LED lights dawn massively on horticulture

Added on 16 October 2023

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LED lights dawn massively on horticulture

Danish pot rose grower Rosa Danica invested in an LED lighting system earlier this year, improving plant quality and uniformity.

According to Paul van der Valk, international sales manager for Netherlands-based supplier Hortilux Schréder: “The grower wanted to save energy but achieve the same light intensity as they were currently using.
“We worked with them on the design where for most of the time, the LEDs provide all the additional light at an optimum spectrum for each stage of the crop, with the HPS used only when needed for the darkest days in the winter.”

Going straight for LED only

Energy costs may have seen some growers in regions such as southern Europe switch supplementary lights off for a while, but at the same time, they have driven investment in energy-efficient LEDs in areas with lower natural light intensities. “Just four years ago, our sales were split evenly between HPS and LED: now it’s 90 per cent LED,” he says.
He adds, “And while it has up to now been common for growers to start with a hybrid installation, more are now opting to go straight for LED only.”