Doctor Greenhouse, Grow Sessions - Lights vs. HVAC: The Invisible War Happening Inside Your Canopy

In Part 1 of this episode, Mark Doherty sits down with Nadia Sabeh, aka Doctor Greenhouse, to expose the hidden conflict between high-intensity lighting and the HVAC systems responsible for maintaining balance in controlled environments.Together, they discuss:The Three-Legged Stool of CEA and why lighting, HVAC, and plant biology must be designed as one integrated systemHow increasing photon density drives heat load, humidity, and energy demandThe risks behind the rise of under-canopy lighting and the unintended consequences of chasing more photonsWhy optimizing one system in isolation often leads to higher costs and diminishing returnsThis episode reveals the invisible forces shaping canopy performance, and why many grow rooms fail long before the first plant goes in.👉 Stay tuned for Part 2: The Blueprint for a High-Performance Grow Room, where Mark and Nadia break down how to design a grow room that works in harmony from day one.About Nadia Sabeh, aka Dr. GreenhouseDr. Nadia Sabeh works with indoor and greenhouse growers to create the best possible environment for their crop. In 2017, she founded Dr. Greenhouse, Inc., an engineering firm that specializes in the design and operation of HVAC systems that maximize yield and quality, while minimizing costs. She and her team have worked on over 200 controlled environment agriculture (CEA) projects around the world. Her blog and podcast, "The Doctor Is In,” is geared toward growers who seek to advance their knowledge in CEA, climate management, and CEA crop production. She speaks regularly at conferences and events and has authored or interviewed for over 50 articles. Dr. Sabeh discovered CEA as an undergraduate working on a commercial mushroom farm, has a PhD in Agricultural Engineering, and is a licensed Mechanical Engineer in several states.If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Greenhouse, visit them at: www.DoctorGreenhouse.com.About Mark Doherty, Doherty AgMark Doherty is the Vice President of Construction and Facilities Management for Grown Rogue, bringing over 15 years of experience in controlled environment agriculture and commercial cannabis cultivation. Throughout his career, he has led operations and facility development across multiple national brands, including roles as COO at Dual Draft Integrated Airflow, Executive VP at urban-gro, and VP of Facilities Management at Vireo Growth.Through his firm Doherty Agriculture, Mark focuses on turning around underperforming cultivation assets using his signature People, Plants, Profits framework—treating each facility as a living, breathing machine to drive efficiency, consistency, and profitability. He is known for combining deep technical expertise with practical leadership to elevate both the people and the plants behind successful cultivation operations.If you’d like to connect with Mark, please email him at [email protected] TSRgrowTSRgrow’s advanced cultivation technology helps growers improve efficiency, consistency, and crop performance. From high-performance LED lighting to remote power and monitoring solutions, TSRgrow provides scalable tools designed to support modern cultivation operations at every stage of the grow. To learn more about TSRgrow, visit www.TSRgrow.com. Thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast to receive upcoming episodes.