
Cannabis is America’s newest cash crop with an estimated industry value of $61 billion. Commercial growers across the country are rushing to construct cultivation facilities to keep up with booming demand. The industry is so new that cultivators are still experimenting to find the ideal building material that provides precise temperature control at an economical price with quick construction turnaround.
When Happy Valley Gloucester, a cultivator and dispensary in the coastal city of Cape Ann, Mass., partnered with the pre-engineered building firm SPACE Bldgs to construct a new cultivation facility, the result was a highly efficient structure using Metl-Span’s insulated metal panels (IMPs).
“Happy Valley wanted a very high quality, pre-engineered structure with clear spans, height capabilities, and a high degree of construction speed,” says Doug Stokken, SPACE’s Director of Business Development & Projects.
To achieve these requirements while also providing the accurately-controlled environment needed to successfully grow cannabis, SPACE used Metl-Span’s 24 gauge embossed Striated 2.5” insulated metal wall panels, along with the 26 gauge CF Light Mesa insulated metal panels.

IMPs have long been used in industries where precise temperature control is required, such as cold storage and food processing. As Stokken explains: “You're able to achieve a consistent thermal uniformity across the wall section, and then the same with airflow. You can seal off the building very well.”
By using IMPs, SPACE was able to achieve remarkable R-values, and the Polar White exterior and interior finish helped maintain required indoor temperatures. With the panels built-in vapor barrier, once the IMPs were in place, no additional insulation or water, air or vapor barriers were required.

IMPs were also able to provide the speed of installation required by Happy Valley. In an industry that’s taking off fast, getting into operation as soon as possible is critical. The envelope itself was completed in approximately three and a half months, meaning Happy Valley was able to move in quickly and start installing the necessary cultivation equipment.
SPACE also used IMPs to partition interior rooms. Different strains and crops in different stages of development have distinct atmospheric needs. As Stokken explains: “You can use insulated metal panels to make all the separate rooms, in which you can create temperature and humidity and air flow-controlled environments for the specific product in each of those rooms.”
In an industry where the competition is fierce to grow the most, produce the strongest product, and isolate the best strains, efficient solutions are crucial to success. While many cannabis cultivators are retrofitting vacant spaces for grow operations, which can be costly and time consuming, the Happy Valley Gloucester facility offers an answer to construction challenges.
Providing superior insulation properties, enhanced longevity, expedited construction, all-in-one building envelopes, and infinitely cleanable interiors at a surprisingly economical cost, IMPs will soon be a top choice for cannabis cultivation.
To learn more about how Metl-Span can provide commercial cannabis cultivators with ideal growing environments, contact a Metl-Span representative near you.