Nichia Hortisolis White LED Lighting Technology: Ideal spectrum for Horticulture

Nichia Hortisolis LED Lighting Technology: Ideal spectrum for Horticulture

Nichia, the world’s largest LED manufacturer, has developed the innovative Hortisolis™ Series of white LEDs, designed to optimize plant growth with a special white light spectrum. This innovation maximizes production efficiency per area in vertical farms while ensuring a comfortable working environment.

Traditionally, plant growth lighting has relied on blue and red light, which are the primary wavelengths absorbed by chlorophyll. However, this two-color lighting can be harsh on workers and make it difficult to assess plant growth. This led to a shift towards lighting that mimics natural sunlight, such as white light combined with red light or full-spectrum lighting, to address these issues. The drawback of using standard white light LEDs is that their spectrum does not wavelengths essential for plant growth, making such a horticulture lighting system less efficient and cost-effective.

Hortisolis™ is the advanced white LED solution that integrates all the necessary wavelengths for plant growth into a single package using a combination of phosphors. This design enhances production efficiency per area in artificial farms while also providing a comfortable working environment with the natural light spectrum.

Features of Nichia Hortisolis™

1. Optimized Spectrum for Plant Growth

Hortisolis™ LEDs provide an ideal spectrum for horticulture, combining blue, red, far-red, and green light to cater to the three types of plant photoreceptors: cryptochrome, phototropin, and phytochrome. This combination stimulates plant growth efficiently and effectively. Up to 2x increased plant growth and yield is possible with Hortisolis LEDs, compared to standard white LEDs.

2. Enhanced Visibility for Workers

The inclusion of green light in the spectrum softens the visual stimulus, making it easier for workers to assess plant growth and maintain a comfortable working environment.

3. High Efficiency and Production

By focusing on the specific wavelengths necessary for plant growth, Hortisolis™ LEDs minimize energy consumption and reduce the number of required lighting fixtures, thus optimizing production efficiency.

4. Versatility in Applications

Hortisolis™ LEDs are suitable for both closed-type artificial farms and solar-based greenhouses, providing flexibility in various horticultural environments.

Advantages of Nichia Hortisolis™

1. Maximized Production Efficiency

Hortisolis™ LEDs concentrate on the specific wavelengths required for photosynthesis, reducing energy consumption and the number of lighting fixtures needed, thus maximizing production efficiency per area.

2. Improved Working Environment

The balanced spectrum, including green light, reduces visual strain and allows workers to easily monitor plant health and growth, enhancing comfort and efficiency.

3. Enhanced Plant Growth

By stimulating the shade avoidance response through the inclusion of far-red light, Hortisolis™ LEDs encourage plants to extend their stems, optimizing light absorption and promoting robust growth.

4. Sustainable and Cost-Effective

Hortisolis™ LEDs offer a sustainable lighting solution that reduces operational costs associated with artificial farming, making it a cost-effective choice for large-scale agricultural operations.

5. Standardized LED package

The Hortisolis™ LEDs use the standard Nichia 757, 3030 LED package for easy integration into many LED strip designs. Multichannel LED systems with Hortisolis, Blue and Red LEDs can be manufactured for enchaced results in some applications.

Applications of Nichia Hortisolis LEDs

Nichia Hortisolis™ represents a significant advancement in horticultural LED lighting technology. By providing an optimized spectrum for plant growth, these LEDs enhance production efficiency and create a better working environment. With versatile applications ranging from vertical farms to solar-based greenhouses, algae farms, green spaces in offices and public buildings, and residential settings, Hortisolis™ LEDs offer a sustainable, cost-effective solution for modern agriculture:

1. Vertical Farms: Hortisolis™ LEDs are ideal for closed-type artificial farms that solely rely on artificial light. These LEDs ensure year-round stable production of vegetables and fruits, unaffected by weather conditions or natural disasters.

2. Solar-Based Greenhouses: In greenhouses that primarily use natural sunlight, Hortisolis™ LEDs serve as supplementary lighting, enhancing plant growth during cloudy days, evenings, and nights.

3. Research and Development Facilities: Hortisolis™ LEDs are used in research facilities to study plant growth under controlled lighting conditions, such as growth chambers, enabling advancements in agricultural technology.

4. Algae Farms: Hortisolis™ LEDs provide the precise wavelengths needed for optimal algae growth, making them suitable for use in algae farming for biofuel production, food supplements, and other applications.

5. Green Spaces in Offices and Public Buildings: By integrating Hortisolis™ LEDs into green spaces within office buildings and public areas, it is possible to create vibrant, healthy indoor plant environments that improve air quality and enhance aesthetic appeal.

6. Residential Settings: Hortisolis™ LEDs are perfect for residential use, supporting plant growth in home gardens, indoor plant setups, and hydroponic systems, allowing homeowners to enjoy fresh produce and greenery year-round.

Linear LED Strips & Modules with Nichia 757 Hortisolis LEDs

Nichia Hortisolis LEDs are integrated into all our configurable linear LED modules and strips for horticulture applications. Manufactured in our state-of-the-art facility in Germany, these LED lighting systems embody precision and innovation. Utilizing Nichia Hortisolis' advanced LED technology, you can achieve increased production efficiency and maintain a comfortable working environment.

Multi-Channel LED modules & strips with Nichia Hortisolis LEDs

Our range of Multi-Channel LED modules and strips can meet a wide range of dynamic lighting applications with Nichia Hortisolis LEDs, including adding Red or Blue LEDs for special applications.

Nichia Hortisolis™: a proven system with outstanding results

The experimental results from Nichia's own vertical farm demonstrate the top performance of Nichia Hortisolis LEDs, showing more than double growth for some plants compared to conventional Ra80 LEDs. This proves that Hortisolis™ LEDs are a superior choice for optimizing plant growth and yield.

[Example 1] Leaf lettuce growth test: 1.5 times increase in the total weight

¹ PFD: photon flux density, the number of photons that pass through a unit area in a unit of time.
² These comparative growth tests were performed using Nichia light sources.
³ The above result (amount of harvest) is a month after the observation period.
⁴ The weight of a harvest is greatly affected by the conditions. Nichia suggests not to focus on the absolute value, but instead see the comparison with conventional lighting.

 

[Example 2] Edible viola growth test: 1.4 times increase in the number of petal

¹ PFD: photon flux density, the number of photons that pass through a unit area in a unit of time.
² These comparative growth tests were performed using Nichia light sources.
³ The above is a result of 2 month observation period.
⁴ The weight of a harvest is greatly affected by the conditions. Nichia suggests not to focus on the absolute value, but instead see the comparison with conventional lighting.

 

[Example 3] Cherry tomato growth test: Fast growth and more than double the harvest weight

¹ PFD: photon flux density, the number of photons that pass through a unit area in a unit of time.
² These comparative growth tests were performed using Nichia light sources.
³ The above is a result of 2 months observation period.
⁴ The weight of a harvest is greatly affected by the conditions. Nichia suggests not to focus on the absolute value, but instead see the comparison with conventional lighting.

 

[Example 4] Cherry tomato growth test: Easy to verify the degree of growth