GE, Canadian Government Partner to Develop LED Lighting Technology for Greenhouse Production

GE Lighting Solutions, in partnership with the Canadian government, is investing $1.3 million for a study project to develop a groundbreaking LED lighting technology for commercial greenhouses to enhance efficiency and minimize business operational expenditures.

GE has selected Mark Lefsrud of McGill University to conduct the research work and Les Serres St-Laurent (Savoura) to test the LED lighting technology. Mark Lefsrud will perform research work on Photo-synthetic Active Radiation (PAR) curves. In other words, he will conduct research on the particular light wavelength plants that need optimal growth. This information is significant to develop new LED lighting technology for the horticultural industry.

Savoura will perform the trial testing of the new LED luminaires as it has the technical expertise to grow tomatoes under artificial lighting. LED lighting has better energy efficiency than high power discharge light sources and reduce the operating expenditures and energy consumption.

The partnership will use the knowledge in crop science, greenhouse operation and LED technology to develop state-of-the-art technologies that will help Canadian farmers to earn more profit and maintain their competitive edge in the worldwide marketplace.