Dimmable Philips LED will help next generation growers

The investment in new grow light technology includes a dimmable Philips GreenPower LED toplighting compact installation with red, green, blue and far-red light for a greenhouse compartment, and dimmable Philips GreenPower LED production modules with a similar spectrum for six climate chambers that can be used for three-layer cultivation. The light levels in each installation and for each cultivation layer can be controlled independently with the Philips GrowWise control system.

Significant upgrade

Martijn Bekkers, Manager of Greenhouse and Garden Facilities, talks about the major upgrade in the facilities. “In July this year, the new greenhouse installation replaced a hybrid lighting installation we’ve had since 2015. That one was still working fine, but it no longer met today's standards. A rapid transition is taking place from HPS lights and hybrid installations to dynamic lighting with higher maximum light levels and efficient, dimmable full LED installations. There's also a greater focus on green and far-red light, in addition to the well-tested red and blue LEDs. This upgrade enables us to keep pace with modern production companies, and it keeps the HAS green academy relevant for practical research,” Martijn Bekkers says. The new installation is already being used to study how green light influences the growth and development of sweet pepper plants.

Climate chambers

Six of the eight climate chambers now also have new dimmable Philips GreenPower LED production modules, which enable continuous dimming and higher light levels. “We can adjust the light recipes for each cultivation layer. In the six climate chambers, which each have three cultivation layers, we could potentially test 18 variables at a time. That won’t happen very quickly, though, because there are usually several projects running alongside each other at the same time. The demand for space for projects is certainly not going to go down after this upgrade. There is a great deal of interest in optimizing cultivation with full LED grow lighting, both within our own educational institution and in high-tech greenhouse horticulture and vertical farming.”

Martijn Bekkers

Close relationship

Bekkers is supported by Daniëlle Smits, lecturer in cultivation. “Grow light is a hot topic right now, and efficient lighting with dynamic full LED is booming. We see it as our duty to provide students with good facilities for educational and research purposes. When it comes to lighting, we make a point of working with a variety of suppliers, but our relationship with Signify goes back a long way and has provided many nice projects and valuable insights.”

Cross-pollination between education and practical application

“That’s not only because of the high-quality technology the company provides,” Bekkers adds. “Signify is also investing structurally in crop-focused research, in order to continue developing the Philips LED grow lights. Furthermore, they have plant specialists on staff for our students to consult when they have questions. That knowledge component is a unique and important added value, partly because paid research for horticultural companies and suppliers also takes place here. This results in an interesting and valuable cross-pollination between our departments and students, on the one hand, and companies that are our clients and the future employers of our students on the other.”

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