Use of LEDs in vertical farming

Nice link.

I have seen other articles along this line and there is good data on how some plants respond to different types of light.

I think the work is in its early phases, so experimentation by everyone can yield some valuable data.

This challenge provides an excellent opportunity for the contestants to experiment an discuss their findings.

DAB

Nice link.

I have seen other articles along this line and there is good data on how some plants respond to different types of light.

I think the work is in its early phases, so experimentation by everyone can yield some valuable data.

This challenge provides an excellent opportunity for the contestants to experiment an discuss their findings.

DAB

So we got a bunch of LEDs in the box, but aren't they too small to do any lighting? I mean the only use I can think of is for blinking lights for a warning system?

Hi Joshua,

The process of growth in plants is fueled energy wise by light. Apparently the color and intensity of that light are important. The plants have evolved to thrive best under the spectrum of the Sun. A series of different colored LEDs may simulate the sun light to our eyes but if we observed the light with a spectroscope we would see a series of bright lines separated by missing frequencies. DAB is correct there is probably lots of research needed on the frequency and intensity of LEDs that work best. The frequency spectrum of light and the intensity that will work with different plants also varies. I do not know what type of LEDs you received but if your plant needs full sunshine and you have indicator LEDs you will have to take these things into account. The intensity of direct sunlight is about 1000 watts per square meter. A typical indicator LED has about 0.02 watts of light output which translates to about 800 watts per square meter. Assuming that the LEDs are the correct color you can compensate by having lots of them and keeping them close to the plants. In my calculations you could put 40,000 5 mm diameter LEDs in a square meter of space. Obviously you are not able to do this. There are also LEDs that have a lot more light output than an indicator LED. You are correct the LEDs in your box probably will not work well to grow plants

John

Hi John,

what you say is correct, and probably the kit provides (at least it is I will expecting) a range of lighting LEDs covering the possible needs, while when the specific plant seeds are distributed a selection of them should be done. There are two points I think we should anyway focus the attention:

• It is true that the LEDs light is potentially lower than the sun power per square meter but still exists high power LEDs that move the emitted light to a totally different scale (like you I have no idea of what are the provided LEDs. So, as just putting a spectroscope a series of different LED wavelength generates specific light bands and holes, the comparison in my opinion should be done not on the total sun light power (covering all the frequencies) but checking for every specific LED frequency what is the corresponding intensity in the sunlight. I can imagine that is the sunlight will include 1000watt per square meter referring - for example - just to the near UV probably we will be all cooked
• The second aspect - I have read something about this but my ignorance in the field of vertical farming is almost an abyss - depends on the different growing phases of the plant. From the seed to the mature plant (ready-to-eat ) there are different kind of reaction to different frequencies. So probably the lighting source should be organised in a pool of different kind of LEDs activated at different intensity in the different phases of the plant growing.

Enrico

I am sure that growing plants using artificial light is a science unto itself and much more complicated than I can imagine. I saw in the Wikipaedia article that I scanned that the percentages of energy of sunlight in the different frequency bands was listed. As with many things in nature my guess would be that the growing effectiveness of a given band of frequencies would have a bell curve of effectiveness for a particular plant. Given the cost $ of energy for artificial light the best option, when available, is still to use natural sunlight even if the plants are grown in a vertical farm, hydroponically, or in some other configuration.

John

Hi John

I agree with what you say but I would have to sort of disagree by saying that using renewable energy to convert wind and sun into electric to power the lighting and with having artificial lighting it is adjustable and controllable to optimise growing condition and also to beable to grow all year round no matter what the weather is like

I think the hardest part is replicating the sun as it doesn't just emit viable light there are so many different factors to try and replicate I'm just using red green and blue in my design and I will be looking more into the amount of each at a later date