LED Lighting efficiency

• University of Arizona and Philips Lighting collaborated to generate improved illumination for plant production in Mars-lunar greenhouses
• Non-water cooled Light-emitting Diode lights used 56% less energy; above doubling production of edible biomass per kWh versus past water cooled high pressure sodium system
• Analysis results to share with improvement new innovations in urban farming

Somerset, NJ – March 22, 2016 – Philips Lighting, a Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX, PHIA) business and global frontrunner in lighting effects, has actually collaborated aided by the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) to check energy efficient how to develop food that can help feed astronauts on missions towards moon, Mars and beyond. A recent study, carried out over a nine few days duration, discovered that changing water-cooled high-pressure salt (HPS) methods with energy conserving LED illumination from Philips in a prototype lunar greenhouse led to a heightened number of top-notch delicious lettuce while dramatically improving operational effectiveness and use of sources. Lettuce grown under Philips LED modules obtained up to 54 grams/kWh of fresh weight, delicious lettuce in comparison to lettuce grown under increased force salt system which accomplished only 24 grams/kWh of fresh weight, edible lettuce. This signifies an electricity cost savings of 56percent.

“The lunar greenhouses designed with Philips LED modules supplied the light necessary to produce exactly the same number of interior plants that the specific water-cooled sodium systems offer while notably decreasing the quantity of electrical power utilized, ” said Gene Giacomelli, Ph.D and CEAC Director. “Findings out of this study are important because not only will it is applied to developing meals in area but can be reproduced to farming techniques in locations where there clearly was a shortage of water and great farming land the following with this earth.”

Philips GreenPower LED toplighting was installed and programmed with a customized “light recipe” produced by plant experts at Philips to optimize the outcome. Light meals are developed by taking into account a number of aspects including light spectrum, intensity, uniformity and relative position regarding the lamp to grow canopy. They are combined to build up certain plant characteristics such as compactness, color intensity and branch development.

Besides, the Light-emitting Diode segments, which generate less concentrated heat loads than HPS lamps, also without liquid cooling, is put closer to the flowers leading to uniform light distribution through the entire greenhouse. This guarantees all plants have the exact same degree and quality of light leading to better, more consistent plant quality and a more foreseeable yield. The Philips LED methods also fun separately, consequently no additional financial investment is required in air conditioning water circulation.

“Dr. Giacomelli along with his team at CEAC being from the innovative of pioneering analysis which uncovering brand new techniques to grow crops in shut and managed environments. Results from this study will not only impact growing crops in space but will provide tangible sustainability benefits for indoor farming on our own planet, ” commented Blake Lange, Business Development Manager of the Philips City Farming Division. “We realize that it is getting more problematic for old-fashioned agriculture methods to maintain using need for high-quality, in your area grown food, particularly in regions of high population thickness in accordance with local liquid shortages. The Job we're doing is focused on operating innovation of new farming technologies that allow meals crops to develop in indoor conditions, absent of natural light as well as in close distance of places and major population centers, therefore decreasing the distance from farm to fork.”

“NASA happens to be using universities for over 25 many years to find the way the using LEDs can help plant growth in shut conditions. Over that time we've used patented LED technology included in the Astroculture plant development chambers for the Space Shuttle and also the Overseas universe (ISS), NASA’s ground based Habitat Demonstration Unit, also NASA’s VEGGIE plant unit in the ISS, ” said Ray Wheeler, a NASA plant physiologist. “It is interesting to see how Light-emitting Diode plant illumination has actually expanded so quickly all over the world and will continue to further develop as we have experienced of late utilizing the Mars-Lunar Greenhouse venture within University of Arizona.”