Why Greenhouse Growers Have Been Slow to Shift to LEDs

Almost all of the most recent research into greenhouse lighting has focused on light-emitting diode (LED) technology. There’s a good reason for this, as the long-term energy savings that can come from the use of LEDs — and the rebates and local grant programs that growers can take advantage of — make it an appealing option. So why are only around 2% of greenhouse ornamental growers (according to Erico Mattos, Executive Director of the GLASE consortium) using LED systems? If you talk to industry suppliers, there is a host of reasons. “Lighting, on average, is 50% of a commercial operation’s energy costs, but the economic feasibility of switching to LEDs is not always the most important thing on growers’ minds,” says Taylor Schaberg, Managing Director of ActiveGrow.