Ammerlaan Orchids replaced its HPS 750 W electromagnetic installation with BLV HPS 1000 W luminaires. The company, which owns and runs orchid greenhouses in the Dutch Westland region, found in BLV a reliable partner to upgrade its grow light installation to shorten the growth cycles and thus increase the yearly production of high quality orchids.
“The BLV 1000 W luminaires set-up is our installation of choice because the investment was limited to the luminaire itself and new prefab cables. We have doubled the PPFD up to 95 µmol/m²s at plant level with sublime uniformity, while getting 40% more light for each Watt compared with the old installation,” mentions Peter Ammerlaan.
Unique benefits
Besides the economic benefits of the more efficient installation, Ammerlaan Orchids perceives a healthier, more steady growth of the plants. This, however, is not the only reason they turned to BLV. The openings in the luminaire reflector create a chimney effect, which optimises the lamp temperature and thus offers a longer lifetime of the lamp, which translates directly into a reduction of maintenance and replacement costs. Optimising the lamp temperature is important because a higher lamp temperature results in higher voltage and higher voltage decreases the light output faster over time. Measurements taken with an integrated temperature sensor show that the outer temperature of the lamps is 8 % lower in a luminaire with an open reflector, compared to one with a closed reflector. This data indicates that the lifetime of lamps in open reflectors increases by more than 10%.
For more information:
BLV Licht- und Vakuumtechnik
Rene Polak
Mobile: +31 (0) 6 21826131
rpolak@blv-licht.com
www.blv-licht.com