Agricultural LED Lights
Agricultural LED lights are growing in popularity due to their energy efficient features. Moreover, they are also environmentally friendly and have a long lifespan.
Whether you are an indoor farm or a commercial vegetable grower, the right lighting system will help your business achieve more while keeping costs low. Find out what the benefits are and why a smart, eco-friendly, LED lighting system could be the best fit for your operation.
Cost-Effectiveness
Agricultural LED lights are an ideal solution for farmers looking to increase production. They are an energy-efficient and sustainable alternative to conventional lighting systems, reducing the need for expensive power to operate the lighting.
According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), on-farm lighting accounts for a significant portion of overall energy usage. ACEEE estimates that the on-farm energy consumption is around $1 billion per year, making it an excellent target for energy conservation initiatives.
As well as saving energy, agricultural LED lights can also improve crop production by allowing growers to control the growth of plants through the use of spectral light. By choosing LEDs that emit light in the exact wavelengths that are needed by different crops, growers can enhance their yields and achieve better quality fruit and vegetables at lower costs.
Moreover, the use of LEDs can significantly reduce the cost associated with growing plants indoors. The average grower can save up to 70% of their electricity bill by using LEDs instead of traditional lighting.
Another benefit of using LEDs is that they can be used to grow crops even in harsh weather conditions. The light produced by these lights is able to mimic the sun’s natural light, allowing farmers to ensure their crops are getting sufficient light all year round.
For example, in a horticultural setting, LEDs can be combined with spectrally shaping films to produce red photons that are beneficial for plant development. This method of light management can improve crop yield by as much as 40%.
However, a challenge with this approach is that it can be difficult to ensure crops receive consistent sunlight from all angles. Alternatively, hybrid systems that use both LED and traditional light sources can be used.
To overcome this, Nanoco have developed a range of LED products that are tunable in their spectrum to give growers the ability to customize their lighting environment and ensure the crops are receiving a wide variety of wavelengths. These tunable LEDs can be used to replicate the full range of natural sunlight.
While the cost of a fully-LED system might be high, it could pay off in the long run by increasing crop productivity and decreasing power costs. Research shows that a hybrid lighting system using 30% LED lighting and 70% sunlight can cut electricity bills by up to 70 percent.
Energy Savings
Agricultural LED lights can be designed to meet the specific needs of different crops, delivering higher yields, better results and less energy consumption. They can also help boost productivity and reduce costs by providing a well-lit space for workers, livestock and other farm equipment.
Plants need light of a wide range of wavelengths, but red and far-red are particularly important for photosynthesis and flowering. LEDs offer a wider spectrum that can be fine-tuned to suit the varying needs of different crops, and luminosity can be adjusted to match production goals.
LEDs are ideal for indoor horticulture because they have very high energy efficiency, reducing running costs significantly. Furthermore, they can last much longer than traditional lighting solutions and produce less heat, which is particularly beneficial for vertical farming.
Energy-efficient LED grow lighting solutions are becoming more widely available as their price decreases and their efficiency increases. However, they still require some upfront investment in order to deliver the benefits they offer.
With the growing popularity of indoor horticulture, farmers are looking for more energy-efficient ways to illuminate their growing spaces. The cost of a new lighting solution can be significant, but with a little research and planning, growers can save up to 70% on electricity costs.
For example, the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center Agricultural Led Lights (CEAC) has been testing a variety of ways to power LED lighting in an attempt to improve energy efficiency and the amount of food grown. In one trial, replacing water-cooled high-pressure sodium (HPS) systems with Philips’ energy efficient LED modules resulted in up to 54 grams/kWh of fresh weight, edible lettuce compared to 24 grams/kWh achieved under HPS.
This is a significant reduction of electricity costs for a grower, especially when the cost is spread across many acres. This can help growers to achieve their sustainability targets and reduce their carbon footprint.
The key to maximizing the energy savings of LED grow lights is a well-designed, energy-efficient power supply system. Using a centralized approach, rather than distributing LEDs from individual drivers, can significantly reduce running costs by up to 12%.
Flexibility
As the world becomes more urbanized, more people are in need of nutritious, healthy food. Traditional agriculture is not able to supply enough fresh produce to meet this demand, so farmers are turning to industrial-scale indoor farming.
Using LED lighting for agricultural purposes is a great way to produce a variety of crops on a larger scale. It also helps to alleviate issues like lack of sunlight and climate change by providing a reliable supply of light for plants.
The use of agricultural led lights allows growers to adjust lighting, temperature and water to their specific needs. This gives them more control over the quality and quantity of their produce.
This is especially important for those who are trying to reduce their environmental impact. Unlike other lighting sources, LEDs are energy efficient and do not consume much electricity when in use. This saves money and reduces the environmental impact of producing foods.
Another advantage of LED lighting is that it can be easily replaced without affecting the overall operation of the system. This makes it a very cost-effective solution for farmers.
It can also be used to help them monitor the growth of their plants. This helps them to avoid over-watering and other issues that can lead to unhealthy crops.
In addition, it can also be used to increase crop yields by improving plant nutrient uptake. This is done through adjusting the wavelength of the light and the colour temperature.
For example, red wavelengths of light have been shown to increase the size of leaves on cabbage seedlings. This can boost crop production, especially if the seeds are planted in the early stages of the growing process.
A wide range of LEDs with different spectral ranges can be used to cater to the specific needs of different plants. The correct spectrum is essential for optimum plant growth, nutrition and energy-use efficiency.
The flexibility of LEDs for horticulture is one of their most important characteristics, and it is one that is highly sought after by farmers around the world. This is because it means that growers can optimize their harvests, reducing the use of fertilizers and energy costs.
Environmentally Friendly
With food demand expected to double by 2030, the global agtech industry is constantly searching for technologies that can help increase production while minimizing the impact on the environment. Agtech innovators focus on improving traditional inputs like water, air and nutrients to enhance production and reduce costs. However, a largely unexplored production input is light.
When applied to agricultural operations, LEDs can deliver a range of benefits for farmers. These include lower energy usage, longer life, and better horticultural lighting.
Having high-performance LEDs helps to ensure that farms are more environmentally friendly. They consume far less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs and produce very little heat. This reduced thermal load also means that confined areas such as greenhouses and indoor growing operations can be more comfortable for workers.
In a similar vein, they can help to steer plant growth with less use of hormones and pesticides. Additionally, because LEDs are more durable than incandescent bulbs, there is less need to replace them often.
As LEDs are energy efficient, they have the potential to lower carbon emissions by using less energy for electricity than traditional lights. This can reduce a farm’s carbon footprint significantly, making them a good choice for environmentally conscious growers.
One of the most important things that LEDs do is to improve plant health by delivering photons that match plants’ natural responses. This is done by providing light Agricultural Led Lights in a wide range of wavelengths, from the PAR range to UV and far-red, which are used to support photosynthetic activity.
This enables farmers to grow crops all year round, regardless of the amount of sunlight available. For example, a farmer can plant lettuce in the winter when there is not enough daylight and still achieve high yields.
Another benefit of LEDs is that they can deliver a full spectrum of light, which is useful for controlling the growth of plants, particularly vegetables. For example, blue LEDs are more effective at boosting germination and flowering than red and white ones.
In addition, they can be tailored to a specific crop’s unique needs and requirements to maximize growth and productivity. This allows for greater control over the lighting output that plants need to thrive and ultimately increase profits.