U Of Wyoming Makes Greenhouse Greener

In an effort to maximizing financial and environmental returns by focusing on efficiency, the University of Wyoming is making changes that will reduce energy use and make the campus carbon neutral. One of the biggest energy users on campus is the schools greenhouses. The greenhouses are used for the research of crops, soil, weeds, plant pathology, entomology and agroecology. Upgrades to the 40 year old greenhouses include the installation of translucent polycarbonate covers, advanced control systems, new exhaust fans and upgrades to energy efficient LED grow lights. The LED lighting will replace 600 watt high intensity discharge lights. The switch to LED lighting alone will save the college more than 13,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and trimming $54,600 a year from it's power bill. With an expected 50,000 hour lifespan, the LED lights have on bulbs to replace, saving the college thousands of dollars in maintenance costs. LED lighting is the easiest, most efficient way to lower power consumption and save on energy costs. Replacing power hungry incandescent bulbs that are on for 4 or more hours a day with LED lights is the fastest way to lower your lighting bills. Porch lights, outdoor security lights and underwater dock lights are all great places for LED lighting.

LED's Help Cut Alaska Grocery Bills

According to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, the average Palmer,Alaska family spends $1,300 a year more on groceries then the average Portland, Oregon family. Alaska imports more then 98% of it's produce from out of state, driving up prices due to increased fuel costs.

Green Winter Farms of Palmer, Alaska is hoping to narrow that gap by growing basil, strawberries, peppers, rosemary and cilantro under energy-efficient LED lights. The lights being used by Green Winter Farms are specially designed by LumiGrow, Inc. of Novato, California, to emit only those portions of the color spectrum that produce healthy plant growth. Conventional indoor greenhouses use HID (high intensity discharge) light fixtures to grow plants. However, HID lights are expensive to operate due to high energy demands. They also produce a lot of heat making it necessary for farmers to regulate the greenhouses temperature with outside air or air conditioning and they emit broad spectrum's of light colors that are not used by the plants. With Alaskans paying among the highest electricity rates in the US (50 percent higher, according to the US Department of Energy),  HID lighting was an unacceptable choice for Green Winter Farms.

The LED lighting solutions provided by LumiGrow, Inc. will allow Green Winter Farms to lower operating costs by reducing energy consumption and improving crop yield. This will allow them to pass the savings on to local consumers helping to reduce there grocery bills. These are some of the same attributes that make LED lights a great choice for many challenging lighting applications. From streetlights that shine all night, to interior lighting in that shines all night and day, to underwater boat lights that can illuminate the water all night without draining your battery, LED lighting is an excellent choice.

McGill Researches Grow Lights

McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada is working with Les Serres St-Laurent to develop LED lighting technology for commercial greenhouses. There goal is to improve growing efficiency while reducing business operational costs in northern greenhouses. Northern greenhouses around the world do not get enough sunlight in the winter and need supplemental lighting to grow plants. The joint research is expected to develop technologies that will enable northern greenhouse growers to become more profitable and competitive. The Canadian Government and GE Canada have each invested $1.3 million for the research project.

Mark Lefsrud, an assistant professor in McGill’s department of Bioresource Engineering, will conduct research on the specific light wavelength plants require for optimum growth. LED lights emit specific colours or wavelengths of light, this reasearch hopes to find the right wavelengths to optimize plant growth. “We’re trying to determine which wavelengths are the best, or what colours are the best to allow our plants to grow. Our goal is to determine what wavelengths and what ratios of colour ranges work best.” says Lefsrud. Lefsrud expects a 25% to 40% energy savings for greenhouses with 50% a possible as LEDs continue to improve. The long-term goal is to allow northern greenhouses to one day grow just about anything under LED lights.