CIE Components in Electronics
The LED Light for you (LLFY) partners Osram Opto Semiconductors, Cezos, Mechatronix and LEDiL have created a modular Developer Kit which will help luminaire designers and manufacturers to accelerate the testing, and development process for horticulture lighting systems
Horticultural lighting is the LED industry’s most explosive new market – according to market analysts the market for packaged LEDs in Horticulture is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 28.2 per cent between 2016 and 2022, rising to more than 357 million USD by 2022.
While HPS based lighting remains an option, more and more light system designers as well as users are driven by the benefits that LED based lighting solutions offer in comparison. These include an optimised selection of specific colour spectrum and wavelengths, lower power consumption and longer lifespan, resulting in lower maintenance and operational costs, as well as more flexibility for design and control functions. Solution designers know that when it comes to developing and testing new lighting systems, a multitude of application fields and lighting systems in the horticulture space come with a variety of specific requirements.
Based on this understanding, Osram Opto Semiconductors and their LLFY-partners have created a modular Developer Kit, which was produced to help designers to accelerate the testing and development process. This kit was created based on market research and the market experience of the LLFY partners, and allows for a maximum of flexibility and component variations for both luminaire designers and users. The set can be used as a plug-and-play solution, providing perfectly matched standardised components, with the option of customisable components. A ready made reference design complements the offer with a standard or customisable horticulture lighting solution by Cezos.
The standard solution is offered in different LED colours, with four channels for individual control options of the desired wavelengths, a variable that may be required for the different growth phases of plants. With this option, greenhouse operators gain a high flexibility and a more efficient support of their plant’s different growth phases as well as a targeted influence on the contained substances and taste of their crop, ultimately resulting in cost savings and a higher profit from better produce.
Osram Opto Semiconductors provided the LED, the Oslon SSL, optional constellations for all wavelengths. The reference design features the most commonly used wavelengths (1x Hyper Red, 1x Far Red, 1x Deep Blue + 1x Cool White). Furthermore, the heat sink unit produced by Mechtronix can easily be expanded both lengthways and crossways, due to its geometric design. It has the function to be used for both passive and active cooling via either fan or heat pipes. To ensure a proper thermal connectivity inclusive electrical isolation LLFY partner EurRepTec and ICT Suedwerk tested and provided five different Thermal Interface Materials (TIM). LEDiL, the fifth partner, responsible for Secondary Optics, made available different radiation characteristics to enable the best options for a highly homogeneous lighting level for different hang points or heights.
The benefits of being able to choose either the standard or custom options is that designers and manufacturers of horticulture lighting systems benefit from the choice of a ready-made standard solution, and the option to customise the product with components from established and trusted technology partners to meet their requirements. Every feature is customisable: they can set the wavelengths to a precise frequency, adjust the form factors and the different radiation characteristics to the most suitable option for their specific requirements. The end customers – the greenhouse operators and the plant producers – benefit from a diversified offering of horticulture lighting systems unlike any other, so they can either find a suitable standard luminaire or have their selected lighting provider customise a solution to suit their specific needs.
Here is a case study detailing how a greenhouse owner and basil producer profited from an LED solution from Osram Opto Semiconductors:
