Is dynamic lighting the key to greener greenhouses?

RED Horticulture

Precisely controlled lighting can help crops grow better and produce a higher yield, while using less energy

Spotted: Many regions, especially in Europe, have seen both energy and food prices rise in lockstep. One reason for this is that growing food takes a lot of energy, especially the use of greenhouses, which are vital to maintaining supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables in the winter. Now, Lyon-based RED Horticulture has developed a way to reduce the energy needed to run greenhouses, based on light use.

Chlorophyll in plants transforms light (and CO2 and water) into sugars. Specific wavelengths of light regulate this process, for example, accelerating flowering or maintaining growth. In nature, this ensures that plants grow during the most suitable time of year. In a controlled environment such as a greenhouse, it is possible to use lighting to trigger plant growth at other times, or to maintain growth for longer.

RED Horticulture’s solution uses dynamic spectrum LED lights (LEDs where the light quality can be modulated). These precisely activate the photoreceptors of plants, providing the right light at the right time to achieve higher yields and better crop quality. The system is controlled by an artificial intelligence-driven (AI) proprietary platform, MyRED.

The result is lower energy consumption, increased yields, and shortened crop development times. The company recently closed a €17 million series A funding round led by the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund. The funds will be used to further develop its system and support additional research.

Agriculture and food production use a tremendous amount of energy. Springwise has spotted a wide number of innovations seeking to combat this, including modular insect farms and a maggot-based fertiliser.

Written By: Lisa Magloff