During my trip in Europe I took the chance visiting the well-known show GreenTech in Amsterdam, my focus was the lighting systems to support the growers and if UV plays a larger role in this business field.
Yes, indeed UV is also used in the Horticulture …often mentioned “close to the sun light spectra”, or “giving the sun a helping hand” or “vertical farming with a flexible or multilayer crop cultivation”.
One full day from 10am to 5pm visiting halls 8, 10 and 12. As a regular visitor, it seemed the world uses “only” LEDs for plant grow-lighting-systems, out of ~25 specific meetings at exhibitors booth staff, I have experiences, only 20% have been traditional lamps and lighting fixtures system have been exhibited. But also, traditional lamp ballasts/drivers from 400W to 1000W HPS-lamps, MH-lamps up to 1000W, as well as CMH-lamps 315W and 2 combined of 630W.
Mostly vertical farming with LEDs solutions where shown to achieve better YIELD for growers.
Goal was, finding exhibited UV light systems and if greenhouse grow lighting is linked to traditional …medium pressure and low-pressure UV lamps versus the new hype trends in LEDs lighting systems.
The sunlight spectra are always a kind of reference and is used to find ways of specific wavelength to be improved to force better growing of veggies (e.g. tomato’s), but also in the field of e.g. legalized medical marihuana grow lights and hydroponic grow systems.
Beside the visible light spectra wavelengths, the important LEDs solutions promoted at the fair, starting at a range from 300 nm +, but specifically at 318 nm, 360 nm, 400 – 520 nm…, 630 – 660 nm up to 740, 720 to 780 nm.
Means in simple terms, UV is involved, beside red-light (630-660 nm), blue-light (>400 nm up to 520 nm), green-light (500-600 nm) and far-red-light up to near infrared light (720nm to 780 nm)
One UVC water purification booth was identified with fine-tuned systems especially for the grower’s farming help in purified water supply, putting specific fine tunes systems in place, either medium pressure but also low-pressure amalgam lamps are more and more used in this rapidly fast-growing business field.
Fact is, UV Water Purification systems harness the power of UV light and rays, using UV lamps set at a specific frequency to kill microorganisms.
Bottom line facts: LEDs are the kind of future systems in vertical farming and in general greenhouse plant growing. But when this future will start and real profits will be achieved by the new LED lighting fixtures, is not so sure yet.
The bread and butter products generating the daily profits for the OEMs are still the traditional Lamp systems, with HPS lamps and partly Metal Halide lamps as well as ceramic metal halide (CMH) lamps
All of this is dominated still by ONE old traditional technology, the HPS high pressure sodium technology, as an example the DE HPS 1000W lamp by far, I had talked to one exhibitor, selling only that one lamp as in certain niches only this kind of lamp would be in use.
The industry talks in micro Moll… μmol/m2/s (micromoles per second per square meter), YIELD used …square meters most efficient used a traditional HPS 1000W lamp with a sustainable long holding output of 2100+ μmol/m2/s is considered best in the industry, 2 qualities are seen, advertised high out as such and low sustainability really less output and less YIELD results versus top quality consistent high output of 2100+ μmol/m2/s over life time.
General known spectra curves for the plant growing and cannabis industry.
PAR is the wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers:
Rather narrow HPS spectra, but with high power at 1000W in real 2100/2140 μmol/m2/s, ideal!
CMH 615/630W technology is great in total range of spectra, but it seems the total output power is still not enough compared to HPS:
Facts about LEDs to be used:
Indeed, LEDs are more flexible of achieving the best spectra mix (in one unit) of above mentioned different traditional grow lamp types. The challenges are, initial cost driver is about up to 5x more cost compared to traditional grow light fittings. The LED light systems distance to the plants needs to be optimized and calculated very carefully not to waste energy versus YIELD. For vertical farming it seems the growers and OEMs are more and more convinced of using flexible and multilayers LED systems. The future is right at the door of many OEMs as soon as more competitive solutions with proved – μmol/m2/s – versus yield per/m2 – are available.
UVC-water purification in horticulture, green houses and special grow houses such as for legal medical marijuana warehouses:
Fact is, no water purification means no real professional operation of the grower’s facilities, what every he is growing, a pure water is a basic fact to have. Therefore, the traditional UVC water purification has its business growth there.
Here some pics of the different booth themes exhibited at the show:
Focus new future LED system vertical farming exhibited
Focus also here LED solutions
Typical metal halide MHL and CMH lamp range
One of the main lamp types in the traditional lamp technology for grow lights DE HPS 1000W
Advertised DE HPS 1000W lamp with 2100+ μmol/m2/s over lifetime.
Typical adjustable 400W to 1000W HPS ballast
UVC systems seen at the Greentech show
— The 2-meter 400W amalgam system didn’t fit on the picture ????
Contact for more information: Karl Platzer
Consulting M&A Business Development LLC.
8887 Crown Colony Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL – 33908
phone: +1 239 738 0664
email: platzer@uvlampconsulting.com
