Philips Horticulture Lighting

Eindhoven, the Netherlands - The pepper trial, which started in 2022, was set up to realize a yield of at least 34 kg/ m², with a stable weekly production of at least 0.7 kg/m2 in winter. The goal for the fourth year is to achieve a yield of over 40 kg/m² and explore how dynamic light recipes can optimize crop steering, improving yield and quality using GreenPower LED toplighting force 2.0 .

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) are proud to announce that their innovative pepper production trial, which has shown significant promise in increasing year-round yields through advanced LED lighting, is now entering its fourth year. This trial, which focuses on optimizing dynamic lighting conditions, has delivered insights into how pepper plants respond to artificial lighting throughout the year. As the trial enters its fourth year, its goal has become more holistic: to achieve a target production of over 40 kg/m² of peppers for a full-year cycle with a dynamic light recipe using GreenPower LED toplighting force 2.0 (TLF 2.0) with color control functionality and taking into account pruning strategy and variety selection.

New focus on dynamic light recipes and growing strategies​

The journey toward this goal began in 2017 with Signify’s first pepper trial in the Netherlands, where the feasibility of using LED lighting in pepper cultivation was being investigated. Since then, Signify has continued to push the boundaries of research, expanding the trials to Canada and beyond. In 2022, the first trial in UBC was set up to realize a yield of at least 34 kg/m2, with a stable weekly production of at least 0.7 kg/m2 in winter. The trial has continuously evolved to include different varieties and pruning strategies.

In this fourth year, the trial will focus on leveraging TLF 2.0—a cutting-edge, color-controllable LED light technology designed to fine-tune lighting recipes dynamically across growth stages and raising the production goal to over 40 kg/m² of peppers for a full-year cycle while improving the pruning strategy and variety selection. “As we entered the 2024-2025 season, the results have been particularly promising,” noted Amos Bassi, plant specialist at Philips Horticulture LED Solutions. “With TLF 2.0 now integrated, we’re exploring how dynamic light recipes can optimize crop steering, improving yield and quality.”

Choosing the right parameters​

Achieving optimal pepper growth under LED lighting requires a carefully balanced light recipe. However, light is not the only factor influencing plant growth. Environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and CO₂ levels, are equally crucial. This trial integrates expertise from various industry leaders to provide state-of-the-art support. Syngenta and RijkZwaan supplied optimized seeds, BEVO Farms handled plant propagation, and Aranet’s sensor technology monitored critical climate conditions. Climate control solutions from Priva and specialized substrates from Grodan further enhance growth environments. The trialed varieties—Gina, Ridona, and Silverstone—were selected specifically for their compatibility with LED lighting; choosing the suitable pepper variety is critical when working with LED lighting.

“Through our collaborative effort with industry experts, we have created the optimal environment for selected pepper varieties, where we see significant improvement in the quality and yield. We are excited to see the results of this trial and how it could impact the future of pepper cultivation,” said Melina Biron, Research Manager – Plant Care Services at UBC

Combining insights from global trials​

2025 will mark the culmination of this extensive research project. The final results will be presented in a comprehensive whitepaper, which will detail the outcomes of this trial and combine insights from all other pepper trials conducted around the world. By synthesizing this knowledge, Signify aims to provide growers with a definitive guide to optimizing pepper production using LED lighting, ensuring that they can continue to improve yields and quality well into the future.

Grodan, the global leader in supplying innovative, sustainable stone wool growing media solutions for the professional horticulture industry, has teamed up again with Signify, the world leader in lighting, to conduct a second research trial at Botany in the Netherlands to optimise year-round tomato cultivation.

The aim of the trial is to further improve energy efficiency through spectral dimming of the full LED installation, using innovative climate screens and energy recovery from an active dehumidification system. Additionally, the trial will test new adapted fertigation and irrigation management strategies.

Through the end of April, a holistic approach will be utilised to achieve optimal energy efficiency and plant performance while maintaining high light use efficiency, excellent taste, and optimal fruit weight. This marks an exciting prolongation between two industry leaders dedicated to advancing sustainable horticulture practices.

“When growers started using LEDs to grow tomatoes, we could explain how steering light and heat separately had huge benefits. When growing with full LED, another factor comes into play; steering your humidity to better manage the crop balance,” indicates Marcel Raats, plant specialist for Philips LED grow lights. “With a holistic approach to growing; meaning separately managing light, heat, evaporation, fertigation, irrigation, and measuring and monitoring each factor, you will get the best insights in how the crop performs over time,” he adds. “Last year we used 50% less heat input compared to commercial reference growers. This highlighted the potential of active dehumidification combined with full LED lighting in climate control. As we move into the second year, we are focused on fine-tuning our approach to strike the balance between optimal crop production and more energy efficient methods.”

Taking the learnings from 2023 and 2024, the trial aims to demonstrate to growers how energy efficient strategies can lead to additional improvements in plant and fruit performance

This year’s trial will focus on:

• The use of spectral dimming – to improve electrical efficiency of the LED installation. The strategy this year will be to target specific Daily Light Integral (DLI) whilst switching off the least efficient LED colours when they are not needed.
• The use of advanced climate screens – to offer greater thermal insulation of the greenhouse with a higher potential for heat-recovery through the dehumidification system.
• Gaining insights into the vertical plant temperature – to help create better crop balance and steerability in the development speed of both the young fruits in the head of the plant, all the way to the maturing fruits in the lower part of the canopy.
• Managing water and nutrient uptake – to target the lowest possible electrical conductivity (EC) while maintaining the highest production and fruit quality and simultaneously steer crop-balance with the right nutrient composition

“Last year’s trial has demonstrated that controlling and optimizing all aspects of the cultivation enables a lower heat input. Using active dehumidification stimulated sufficient plant transpiration to support a strong crop and realise a high production. Extra generative growth at the start of the crop was encouraged by actively manipulating nitrate and chloride levels in the feed recipe. During the cultivation, the greenhouse climate was so stable that in the 30 weeks of the cultivation the average drain volume was a mere 8%”, states Andrew Lee, knowledge manager at Grodan.

"Collaborating with the right partners can drive innovation and enhance our collaborative efforts, bringing knowledge and expertise outside of the Grodan and Philips LED collaboration.” adds Andrew Lee. We will continue our partnership with BASF, Ridder, Normec Groen Agro Control and Wireless Value, and we are excited to announce that Ammerlaan Construction B.V has joined us. Adding a new partner broadens the scope of our research and by combining our efforts we can create synergy by bringing everyone’s expertise to the table to achieve a greater level of energy efficiency and set a direction for the future”.

“Grodan and Signify understand that growers play a significant role in shaping the direction of sustainable horticultural methods . By involving growers (and consultants) we will ensure that the knowledge we develop is not only innovative but also practical and aligned with growers’ needs. This year grower’s experience and insights will contribute to enhancing the trial’s strategy,” adds Marcel Raats. “This collaboration will ensure that the knowledge we develop is also viable in day-to-day operations and the new strategies developed are aligned to real-world challenges of commercial tomato growing today and tomorrow.”

For more information about the trial please visit this dedicated landing page.

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today announces a partnership between Philips Horticulture LED solutions and Hoogendoorn Growth Management. The new partnership brings the market leader in horticulture lighting technology and a worldwide innovator in greenhouse automation solutions together, to unlock the full potential of dynamic lighting for vertical farming. Philips horticulture LED’s brings its expertise in cutting-edge LED lighting solutions and crop knowledge for vertical farming, and combines it with Hoogendoorn’s prowess in climate automation and intelligent algorithms, focused on autonomous growing. It will facilitate an easier integration of lighting into Hoogendoorn’s IIVO Vertical climate computer and pave the way for autonomous optimization in growing crops in closed environments.

“Through our collaboration, we simplify the daily work for growers. With a consolidated system that allows a full and easy integration of the lighting system into the customer's infrastructure, we enable them to manage and monitor their crops more efficiently and to scale faster,” explains Anne Jancic, Segment Manager Vertical Farming for Philips Horticulture LED Solutions. “Advanced algorithms reduce energy costs, while maintaining yield and crop quality. They support decision making and execution when it comes to deviations from ideal crop growth compared to actual measured plant development.”

Martin Helmich, CCO of Hoogendoorn sees great value in the partnership: “As a leading company in horticulture, we are always on the lookout for innovative partners to collaborate with. We recognize Philips horticulture LED’s pioneering role in the field of lighting and vertical farming, and we believe that our mutual expertise can lead to the development of groundbreaking new services and products for vertical farmers.”

Philips GrowWise Research Center to test and showcase intelligent lighting​

Recently, Hoogendoorn’s IIVO Vertical climate computer has been installed at the Philips GrowWise research center in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The center supports customer trials that test, develop, and optimize dynamic, self-learning light and growth recipes that can adjust and adapt to real-time changes during cultivation. This is a major step toward the integration of intelligent lighting technologies into autonomous growing algorithms.

Visit us at GreenTech Amsterdam​

Do you want to see our demo and learn how to unlock intelligent lighting? Visit us at GreenTech Amsterdam, June 11th to 13th: Philips Horticulture LED Solutions: booth 01.620 and Hoogendoorn Growth Management: booth 01.520.

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, and Agtira, a Swedish producer specializing in urban farming, are announcing the construction of a new greenhouse in the Swedish municipality Haninge, not far from Stockholm. The complex will initially cover 3000 m2 and be equipped with Philips GreenPower LED toplighting compact and GreenPower LED interlighting. The produce, grown just steps away from a supermarket, will reach consumers in an exceptionally fresh state, reducing food waste and transportation emissions. This new greenhouse follows two earlier collaborations between the two companies, with facilities in Harnosand, Birsta and Östersund already installed and running successfully.

Year-round and sustainable​

At the moment, about 70% of vegetables consumed in Sweden are still imported, because for a long time it was simply impossible to grow many crops due to the limited amount of daylight. The arrival of LED lighting and customized light recipes have changed all this. Agtira and Signify have already taken advantage of that, with four greenhouse complexes where mainly cucumbers, but also tomatoes and herbs are grown. Dumitru Mititelu, Agtira’s COO, explains: “For much of the year, there are only a few hours of light per day here, and even then, you can't really call it sunshine. Thanks to Philips Horticulture lighting, we still have enough micromoles in the greenhouse to grow cucumbers. I don't know of any other LED supplier that offers products with such high PAR and is also so good at working out the most appropriate light recipes with you.

In addition to the general desire for local products, sustainability is also a top priority for Agtira and its customers. “Growing in or near supermarkets means less transportation using fossil fuels. And if the harvested vegetables end up on the shelf the same day, it also increases the quality and nutritional value, which can give the product a different taste, which is a priority for us, and the shelf life is much longer, which reduces food waste”, Dumitru added.

Innovative farming as a Service model with tailored solutions​

Agtira's Farming as a Service (FaaS) model means that the company builds and operates larger, custom-built greenhouse complexes for supermarkets and wholesalers that want to offer consumers fresh vegetables on a daily basis throughout the year. The Haninge greenhouse, for instance, is located directly behind a supermarket chain ICA Maxi, ensuring that the cucumbers can go from harvest to shelf in record time. Dumitru explains: “Signify also played a significant part in this. When you have a greenhouse inside an existing building, you haven't got any form of natural light, and you have a completely different symbiosis between lighting and ventilation. We really had to work together to develop a specific light recipe for this.”

Partnership​

None of this would have been possible without the opportunity offered by Philips GreenPower LED lighting to be able to produce food year-round, without high energy costs, in a challenging cultivation environment such as Sweden. Dumitru: “Make no mistake: what we are doing is really not that easy here in Sweden! But with Signify, we succeeded.” Udo van Slooten, Business Leader of Philips Horticulture Solutions, therefore takes pride in this collaboration: “We always welcome these kinds of initiatives because they give new fresh alternatives to local markets. The fact that we can contribute to this as a lighting supplier is of course wonderful.”

By integrating the Philips GrowWise Control System from Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) with Hoogendoorn’s IIVO climate computer, Huisman Chrysanten can control the intensity and spectrum of their Philips LEDs based on what their crop needs and other factors, such as energy prices. With the integration, the grower can use the climate computer to control light as well as the other climate settings. With the Philips Horticulture LEDs installed on an area of 4.8 hectares, Huisman, located in Maasdijk, the Netherlands, can dim the 200 μmol/m2/s installed light between 10 and 100% and also apply an end-of-the-day far-red treatment to give the chrysanthemums the length they need in winter. With the new installation, Huisman is able to reduce its energy consumption by 20%, while increasing the lighting level by almost 40%.

In 2022, 50% of Huisman Chrysanten's HPS installation was replaced with dimmable Philips GreenPower LED toplighting force modules. A year later, the other HPS fixtures were replaced with the newest dimmable Philips GreenPower toplighting force with a separate channel for far-red light.

Better matched​

“We were guided carefully throughout the entire process, from the purchase of our Philips Greenpower LED lights to the installation of the Philips GrowWise Control System and integration with our climate computer,” says partner Edwin Huisman about the important upgrades. “Our dimmable installation with far-red color controllability and the integration of the GrowWise control system in our climate computer gives us lots of flexibility. It enables us to better match the lighting to our current energy regime and the price fluctuations in energy from the grid. All the data streams now come together in our IIVO climate computer, where we choose the optimal settings for all aspects of cultivation, taking into account the weather forecast and the expected energy prices, among other things.”

Flexible adjustment​

Huisman Chrysanten meets their electricity needs largely from their own CHP, buying in a small proportion from the grid. “We can light up to 150 µmol/m2/s on CHP power alone,” the grower explains. “Depending on energy prices, we light between 150 and 200 µmol/m2/s. On average, we apply 170 μmol/m2/s, on which we based our plant density. When electricity is cheap in the morning hours, we buy it in and run the lights at full power. When electricity is expensive, we dim the system down to 150 µmol/m2/s, for example. By responding to conditions in this way, we can save money on running the lights while extracting maximum value from the natural gas and electricity we buy in.”

The settings are generally determined a few days beforehand, based on the expected solar radiation and energy prices. Huisman: "We don't want to have to constantly worry about all that. When the lights are on and it turns out to be sunnier than expected, we can always check whether the situation on the energy market makes it attractive to change course."

Far-red light​

With the Philips Horticulture LED lights purchased in 2023, Huisman Chrysanten has a separate channel to control his far-red LEDs. The grower gives the crop half an hour of far-red light at the end of the day to achieve the desired stem length. “This year, we’re only using far-red as an end-of-the-day treatment,” notes Edwin Huisman. “Next year, we also want to use far-red during the other lighting hours when the crop needs extra length. Our aim is to achieve the required stem length with the optimal spectrum.”

Intelligent lighting​

Huisman's intention makes it clear that dynamic lighting has a lot of potential. By allowing the dynamic, color-adjustable LED installation to respond to constantly changing environmental factors, the grower can optimize his crop better and reduce energy costs.

There is still a world of opportunities out there for growers to tap into. Intelligent lighting will enable growers to optimize their crop lighting like never before. With the purchase of color-adjustable LED lights in combination with the intelligent GrowWise Control System, the grower has an installation that’s ready for the future!

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, is proud to announce the launch of its latest innovation, the Philips GreenPower LED toplighting force 2.0 (TLF 2.0). Designed to further revolutionize horticultural grow lighting, this system offers more light, dynamic color control, high energy efficiency and optimal light uniformity, making it a perfect choice for professional growers aiming to optimize crop yield and quality and manage their energy consumption.

High light output combined with Quadro Beam lens for superior light uniformity​

The TLF 2.0 introduces new high light output options, up to 5150 µmol/s. With additional light in the right setting, you can reach higher yields and improve your business results. The newly developed Quadro beam lens ensures uniformity in all directions even at high light outputs. This enables fewer fixtures for the same surface, reducing installation costs and maximizing light efficiency. The rectangular beam shape provides uniform light distribution even at shorter distances to the head of the crop. The new flat glass cover makes cleaning extremely easy, so maintenance costs are optimized too.

Dynamic multi-channel color control​

Another standout feature of the TLF 2.0 is its multi-channel color controllability in combination with the Philips GrowWise control system. It allows growers to adjust the light spectrum dynamically for precision control in crop development and morphology and optimizes light output. Seamlessly integrated with existing climate computers, the tailored light recipes safeguards steering based on external factors like the amount of sunlight or fast changing energy prices to manage energy consumption and yield and adapt to the specific needs of the crop and its development stage. Growers can independently control far-red light for special end-of-day treatments, or switch to the most energy-efficient spectrum when less efficient parts of the spectrum are not required. This flexibility is particularly useful for crops that have highly variable light demands like cucumber, chrysanthemum or strawberries, or for young plant production where specific light conditions during the darker seasons are vital.

Wireless or wired control​

Next to the existing wired control, the Philips GreenPower LED toplighting force 2.0 allows for wireless control integration. In both cases, wired and wireless, no additional control cables are required, simplifying installation and maintenance. The wireless controls option offers control of each compartment in the greenhouse separately to match the growth phase of the crop. It also lowers installation costs for renovation of existing installations.

Elevated energy efficiency​

Operating with maximum plug power utilization options of 1040W, 1170W, or 1400W, the GreenPower LED toplighting force 2.0 achieves an impressive light output of up to 5150 µmol/s, unlocking unprecedented possibilities for light-plan designs, particularly for new installations. With an efficacy of up to 3.9 µmol/J at 100% light output. It is one of the most energy-efficient grow lights available. This efficiency not only reduces operational costs considerably, but also supports sustainable cultivation practices by minimizing energy consumption.

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting has installed Philips GreenPower LED gridlighting at Balanced Los Angeles, a premium cannabis cultivator located in southern California. The Philips LED team provided Balanced Los Angeles with lighting and environmental strategies to help the Balanced team maximize their production, gain greater operational efficiency, reduce the production cost, and achieve a more consistent flower under the new gridlighting installation.

Reliable results with premium lighting

Like many legacy cannabis cultivators, Balanced Los Angeles used HID lighting throughout their grow facility. However, with a desire to increase yield per square foot and better manage energy costs, the company began exploring double rack growing, which led them to gridlighting.

Introduced in 2023, gridlighting, is designed to support indoor cannabis cultivators in optimizing their grow space through multi-tier growing. The gridlighting is designed with a high-quality polycarbonate lens covering, which provides exceptional light uniformity at low free space. Balanced Los Angeles experienced the benefits of this feature first hand, Augie Simoncici, Balanced Los Angeles head grower, explained, “We’ve noticed a better penetration to our lowers, seen a better terpene profile, the flavors are getting better and I’m seeing consistent flower from top to bottom.”

One first-hand benefit that Balanced Los Angeles experienced is that gridlighting emits most of their energy as growth-stimulating PAR light. Whereas more than 50% of the energy from HIDs is put out as heat, which makes it challenging to manage the grow climate and control energy usage. Simoncici, said, “with these Philips LEDs we use a lot less air conditioning to cool the rooms and less dehumidification.”

Gridlighting is dimmable with most used 0-10V controls, this allowed Simoncici to adjust light intensity at times during the grow cycle and hit his PPFD target. With better light penetration to the lower part of the cannabis plant, it allows the nug to grow bigger and get more color. “it’s reduced our small to big ratio, so the bag is a lot more consistent.” Simoncici added.

Comprehensive support

A team consisting of a Philips Horticulture Key Account Manager, a Plant Specialist, and an Application Engineer guided Balanced L.A. in the installation and transition from HID lighting to gridlighting. “LED works differently than HID lights than most growers are accustomed to. So, it’s not only about installing the light but also creating the customized environmental strategy that could deliver the best quality flower.”, Ted Fitzgerald, Plant Specialist Philips Horticulture Solutions, explains.

Simoncini said, “With the partnership between Balanced Los Angeles and the Philips Horticulture team, our results have been amazing, and their support has been tremendous. With the result from this installation, I believe this is just the beginning of something great.”

We're thrilled to announce that two domes at Space Farming Exhibition will feature our very own Philips GreenPower LED production modules!

From September 2023 to March 2024, Eindhoven will be the epicenter of innovation in agriculture as the Space Farming Exhibition by Next Nature takes center stage at the iconic Evoluon. The exhibition promises to challenge our thinking and showcase the potential future of farming.

Among the highlights are a series of domes dedicated to different spacefarming themes. The integration of space and farming at the Evoluon exhibition not only presents unique perspectives but also emphasizes the boundless possibilities of the future of farming.