VividGro® by Lighting Science ® Expands into Vertical Farming with the Launch of New LED T8 Grow Lamp

WEST WARWICK, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

LED innovation powerhouse Lighting Science today announced their entrée into the vertical farming space with the addition of an LED T8 grow lamp to their industry-leading VividGro product line. Engineered specifically for vertical farming facilities and grow chambers/facilities, the latest addition to the VividGro line packs high output, low heat radiation and the company's patented grow spectrum into a sleek and flexible 4-foot linear design.

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"Providing lighting solutions for indoor food crop production was a logical extension of our VividGro product line," said Pete Rumsey, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Lighting Science. "Unlike traditional high-pressure sodium (HPS) and fluorescent lighting, our new VividGro T8 emits very little radiated heat and can be used at close proximity to the plant canopy. It provides the same micromoles that our VividGro PAR 38 is known for, but with a thin profile that makes it a real problem-solver for vertical farming space constraints."

Since its introduction in 2015, VividGro has been providing growers with a low cost and energy-efficient alternative to high-pressure sodium (HPS) and fluorescent lighting. According to Rumsey, the new VividGro T8 uses about 50 percent less energy and lasts about ten times longer (50,000 hours) than comparable fluorescents, which typically have to be replaced every 8-10 months.

VividGro's proprietary spectrum technology also guarantees that plants receive the best levels of (photosynthetic photon flux) PPFD at each stage of growth. Academic research conducted by the University of Guelph showed that VividGro's light spectrum accelerates the photosynthetic process, improves crop yield by up to 30 percent and increases the nutritional density of crops by 10-12 percent.

As an added benefit, the VividGro T8's flexible ballast bypass design provides indoor horticulturists with significant flexibility. The lamp can be hung individually, either vertically or horizontally, with single-ended connectors. For maximum customization, the VividGro T8 can also be installed in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 lamp, 4-foot troffers and hung in a direct wire troffer combo.

Suitable for indoor commercial growers and do-it-yourself horticulturalists, the new VividGro T8 is highly adaptable to both urban and agricultural environments, including greenhouses of any scale.

VERTICAL FARMING MARKET POISED FOR SIGNIFICANT GROWTH

Driven by population growth, the decreasing availability of cultivatable land and demand for sustainably-grown local food, the vertical farming market is expected to reach an estimated $3.88 billion by 2020, up from $1.1 billion in 2015¹. Of that, lighting is expected to account for the largest share.

Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically-stacked layers, often indoors where factors such as light, humidity and nutrients can be carefully controlled to maximize crop output and quality. Although a still relatively new concept in the United States, vertical farming has already taken off in countries such as Singapore, Japan and England, where large-scale facilities are seeing some success.

According to The Vertical Garden author Dr. Dickson Despommier, "The vertical farm concept is about maximizing plant density to enable large numbers of people living in the built environment access to healthy, fresh vegetables year-round that are herbicide and pesticide-free."

Lighting Science continues to innovate with advanced technologies and spectrum control solutions to enhance plant growth at different stages. The company plans to further expand its VividGro product line with the launch its next generation VividGro 3 later this year.

About Lighting Science

Lighting Science LSCG is a global leader in innovative LED lighting solutions that designs, manufactures and brings to market advanced, intelligent products for consumer and commercial applications. We are committed to using the science of light to improve the lives and health of people and our planet by inventing breakthrough, biologically-friendly LED lamps and lighting fixtures. Lighting Science is headquartered in West Warwick, RI, with research and development facilities in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and offices in China. Find out more about us and our products at www.lsgc.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the Lighting Science Blog.

¹ Vertical Farming Market by Functional Device (Lighting, Hydroponic Component, Climate Control, and Sensors), Growth Mechanism (Aeroponics, Hydroponics, and Others) and by Geography - Global Forecast to 2020, Market and Markets, January 2016

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