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SGL B.V. has invested in research of light sources and other essential growth factors that have a significant impact on the growth quality and growth speed of grasses.
Already for the last ten years SGL have done research with various light & heat sources and given an objective and thorough view on the technology and developments. Recent LED trials in European stadiums show advantages and disadvantages of traditional and new lighting systems.
Not only the light source has been the point of attention, but all growing factors which influence the speed and quality of growth. In the past years some customers have already shown that HPS systems can be used up to 30% more efficient by monitoring and analyzing using the SGL Smart system, according to the company. Managing the growth factors in the most efficient way is crucial to save energy, fertilizer, water etc.
LED is one of the main focus areas where SGL are working in. In direct cooperation with Philips and other industry experts SGL are doing tests in different stadiums across the world. The latest and most scientifically sophisticated test SGL were involved in, was just finished in one of Europe’s most popular stadiums. The results were educational, eye opening and confirming the recent insights of SGL.
“What the research shows the most, up to now, is that the influence of warmth has been often underestimated as a growing factor. Although the light is creating photosynthesis, the temperature is crucial for the process and should always be in balance with the light. In most climate regions the minimum temperature is not achieved naturally during the winter season; it requires an additional heat-source to allow growth”, says SGL.
That shows the interesting difference between LED and HPS lamps, as with HPS up to 50% of the energy reaches the plant as radiation heat, where with LED also 50% of the energy is heat (convection) but it does not reach the plant.
HPS stadium light systems can be split into treatment with light and temperature. Due to the fact that HPS lamps produce both with the help of the bulb (and the reflector), it cannot be controlled separately. “The advantage of LED Systems (in combination with IR heaters) is that they give the ability to control light and temperature independent of each other. So in theory, you only apply heat when needed, and light as much as necessary”, says SGL.
In Europe the main lighting season is between September and March. Depending on the average outside temperatures it can be calculated how much additional heat is needed to produce the optimum growing environment. SGL created a LED-Configurator which allows to theoretically calculate, based on historical weather data and stadium characteristics, if an LED system can be more energy efficient than an HPS system, or if the additionally required temperature, undo the LED savings.
With the tests in Ireland, Germany and France, it was not possible for SGL nor for participating competitors, to create the same quality of growth during winter with less total energy input than with an HPS system. In individual situations it even occurred that the LED systems with infrared requested more energy input to create the same amount of light output (mmol) and heat (°C) as HPS Systems. (Stadiaworld, 19.02.2018)
Homepage: SGL B.V.
