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Tech Trends: LED Grow Lights Have Come A Long Way

Technology is modifying and improving almost all fields and businesses today, and the agriculture and growing industries are no exception. Recently, lights entered the game and modified the traditional understanding of growing, and today, LED grow lights are making a massive breakthrough on their way to setting a new norm. Here are the top 5 technology trends that deserve your attention, no matter whether you grow commercially, or as a hobby.

1.  LED Grow Lights Deliver Different Light Spectrum

There are hundreds of types of grow lights, but the truth is, not even one of them will be a perfect fit for any application. That is why people created LED lights that could use and deliver a different light spectrum when necessary. As blue light would promote and ease vegetative growth, a red light would do the same for flowering. There are also LED lights which produce a dual-band color spectrum simultaneously. With the modern LED lights and the advantages of their full spectrum options, growing is much easier and less expensive.  

Photosynthetically Active Radiation

Another great tech trend with the LED grow lights is the fact that the full spectrum they use consists of the specific blend of colors found in natural sunlight, also known as PAR (photosynthetically active radiation). This means that those lights do not emit spectral ranges that are not necessary for the growing of plants, and so a higher efficiency is achieved.

2.  LED Lights Become Fanless

Not too long ago, the first LED grow lights had to use fans for cooling. While doing their job properly, those fans were accumulating dust and dirt and generating a lot of noise. On top of that, their complexity led to damages and costs for repairs. Thanks to innovation and technology, the better LED grow lights now do not have fans.

Larger Heat Sinks

Recently, LED grow lights started relying on passive cooling instead of fans. The most common alternative used is cooling through heat sinks, designed so they can absorb the excess heat away from the diodes. This prevents any changes in the light spectrum during the operation of the lights, as well as any damages due to excess heat.

Lower Heat Output

The usage of heat sinks is combined with another innovation in LED grow lights. Experts are now constantly decreasing the heat output. LED lights use bulbs that emit much less heat than before, and the lights usually cover a larger surface area so that the heat can naturally disperse.

3.  LED Lights Become Water Resistant

When it comes to tech trends in the LED grow light industry, we absolutely have to mention water resistance. Not only are the lights not as susceptible to humidity, but they are certified as water resistant and could be used in aquaponics.

Higher Safety

As lights are normally used for indoor growing and plants always need water, the risk of a short circuit in your home would be very high if the LED lights were not water resistant. Therefore, this feature saves growers a lot of anxiety and stress with humidity no longer being an issue.

Easy Maintenance

The LED grow lights usually accumulate a certain amount of dust and dirt that could lead to malfunctions and damages if they are not cleaned regularly and well maintained. Previously, this process was a struggle, as water could cause more harm than good. With the latest innovations, growers can maintain their lights much more easily.

4.  LED Grow Lights Change the Way of Growing

Weather conditions used to be crucial for growing, and the agricultural industry around the world was highly dependent on it. Now, with the technology and the improvement of LED grow lights, anyone can grow anything anywhere.

Vertical Growing

Not only is the weather no longer a determining factor for growing, but neither is space. With efficient LED grow lights, one can grow plants vertically, and therefore, yield much more in a tiny space. This type of growing is most often used for marijuana, but researchers claim it may be a way of solving the issue of an increasing world population and a  higher demand for food.

Fewer Chemicals Used for Growing

Pesticides and chemicals are mostly used to protect plants. With growing now happening indoors, the dangers are less, and the crops no longer require such protection.

5.  Competition Leads to Continuous Innovation

The LED grow light industry is one with a lot of competition. This is good news, as everyone working in the field is trying to become better and more efficient while also cutting costs as much as possible. This will no doubt lead to more innovation and new technology involving LED grow lights in the future.

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Author

Luis has 20+ years of experience in global market expansion, business development, mergers and acquisitions, business re-engineering, finance and investor relations of software companies. He is passionate about technology, spectral science, indoor farming, food production, automation, and more. Since 2015 he is the president of Advanced LED Lights, a leading LED grow lights manufacturer based in Hiwasse, Arkansas. When not at work, Luis enjoys swimming, yoga, as well as growing grapes and flowers in Sonoma, California.