In some regions, light-emitting diode (LEDs) are expected to comprise more than half of new horticultural luminaire sales as early as 2017, according to the report 'LED Lighting for Horticultural Applications' from market analyst firm Navigant Research.
Although horticultural LED products have been commercially available for a decade, their adoption is now beginning to pick up as the technology and its quality advances. Today, LEDs are significantly more efficient, and the additional benefit of supplying the correct wavelengths of light to improve crop yield has made them the lighting technology of choice in a growing number of facilities.
"LED technology is able to greatly improve the profitability of indoor farming, which is leading to a boom in the growth of such facilities," says senior research analyst Jesse Foote. "By increasing crop yields and allowing more efficient use of energy and space, LEDs are leading to a boom in new indoor food production facilities."
According to the report, the low heat output of LED lighting allows growers to place lights closer to plants without singeing leaves and without needing additional heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, allowing a much greater density of plants within vertical indoor facilities. At the same time, the fine-tuned application of specific wavelengths of light from LEDs can increase crop yield by up to 30%, depending on the plant species.
