Higher yields, improved quality and better climate control with LED solutions

During the recently concluded IFTF event, Philips showcased their new GreenPower LED toplighting solution that is one-and-a-half times more efficient in converting electricity to light (up to 2.7 μmol/Joule) than any HPS system on the market. GreenPower LED toplighting delivers very high light output, while radiating much less heat than HPS toplighting, allowing growers to control light and temperature separately and gain more control over growing conditions.

Udo van Slooten, General Manager of Philips Horticulture LED Solutions says, “There is a growing amount of scientific evidence showing the benefits of LED toplighting for the floriculture business. This technology is particularly interesting for rose growers because their crops require some of the highest levels of light in the floriculture industry. It’s not unusual for roses to require 4,000 to 5,000 light hours in a year.  Growers can use LED toplighting to save energy, steer their climate better, create more lighting hours in spring, summer and autumn and get more growth and/or quality.” 

Porta Nova trialing LED to meet new regulations and save energy
With a 115-year heritage, Porta Nova in The Netherlands is the biggest grower of Red Naomi roses in the world. They are conducting a large-scale trial of cut roses over 1300 square meters with Philips new LED toplighting module. The nursery currently uses 240 μmol SON-T high pressure sodium modules and hopes that LED will help reduce light emissions in anticipation of new stricter light emission regulations. During periods that the roses require high levels of light, the nursery has to actively cool the greenhouse. It is researching how LED toplighting can help them reduce the radiant heat produced by its lighting system without affecting the quality and yield of its crops. Leon Dukker, grower at Porta Nova sees a future for LED in growing cut roses if it allows them to maintain the same quality, while reducing energy costs.

Wimceco increases light output by 40% for Avalanche+ cut roses
Philips first installation using the new LED toplighting solution for cut roses is Wimceco BVBA in Boechout, Belgium. This family run commercial grower has a greenhouse covering 17,000 square meters. To achieve the optimal light and temperature balance, a combination of Philips LED toplighting and Philips SON-T high pressure sodium modules is being used. This facility increased its light output by 40%, using the same amount of energy. “Thanks to the intensive project preparation, together with Philips, we came up with the perfect solution for our company,” says Owner Danny van Nuffelen.

Scheers Rose Nursery gets 50% more light for the same energy bill
Scheers Rose Nursery is installing a new Philips lighting system at this moment: 70% of the light intensity comes from LED toplighting modules high output and 30% comes from SON-T high pressure sodium modules over about 15,000 square meters. This will allow Scheers to raise its light intensity from 100 µmol/m2/s to 150 µmol/m2/s. Owner Wim Scheers says, “With LED toplighting, I can switch on my LED separately so less heat is produced, meaning we don’t have to vent off excess heat and can leave the windows closed longer. Keeping air inside reduces my costs, and also helps me maintain a better balance because I’m not constantly having to add extra CO2 to compensate for what’s going out the window. I will be able to light my plants for more hours without raising the crop temperature and retain more CO2 which will increase my crop growth and thereby increase my quality or yields.”

Light recipes benefit every plant and phase
Since different crops, flowers, and plants require different light/temperature situations (alongside other climatic conditions) for optimal growth, Philips has invented specific light recipes for specific crops to help growers further enhance their crop results. A recipe specifies the light spectrum, intensity, illumination moment, uniformity, and positioning. Using a recipe, a grower can steer specific plant characteristics, from compactness, color intensity, and branch development to flowering and more to improve results. More information about Philips light recipes can be found at www.philips.com/horti