Section 5:

Power-Up and Commissioning

Commissioning is where you prove the room can absorb added photons without stress. Move in small, measured steps, log everything, and change one variable at a time.

 

Pre-commission checklist

• Top lights, HVAC, CO₂ and irrigation are stable for at least 24 to 48 hours.
• Section 4 placement is locked. Lenses are clean. Cables have drip loops.
• UV windows are disabled. Room access policy for UV is posted.
• Lower-canopy temp/RH probe is in place and logging.
• Irrigation uniformity is verified. Runoff EC and pH are within your target range.
• Tri-Chan time and timezone are correct.
• Confirm lenses remain at least 6 in from any leaf surface.

Baseline commissioning plan at a glance

• Day 0 to 2: Full+Red only at conservative output.
• Day 2 to 4: Add Far-Red as short pulses at lights-on and lights-off.
• Day 4 to 7: Optional short mid-day Far-Red pairing window if plants and climate look good.
• Late flower only: Add UV windows after plants show stability under Full+Red and Far-Red.

Initial power-up settings

Applies to both 4×4 and 5×5 footprints using two fixtures in either perpendicular or parallel orientation.

• Photoperiod sync

1. 1. 1. Match under-canopy on/off to the top-light schedule.
      2. If using sunrise or sunset on top lights, mirror those ramps on Full+Red.

• Full+Red channel

1. 1. 1. Start at about 50 percent output for the full photoperiod.
      2. Walk the room after 30 to 60 minutes and check:
         1. Lower-canopy temp vs top-canopy temp (aim for a small delta).
         2. RH and VPD drift. If RH climbs and VPD drops, increase airflow or dehu before touching light.
         3. Plant posture. Look for relaxed petioles, no canoeing, no tip nip.

• Irrigation alignment

1. 1. 1. Expect slightly higher demand when you add under-canopy light.
      2. Preferred first move is frequency adjustment rather than a large EC jump.
      3. If runoff EC rises and plants look “dry” despite moisture, reduce intensity 10 to 20 percent and correct irrigation before proceeding.

• Top light cross-check

1. 1. If climate will not stabilize after adding under-canopy light, reduce top-light intensity 5 to 10 percent and reassess. Re-add later once the room is balanced.

Hold these conditions for 24 to 48 hours before adding Far-Red. Hold each new spectrum stage for 48 h before layering the next.

Add Far-Red in two safe stages

Far-Red influences phytochrome state and can affect stretch. Use brief, defined windows.

 

Stage A: Lights-on and lights-off pulses

• At lights-on: 5 minutes at 20 percent FR.
• At lights-off: 5 minutes at 20 percent FR.
• Purpose: smoother state transition and a small efficiency bump without driving elongation.
• Observe for 48 hours. If internodes extend faster than expected, cut pulses to 2 minutes or remove the lights-on pulse and keep only end-of-day.

Stage B: Optional mid-day Emerson pairing

• If plants and climate are stable after Stage A, add a single mid-day window:
  • Mid-day FR: 10 minutes at 15 percent FR.
• Keep Full+Red unchanged. Do not exceed one mid-day FR window until you have a full week of stable response.
• Any sign of unwanted stretch or airy lowers, remove the mid-day window first.

UV is last and only in late flower

Use UV as a finishing tool once plants are mature and stable.

• Timing: Final 2 to 3 weeks of flower only.
• Window: One mid-day window starting at 5 minutes at 10 percent UV.
• Ramping: If plants show zero stress after 3 days, extend to 10 minutes. Rarely is more needed.
• Never use UV at lights-on or lights-off. Keep human access out during UV. Use eye and skin protection for any entry.
• UV runs mid-day only; post a no-entry rule during each UV window.

Stop conditions for UV

• Edge singe, halted growth, or terpene flattening after a change.
• Action: cut the last UV change by 50 percent or disable UV for 3 to 5 days, then retry at the lower setting.

Tri-Chan scene setup (recommended templates)

Create scenes so every change is repeatable and easy to roll back.

 

• Scene 1: Baseline

• • • Full+Red: 50 percent for full photoperiod with sunrise and sunset if used on top lights.
    • Far-Red: off
    • UV: off

• Scene 2: FR Pulses

• • • Full+Red: same as Baseline
    • Far-Red: 5 minutes at lights-on, 5 minutes at lights-off, both at 20 percent
    • UV: off

• Scene 3: FR Emerson

• • • Full+Red: same as Baseline
    • Far-Red: Scene 2 plus a 10 minute mid-day window at 15 percent
    • UV: off

• Scene 4: Finish UV

• • Full+Red: same as Baseline
  • Far-Red: your current FR scene
  • UV: single mid-day window 5 to 10 minutes at 10 percent

7-day commissioning timeline

Use this if the room stays stable at each step. If not, pause and correct before advancing.

 

• Day 0

• • • Enable Scene 1. Full+Red 50 percent all photoperiod.
    • Verify climate and irrigation response. Log lower-canopy temp/RH and runoff EC.

• Day 1 to 2

• • • If stable, enable Scene 2. Add FR pulses at lights-on and lights-off.
    • Watch internode behavior and posture. If stretch increases, reduce FR or keep only end-of-day.

• Day 3 to 4

• • • If stable, consider Scene 3. Add one mid-day FR window.
    • Re-confirm climate margins. Do not change irrigation and spectrum on the same day.

• Day 5 to 7

• Lock settings. No UV yet.
• If late flower and plants are robust, schedule Scene 4 starting with 5 minutes UV at 10 percent.
• After 7 stable days, you may progress to the Aggressive Profile outlined in Section 15.

Example starting points by footprint

Same rules for perpendicular or parallel. Two fixtures per footprint.

 

• 4×4 area

• • • Full+Red: 50 percent, full photoperiod
    • Far-Red: 5 min on + 5 min off at 20 percent, optional 10 min mid-day at 15 percent
    • UV: late flower only, 5 to 10 min mid-day at 10 percent

• 5×5 area

• • Full+Red: 50 percent, full photoperiod
  • Far-Red: same as 4×4
  • UV: same as 4×4
  • Note: Check overlap between the two fixtures and raise 1 to 2 inches if lowers look overly bright in the center seam.

These are conservative commissioning values. Many rooms will support more once validated. Increase in small steps and hold for observation.

 

Verification metrics and what to look for

• Climate

• • • Lower-canopy temp within a small delta of top-canopy.
    • RH stable after lights-on and after any FR window.
    • VPD appropriate for the stage, no sudden dips during FR pulses.

• Plant response

• • • Positive: steady turgor, improved lower-site development, stable color.
    • Negative: tip nip, edge curl, canoeing, rapid internode extension, muted aroma.

• Irrigation

• • Runoff EC tracks with input plan. If runoff climbs, either frequency is too low or intensity is too high for current irrigation capacity.

Fast rollback procedures

• Acute stress after a change

• • • Revert to the previous scene immediately.
    • If needed, reduce Full+Red by 10 to 20 percent for 24 hours while you rebalance environment and irrigation.

• Unexpected stretch early flower

• • • Remove the lights-on FR pulse. Keep only end-of-day.
    • If needed, shorten EOD FR to 2 minutes.

• Humidity runaway

• • Increase airflow and dehu first.
  • If still high, remove mid-day FR window and reduce Full+Red by 10 percent until RH is under control.

Commissioning log template

Keep a simple table for each footprint.

• Date and time
• Scene name and channel settings
• Lower and upper canopy temp/RH, CO₂
• Runoff EC and pH
• Notes on plant posture and color
• Any changes made and the reason

Consistent logging turns commissioning into a repeatable process that you can hand off to any team member.