Saving time and money

Photos courtesy of Revolution Farms

Revolution Farms, a hydroponic lettuce grower based in Caledonia, Michigan, has used Fluence by OSRAM’s LED solutions since opening its doors in 2018. According to head grower Tammam Serage, LEDs were the primary lighting choice for two reasons: efficiency and spectral customization.

 "It started with lighting efficiency requirements," Serage says. "There's also the benefit of having a customized light - that's something we really wanted. We originally started out with blue and red spectra. However, we switched to Fluence’s LEDs because they give us the specific broad-spectrum strategy needed to increase plant production."

Serage says with Fluence’s LEDs, it's been much easier to hit the targeted daily light integral (DLI) in his greenhouse.

"With Fluence’s LEDs, we required a specific frequency across the broad spectrum," he explains. "Now, we can reduce our production time while increasing yields. We are able to achieve the DLI needed throughout the year, even during Michigan winters." This marked a key development for Revolution Farms. The company added two acres for crop production in 2020 while also adding several new retail partners, including two dozen Meijer stores in western Michigan.

Serage adds Fluence has been a strong partner for Revolution Farms due to Fluence’s knowledgeable  customer service. In working with Fluence, Revolution received lighting and layout plans and the technical service they needed to maximize the LED system’s efficiency. Because Serage and the rest of the cultivation team are busy managing the farm’s day-to-day operations, he says Fluence’s support and technical expertise makes his job significantly easier.

 "It helps, as far as having lighting plans and having those plans presented to us so we can review them, approve them and make any small adjustments we might want," Serage says. "It's definitely saved us a lot of time, especially when setting up lights in the new expansion we've built."

Serage added Revolution Farms also sends data to Fluence to ensure specific calculations (including production per mol of light) can be crafted and used to measure how efficient production actually is.

"That's a big metric for us," he adds. "And they save us a lot of time, so we can focus on cultivation."

For more information: www.revolutionfarms.com; fluence.science