Greenhouses are progressively sample to become more energy effective , with vigour payload such as lighting , heat and cooling , and other environmental parameters becoming more expensive . One elbow room to attain greater energy efficiencies , is through upgrade your firing organization and plan a lighting plan that maximize your light output― while carry through you money .
Burnaby Lake Greenhouses , a 3rd generation grower of ornamentals and potted plant in Surrey , British Columbia , did just that with their new lighting retrofit . In replacing their former luminaires , they achieved keen DOE and lighting efficiencies , and superscript works emergence , with a unforesightful retribution menstruation of less than a year .
" We got the opportunity to let the cat out of the bag with Maintenance Manager , Kelvin Van Eyk , on the retrofit , costs delivery and overall improvement in plant growth they attained from replacing the old PL Lights Systems 600W PL2000s with the new 1000W NXT2s with Alpha reflector , " say Jillian Whitehead , digital merchandising specialist at P.L. Light Systems .
Since they develop a variety of works that expect high light intensities , supplementary light is central to the winner of their patronage . He say , their first goal with the retrofit , was to begin by increasing the tripping intensity where the potted roses are grown .
The original 600W luminaires were only able-bodied to emit 80µmol of lighter , and the high lighter requirements of rose meant they were needing to summate about 25µmol more ( for a total of 105µmol ) to get the best rose potential in Vancouver ’s wet and cold wintertime months . Before beginning the retrofit , they tested a belittled test region with twelve NXT2 luminaires . The fresh NXT2 ’s transcend their expectations and they go steady improved development , uniformness and performance than with the old 600W luminaires .
With the new luminaires going above and beyond their expected value , they began the conversion of their glasshouse in 2017 , switching out 360 of the 600W luminaires with only 150 1000W NXT2s . This new retrofit meant they needed 50 % few lights than the original installation ( thanks to the melioration in the NXT2 ’s intention ) , resulting in high light intensity and distribution . With the fresh NXT2 luminaires , they achieved a 25 % increase in abstemious levels compare to the sure-enough PL2000s .
In addition , they used 53 % less power as the NXT2 ’s ( with high efficiency electronic ballast ) use only 150kW versus the erstwhile PL 2000s ( with magnetic ballasts ) that used 216kW. This saved them approximately $ 144 a day in electrical costs , with a payback period of 348 days – less than a year .
Another feature they liked , is that the unexampled NXT2s have an instantaneous start - up with no warmup or cool down period compared to the older lights , and they get them more tolerant to voltage change . In addition , they are saving more money because of the dispirited criminal maintenance costs associated with the NXT2 .
This is crucial because the raiser keep supplemental lighting on almost 365 day a year with an norm of 16 hour a daytime – this identification number goes up to about 20 - 22 hour in the wintertime months and down to about 8 hour during the summertime month . After seeing the great final result in their roseate finish greenhouse , Burnaby Lake has further retrofitted their rosaceous theatrical production area with the same 1000W NXT2 lights , increase their light output from 60µmol to 105µmol and they plan to retrofit more of their greenhouses over the coming yr .
Burnaby Lake Greenhouses is dedicate to environmental sustainability , so before set up the NXT2 ’s they wanted to trial some LED as well , since LED are known to be more muscularity effective . However , after the initial run they discovered the spectrum emitted by LEDs they trialed was too specific for growing roses .
Since they turn many unlike varieties of rosiness , all having unlike lighting requirement , they found some turn well and some did not - therefore , they could n’t justify set up LEDs – specially since they saw such with child upshot from the NXT2 HPS luminaires . In improver , they achieved better light penetration with the NXT2s , and decreased heating monetary value in the wintertime due to the radiant heat emitted by the HPS luminaires compared to the LEDs .
Overall Burnaby Lake Greenhouses is excited by what they ’re seeing in the greenhouse with the raw luminaires . They have attain greater faint floor while consuming less energy and most significantly are check improved results in plant growth and public presentation .
For more info : P.L. Light SystemsJillian WhiteheadDigital Marketing Specialistwww.pllight.com
