The use of LED lighting in horticulture and commercial growing sectors has rapidly increased in recent years. Areas such as plant-growth research and production of crops (in controlled environments) in particular, have been highly receptive to the advantages posed by this innovative form of lighting technology.
The two main factors leading growers to choose LEDs over more traditional forms of lighting, are their reduced energy demands and low running costs. In addition to this their reduced heat output, superior light distribution, and lower carbon footprint are encouraging businesses to make the switch. Thanks to more efficient methods of manufacturing, LEDs look set to continue to dominate in the horticultural industry.
Light emitting diodes – or LEDs as they’re often abbreviated to – have been around for over 50 years and are used to generate light in a wide variety of everyday devices from digital watches and alarm clocks, through to traffic lights and televisions. With more and more businesses using LEDs for their lighting systems, LED technology looks set to become the solution of choice throughout the world and across all industry sectors.
According to research, the UK and Europe is currently the largest sales region for horticultural LED lighting with a total market share of 35%, while North America has the second highest share of this rapidly growing market. As a result the worldwide horticultural and commercial growing lighting market is estimated to reach $6.21 billion by 2023.
By using LED lighting it offers many advantages over more traditional forms of lighting such as incandescent, fluorescent and high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs.
LEDs do not heat up the air around them like older light sources do, meaning they can be placed a lot nearer to plants and crops, creating significant space and energy efficiency savings. For instance LEDs use much less electricity and last up to 80% longer than traditional bulbs. Secondly they can also be switched on and off instantly, unlike HPS lamps that require a warming up and cooling off period of up to 30 minutes.
Using traditional lighting setups in horticulture and commercial growing also involves a lot of guesswork and variables which a grower has little control over. This is because older systems are often made of a number of traditional fluorescent and HPS bulbs. These are set at different wattages, and they’re not adaptable to the requirements of different plant types.
One of the biggest advantages of using LEDs over more traditional forms of lighting, though, is that they offer growers far more control over the type of light their plants are exposed to.
Typically, plant growth is stimulated by light in the red and blue parts of the spectrum, and by using LEDs, growers are able to actively generate more of this type of light – resulting in more efficient, and cost-effective plant growth.
The specific strengths and wavelengths of light emitted by an LED can also be managed by a grower. By having this sort of control over their crop, growers can influence the taste, shape and size of their plants to the exact requirements of their buyers.
As they’re more compact than older forms of lighting, LEDs can also be used to create multi- layered forms of cultivation. Helping reduce a grower’s carbon footprint and water requirements and significantly reducing the time it takes to harvest a crop. What’s more, botanical diseases can also be more quickly identified and better managed when using LED lights.
Airius’ LED technology allows for quicker, cleaner and more efficient growing, resulting in significant cost and waste reductions for your horticulture business.
Traditionally, plants harness light and convert it into energy via the chlorophyll in their leaves. Until recently, there have been two ways of doing this in a commercial environment. Either by using the sun in an outdoor environment or greenhouse, or via high energy HPS lamps.
However, with unpredictable weather, fluctuations in water levels, pests and wild animals to contend with, farming and outdoor commercial growing can be a frustrating and time-consuming business. LED lighting can help solve this problem by allowing businesses to grow indoors in a controlled environment.
At Airius, we have supplied our market-leading LED lighting products to a large number of horticultural and commercial growing businesses throughout the world. Some of the many benefits of choosing an Airius system, include:
If you’re in the horticultural and commercial growing industry and are interested in an LED lighting system for your business, get in touch with us today. Contact us at 01202 554 200 or send us an email at info@airius.co.uk. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will be happy to discuss your requirements.
