Reheat vs. Dedicated Dehumidification: The Real ROI for Cannabis Growers

In cannabis cultivation, precision is everything. From nutrient schedules to light intensity, growers obsess over variables that impact yield. 

But there’s one element that often gets oversimplified: humidity control. 

Enter the debate between reheat systems and dedicated dehumidification. 

While reheat may seem like a sleek, all-in-one solution, the hard numbers tell a different story. 

Dedicated dehumidification systems offer superior energy efficiency and environmental control, making them a smart bet for the long-term. Want to maximize your ROI in these tight market conditions? Let us show you the way. 

Reheat: The Shiny Shortcut with Hidden Costs

Reheat systems are the new buzz in some cultivation circles. 

The pitch? One system to rule them all—controlling both temperature and humidity. 

It sounds efficient, right? Wrong!

Quest’s Director of Product Development, Walt Waetjen, puts it simply: You lose out on efficiencies in the long run by trying to double up on capabilities. 

Reheat systems force your AC to do double duty: cooling air and removing moisture. 

“When an air conditioner tries to do dehumidification, it does it poorly,” he says. “We like to say you’re asking a fish to climb a tree.”

The consequences?

You’ll see excess electrical load, for one. Reheat cycles strain the system, driving up energy costs. Then there are the temperature swings you’ll need to manage. Multiple AC units toggling dehumidification mode can create environmental instability, resulting in stressed plants.

How Reheat Works (and Where It Fails)

• Step 1: The air conditioner kicks in, cooling the air to condense and remove moisture.
• Step 2:  An electric resistance coil, or some other form of heat, is used to “reheat” the dehumidifier air to maintain target temperatures.

It’s simple on face value, but you’re now burning energy twice—first to cool, then to reheat. This energy loop is an inefficient budget drain.

Regulatory Red Flags

Furthermore, states like California are cracking down on inefficient HVAC practices. 

Reheat systems, flagged for energy waste, are likely to face regulatory hurdles that dedicated systems avoid entirely.

The Illusion of Control: Reheat’s Alleged Benefits

Proponents claim reheat allows for tighter environmental control. Technically, yes… but at what cost?

“They do have the ability to be a little bit tighter on control,” Waetjen says. “I can’t argue it’s not real. The cost of that, though, is that they are significantly upsizing their air conditioners and spinning the electric meter to re-warm the air.’

To gain that marginal control, growers often install oversized AC systems to gain additional dehumidification capacity. That is a recipe for inflated utility bills and unnecessary equipment wear.

Dedicated Dehumidification: Efficiency by Design

Let’s get into the solution – the right path that will provide you serious ROI down the line. 

Dedicated dehumidifiers are not jack-of-all-trades products. They’re laser-focused on one job: pulling moisture from the air efficiently.

Consider our own M-CoRR technology (that’s short for Multi-Coil Refrigeration Recovery). This design splits the standard single evaporator into three separate coils—pre-evaporator, evaporator, and recovery coil—so it can recycle energy and pull up to 30% more water from the air. 

Because it reuses the heat captured during the cooling process instead of wasting it, M-CoRR runs more efficiently, delivers higher dehumidification capacity across a broad range of dew points, and returns a greater ROI by lowering both energy use and the heat added back into your space.

“The more efficient a dehumidifier is, the less heat it imparts on the room,” Waetjen says. “By definition, the less heat there is in the room, the less cooling is required to maintain the optimal temperature setpoint.”

Why It Works

Purpose-built dehumidifiers offer superior energy factors (pints of moisture removed per kilowatt-hour). Efficiency matters!

Because you’re generating less residual heat, your AC system doesn’t have to fight an uphill battle.

At the end of the day, efficiency breeds simplicity. Fewer system conflicts, fewer headaches.

The ROI

Consider large-scale operations with multiple flower rooms running 24/7. Using inefficient reheat methods is going to drive your utility bills through the roof.

“With bigger grows, you can save up to $10,000 per room per month, and you’re also going to be able to downsize your AC or not run it as often,” Waetjen says.

Key ROI Drivers

• Lower Utility Bills: Efficiency gains of 15-30% can slash costs.
• Reduced AC Dependency: Less runtime, less maintenance, longer lifespan.
• Regulatory Incentives: Energy-efficient equipment often qualifies for rebates.
• Crop Health: Stable RH reduces mold risks, protecting your bottom line.

The Bottom Line

Reheat systems may look good initially, but the hidden costs pile up fast—in energy, maintenance, and potential regulatory penalties. 

Dedicated dehumidifiers, purpose-built for cultivation environments, deliver consistency, efficiency, and real ROI.

“If you’re building your grow for the first time, you’ve got 17 million other things on your mind,” Waetjen says. Dehumidification may not be at the top of your to-do list, but the cost savings should be. “We’re not talking about 2% savings; it’s substantial.”

Next Steps

• Run the Numbers: Compare lifecycle costs, not just upfront equipment prices.
• Ask for Data: Demand real-world efficiency metrics from manufacturers.
• Invest Smart: Prioritize tech designed for cultivation, not retrofitted HVAC hacks.

When it comes to managing your grow’s environment, let each system do what it does best. Your plants, your profits, and your peace of mind will thank you.