power bill.
My buddy runs 6 600 DE and a 36k btu mini split. Pulls 8 lbs per harvest with a 500 dollar power bill.

Anyone who's a number person will clearly see the correct choice.

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Do you flower with the 315s? What's their footprint equivalent to? 3x3 or 4x4?

gogogogogogo said:

Do you flower with the 315s? What's their footprint equivalent to? 3x3 or 4x4?

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Yep. Love them. I do a 3x3 space.

Why not run Led. Wouldn't need as much power plus want get as hot....

Thank you for your replies, sorry for the delay.

I already have 4 HPS hoods so to keep cost cheap at first I might just get another 4 and duct it. How much are 315s? How many Gavita's could a 24k mini split cool? I could place the mini split in the middle of the 2 containers and make it a dual so both get cooled. I'm getting 2 40' containers so I have extra room to work.

1weedz4 said:

I already have 4 HPS hoods so to keep cost cheap at first I might just get another 4 and duct it. How much are 315s? How many Gavita's could a 24k mini split cool? I could place the mini split in the middle of the 2 containers and make it a dual so both get cooled. I'm getting 2 40' containers so I have extra room to work.

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With 24k btu you could cool only 4 x1000gavita e series.
I'm doing something similar this is my thread Im going to use a reefer container because the insulation it much better than any DIY.
I'm not sure how to veg o what lighting to use lots of things I need to figure it out
https://www.rollitup.org/t/shipping-container-40x8x8.915170/

Nice. I'm going to stick with what I have for now and add some extra lights. I already have 4 4ft 8 bulb T5 systems, 4k lights, hoods, ballasts, filter, etc. I'll post pics once it's up in a couple months. How can I run Co2 with air cooled lights? Won't the charcoal filter/fan just suck the Co2 right out? Or do I have to turn them off for a period of time?

CO2 is heavy so it stays closer to the ground if your venting out the top it probably won't suck as much co2 out as you would think.

1weedz4 said:

Nice. I'm going to stick with what I have for now and add some extra lights. I already have 4 4ft 8 bulb T5 systems, 4k lights, hoods, ballasts, filter, etc. I'll post pics once it's up in a couple months. How can I run Co2 with air cooled lights? Won't the charcoal filter/fan just suck the Co2 right out? Or do I have to turn them off for a period of time?

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Pull the air to cool your lights from another room. Problem solved.

Afgan King said:

My partner runs 14 of them with a 5 ton central and a 3ton mini split and pulled 35lbs machine trimmed and dried. His electric is 1000 a month so 2k$ in electric for 35lbs

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14 315 Watt LEC CMH or HID/HPS Gavitas?