LED upgrade in full bloom at Ace Begonias

Although LED technology will surely advance further in a few short years, there are distinct advantages to making the conversion now. Examples of this are found at Ace Begonias (www.acebegonias.com), a 65,000-square-foot operation in Woodbridge, Conn., where newly developed LED overhead lamps were installed to replace aging high-pressure sodium fixtures.

During a recent visit to Ace Begonias, owner Paul Rieur demonstrated the lights for me and Leanne Pundt, extension educator at the University of Connecticut. There were several system features that impressed us.

Each light fixture is lightweight and easy to install or move, given the availability of nearby electrical outlets. The overall wattage used per fixture is one-third that of high-pressure sodium (325 vs, 1,000 watts).

The heat generated by the LED fixtures is more than four times less than traditional lamps. LED values 800 btus/hr per device were quoted by the manufacturer, Novato, Calif.-based LumiGrow (www.lumigrow.com), vs. the 3,800 btus/hr for each high-pressure sodium device. The implication being that lights may be hung lower, above crops, during propagation, without burning them, particularly in the summer and in southern locations. Heat removal is important in growth chamber applications, according to Cornell’s Robert Langhans, who consults with NASA on growth chamber efficacy for space-exploration missions. The lamps employed at Ace Begonias have two small fans to remove heat, much like the traditional aspirated thermostat boxes, designed at Cornell.

Though the cost is approximately $600 per lamp, Rieur was able to secure an energy grant from USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), as well as a no-interest loan from his utility company (CL&P). Research shows that some production phases prosper better with more red light during induction or finishing or more blue light during propagation. The LED fixtures allow for dialing down the colors or dimming them, to adjust the spectral mix.

Targeting the exact wavelength of light necessary for plant growth, the fixtures house a configuration of over 100 mini LEDs mounted through a metal panel, giving a mixture of 70 percent red, 30 percent blue, and some white light. Upon entering the room, the colored lights may be dimmed to provide white light for better plant inspection, and observation.
 

LED future looks bright

Large lamps with cumbersome ballasts could soon be replaced by LED technology in many greenhouses, especially as costs decline and efficiencies continue to improve. It will be worth watching to see if silica-based technology can be enhanced to replace more expensive silicon-on-sapphire microchips that facilitate the production of photons.

Stay tuned.

John Creedon is former owner of Connecticut Cut Flower and owner of John Creedon Garden and Greenhouse Consulting. He can be reached at jcreedon55@yahoo.com.