How do you ensure that plants get enough light every day without wasting energy? Where should they be placed to ensure uniformity of light? A good growing light producer will have experts who will help you with all of this and more - before you buy - by building a comprehensive lighting fixture designed for your area and business goals. The purpose of this program is to determine the brightness that each plant (and plant) will receive, which includes the light, similarity and spectra that will be directed to them.
What is a Greenhouse Light Plan?
The short answer is that the lighting system provides an accurate account of how many lights you will need in a particular area and a greenhouse footprint. But a good greenhouse light system does a lot more. It helps you:
Define your additional greenhouse lighting needs based on natural light comparisons and daily light analysis (DLI).
Ensure the best setting for your lighting and lighting fixtures.
Save energy by improving your energy use.
Building a Light System: Important Questions You Can Ask
What is the level of light I have directed?
This will be determined by the light planner according to the type of your plants and the area.
How many lights will I need?
This varies with the type of plant and the structure of the greenhouse. A good greenhouse light system will provide perfect light for plants, while ensuring that you do not waste energy light on non-growing areas such as aisles.
Where my lights should be installed?
This determines the composition of the plants and their level of light and similar targets, and will determine how far apart the lights should be and how close they should be to your plants. The adjustments should be hung in such a way that the light shadows are reduced and the light closes the plants evenly, and cannot be blocked.
How will my electricity costs be affected?
A well-designed greenhouse light system will be developed to direct the right light to your plants without wasting energy. If you choose to install new LEDs or are considering upgrades, LED lighting and smart controls are proven to reduce energy costs compared to conventional HPS lighting.
Significance of DLI and Light Matching in Greenhouse Light Systems
Daily light integral (DLI) - which is responsible for both light intensity and duration - and similarity of light, play a key role in creating the best lighting system for your business.
Strength or DLI
This is the sum of the total amount of photo synthetically active radiation (PAR) delivered to the plant in 24 hours, and is measured by moles of photons. Different plants have different light requirements for proper growth. Even the sunniest regions may not get enough seasonal DLI in high-yielding crops such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Historical location data will give you an idea of the available DLI for each season, and your light plan will show how much DLI is needed for additional lighting to meet your crop needs.
Lighting Uniformity
This takes into account the average light level of the entire growth space as well as the high level of lighting in the area. At these two numbers, the light planner will determine how much light is similar. Many light systems do not include the same metrics, but they are important.
A successful lighting system will prioritize concerns such as the amount of light and the spectrum you need to produce the desired growth results, and then calculate the number of fixed objects and the energy needed to send the same light over the plants. Lighting solutions usually test the performance of photosynthetic photon (PPE), which is a result of PAR photon light source. However, this has its limitations, as PPE does not include significant wavelengths outside the PAR range, such as red, which has been found to have a positive effect on plant growth.
To ensure that your plant production is consistent, photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) provides local measurements in specific areas of the canopy within PAR.
Beware of Misleading and Rising Numbers
In a competitive environment, some marketers may be tempted to use an analogy or increase the number to show better results. So work with a company you trust. LED was developed by botanists and biologists who understand the needs of plants and growers, as they are farmers themselves. Our lighting specialists can help you:
Analyze your additional lighting needs based on natural light comparisons with DLI and brightness matching data.
Adjust your lighting and lighting fixtures.
Achieve your plant goals with customized lighting systems and lighting techniques.
Gain energy saving benefits and get ROI faster.
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