Horticultural Lighting and Agricultural Lighting

Horticultural lighting has specific set of safety and performance requirements not typical for any other type of lighting, and the products need to perform under unique environmental conditions.

As with general use LED lighting, ANSI/UL 1598 has been the typical standard for evaluating horticultural lighting, however additional factors such as ingress protection, corrosion, and photobiological impact should also be considered. The outline of investigation UL 8800 was recently issued to provide guidance on safety considerations for some of the factors associated with horticultural lighting equipment. Intertek offers comprehensive quality assurance for these products, including certification utilizing these standards.

Variances in light intensity, exposure time, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which can include radiation flux level, photon irradiance, and spectral power distribution, are used to impact the growth rate of plants. The energy efficiency and plant-specific light tuning capabilities of solid state lighting (SSL) are opening up new possibilities for hydroponics, controlled environment agriculture (CEA), city farming, and farming with increased yields and lower environmental impact.

Unlike general lighting, which is tested to IES LM-79 for performance characteristics, there is not a published standard for testing horticultural luminaires. Industry associations, such as the American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), are currently working on standards specific to horticultural and agricultural lighting applications. Energy efficiency rebate programs, such as DesignLights Consortium^®, are also engaged in developing programs to support this growing marketplace. Standards in development are expected to define metrics, measurement, and performance in relation to electromagnetic radiation for the growth and development of photosynthetic organisms, i.e. plants.

Intertek has the expertise and capabilities to help you meet the demands for “grow lights” in this dynamic marketplace, including helping manufacturers understand current standards and standards still in development.

Intertek has the expertise and capabilities to help you optimise the entire horticultural lighting environment and supply chain, including services for manufacturers, growers, agri-biotech, facility design, and end users to understand the capabilities and performance of horticultural lighting and agricultural lighting.