Benefits Of Using LED Supplemental Lights In Greenhouses

When the industry first got the green light to cultivate medicinal plants commercially, two types of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps were used — high pressure sodium (HPS) and pulse start metal halide (PSMH) — mainly because these were what was readily available. Most growers are still using these lamps, but they are becoming aware of the fact that an even more energy and cost-efficient alternative is available in the form of LED (light emitting diode) lighting.

HPS Grow Lights

HPS (High Pressure Sodium) lighting is still one of the most popularly used lighting in commercial cannabis greenhouse. Benefits include:

• A wide spectrum of light colors ideal for cannabis plants
• Fairly efficient and less costly when comparing output per wattage
• Smaller in size than LPS or fluorescent lights
• Less expensive alternative to other options on the market
• Doubles as additional heat which is beneficial during colder weather, allowing other heat sources to run less frequently

LED Grow Lights

Many growers are taking advantage of the energy savings LED lights are known to provide. Some of the benefits of LEDs include:

• Reducing energy use, especially in larger facilities
• Lower maintenance and reduced maintenance costs
• Flexible adjustment allows for lights to dimmed or fully turned on
• Lights can typically be fixed closer to the plants for greater efficiency
• Multiple level cannabis growing is possible

Why Use Supplemental Lighting In A Greenhouse?

Greenhouse growing is highly automated, and in greenhouses growers are able to maintain precise control over the environment (e.g., temperature, humidity, air quality, lighting, etc.). With the cannabis plant on a 12-hour photosynthesis cycle, it is critical in certain seasons and geographical locations to make up for lost daylight hours and light intensity. The sun might shine brightly in Washington state 14 hours a day in the summer, but the rest of the year supplemental lighting can be a necessity.

In addition to seasonal and geographical lighting changes, weather and particles in the atmosphere can alter the quality and quantity of light. With concerns over changes in global climate patterns and increased energy grid usage, managing greenhouse lighting systems in a responsible manner is more critical than ever before. Current indoor cannabis production estimated at 1 percent of the U.S.’s total electricity consumption per year — what roughly 2 million average households generate. With the industry expected to grow exponentially, the carbon footprint must be taken into consideration.

Benefits of using LED supplemental lights in greenhouse are as follow:

Speed Up Your Harvest Cycle

The faster you usher your plants through their grow cycle, the greater overall yields and potential profits. If you depend strictly on natural sunlight for cultivation, you’re bound by the slow progression of the seasons. The nuance and variability of a high quality, adjustable LED grow light allows you to create the most true-to-nature seasonal progression possible. You can guide your crop from germination to harvest more quickly than the sun.

LED grow lights also allow you to fit more grow cycles into a year. Even if you live in a darker climate or it’s the dead of winter, the intensity and comprehensive spectrum of LED grow lights allow you to create any season under the greenhouse roof.

Give Your Plants the Best Possible Light with Variable Spectrum Control

Variable spectrum LED grow lightss allow you to program the exact balance of color that’s best for your specific species of plant at each moment in their grow cycle.

Reduce Operating Costs

It’s no secret that lighting makes up a huge percentage of any grower’s energy costs. LED grow lights help reduce those expenses in a number of ways.

First, LED lights are famously more efficient than HID and fluorescent bulbs. The industry-leading brands offer an efficiency of up to 3.0 micromoles per joule while HID lights have an efficiency of less than 1.9 micromoles per joule. And because variable spectrum LED lights allow cultivators to specify the exact intensity needed per color, you don’t waste energy on wavelengths your plants can’t use.

The use of LED grow lights also allows growers to save on supplemental cooling. These lights emit far less heat than any of the other lighting options. Cooler lights also mean less evaporation, which means water goes further in your greenhouse operation.

Finally, as an added bonus, most regions of the United States offer a rebate for greenhouses that switch to supplemental LED lighting, significantly offsetting the cost of the lights before you even calculate energy savings over time.

RECOMMENDATIONS

ECO Farm 90W LED Grow Light Bar — Supplemental Lighting

ECO Farm EM series are a full-cycle top-lighting solution for commercial horticulture cultivation, with the power to scale from vegetative growth to bloom. For optimal results, we recommend  EM series deployed in environments with CO2 supplementation between 800-1400 ppm in reproductive growth stage due to high PPFD levels.

206pcs LG5630 3000K+100pcs 6500K, OSRAM+12pcs 660nm

Model: EM-X090  

LED Type: LG/OSRAM OSLON

Typical Power Consumption: 90Watt

Working Frequency: 50/60Hz  

Working Voltage: 100-277VAC  (347/480V optional)

Amp Draw: 0.75A@120VAC  0.375A@240VAC  0.325A@277VAC

Power Factor: >0.98

PPF: 198umol/s

Efficacy: 2.2umol/J@277Vac

Heat Output: 297BTU/hr

Operation Temperature Range: -20-40℃

Mean Time Between Failure: >50000 hours

Product Dimensions: 44.2"x2.2"x0.7"

Net Weight: 2.0kg/4.4lbs (LED Driver Included)

Certifications: ETL(UL8800 Damp Location,Wet Location,UL1598) CE RoHS

ECO Farm 30W UV & IR Supplemental Lighting Bar

ECO Farm 30W LED Grow Bar is designed and refined to maximize yields, space and versatility while minimizing costs. Ideal for clones, veg growth, microgreens, leafy greens, succulents, side lighting, and more!

The spectrum and size are ideal for low/no-sunlight growing in virtually any vertical farm, growth chamber, propagation system, tower garden and more. Exceptional efficiencies and light delivery potential, along with long, low maintenance lifespans provide long-term sustainability.

FEATURES

ncluding ultraviolet (UV) as well as infrared (IR) and far-red waves. These wavelengths don’t factor significantly into photosynthetic rates, but they do affect plants, and in some very interesting ways. It’s important to note that UV and IR lights should generally be operated independently from primary lights, and run for short intervals in your garden.

UV grow lights can also produce changes/increases in phenolic compounds, flavonoid pigments, resins and oil production, etc. As plants are exposed to UV light, they produce such compounds to protect themselves, similar to the way you might put sunscreen on so you don’t get sunburn. While these effects are highly desirable for many crops.

The far red frequency will encourage young plants to develop larger leaves and will also affect photoperiodism (Flowering phase) of short day plants. When short day plants are exposed to far red light, it will encourage them to flower. So, many growers will use far red lights like a 730nm LED light bar for a few minutes up to two hours before the lights off phase. Doing this will speed up flowering, meaning you will see flowers develop quicker than without far red light.

Also in Indoor Growing Guides