Semiconductor LED horticultural lighting promotes plant growth

On November 18th, 2010 in Netkajoki, Finland, Netled applied the top LED series of millions of Osram Opto Semiconductors LEDs to the horticultural lighting system. These LEDs were designed and installed in a curtain-type structure consisting of 10 strips of 25-meter-long light strips to replace high-pressure nanolights that have been used in the greenhouse. These lighting devices can emit the proper wavelength and intensity, and are expected to save up to 60% of energy.

High-pressure sodium lamps have been widely used in the horticulture industry to create a suitable environment for plant growth in low-light seasons. A hectare of greenhouses, typically using high-pressure sodium lamps, consumes about 10 billion watt-hours of electricity per year. Netled’s Niko Kivioja pointed out: “A large number of studies have shown that plants emit only 7% of the light emitted by high-pressure sodium lamps. The efficiency is very low and most of the energy is wasted. The replacement of LED lighting can immediately achieve the goal of energy saving. For greenhouse lettuce cultivation, energy consumption can be reduced by 20% to 30%."

The patent-pending curtain structure not only stimulates plant growth with low energy consumption, but also reduces the “light pollution” of the skyline. In the densely populated areas such as the north and Asia, reducing “light pollution” has become a topic. .

In addition, according to the latest research, certain wavelengths and color temperatures can promote fruit growth, weight, or biomass growth. For example, the use of pre-set light can reduce energy consumption per kilogram of plants during tomato growth. Taking cucumber as an example, the output can be increased by more than 20%, the quality of vegetables is also improved, and the production season is even longer.

Netled’s Niko Kivioja also stated: “Finland’s electricity prices have climbed by more than 15% every year, which is prompting the food industry to make dramatic changes in the next few years. Netled’s focus is on providing economically viable solutions to reduce lighting costs for horticultural production. Made a positive contribution to this change."

The cultivation of greenhouses has become more and more important, and the plantability of high-profit and high-demand plants has also increased. Scandinavia's total greenhouse area is currently only 1,400 hectares, compared with 2,000 hectares in Canada and 2,100 hectares in Japan, there is still ample room for development. In addition, due to the significantly shorter daylight hours in Northern Europe, Central Europe and Canada, LED lighting has great market potential in these countries and regions.

Zhongjie Chong, Marketing Director of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Asia Pacific, said: “The Hungkajoki LED installation project is of great significance to the greenhouse cultivation of Scandinavia. At the same time, it also proves that the LED's small size and high Features such as efficiency and longevity give lighting designers a more flexible design space, allowing them to more freely turn ideas into reality."

The project was initiated and researched and promoted by Netled, Amity was designed and developed, and the lighting system was manufactured by BCM Malaysia.