UK growers can save up to 40% on Philips LED lighting under Countryside Productivity Scheme

Horticultural growers who apply for grants to buy Philips LED lighting with wavelength control before 30 June 2015, may receive up to 40% in funding through the UK Countryside Productivity Scheme. Philips is one of the few companies that offers a full LED lighting solution that includes a tailor-made lighting recipe for each grower’s specific needs and Philips’ solutions meet the requirements for these grants. The Countryside Productivity Scheme aims to stimulate the development of innovative ways to improve productivity or sustainability in farming and forestry in the United Kingdom.

Applicants need to apply for funding to buy and install LED lighting with PAR spectrum (not standard white LED lighting). Wavelength control helps improve crop efficiency because plants use certain wavelengths of light more efficiently and respond in a different way to different sets of wavelengths. Grant applications are available here.

Philips has been active in horticultural lighting since 1936, and has a keen understanding of how lighting influences a plant’s growth. The advent of LED technology has enabled Philips to fine-tune the wavelengths of LED lighting systems by creating ‘light recipes’ to meet the needs of specific crops. All of Philips GreenPower horticultural LED lighting products are eligible for these grants. More information about Philips’ products can be found here.

“LED lighting offers a number of horticultural benefits, such as: increased yields, faster growth cycles, improved quality, increased level of nutrients, vitamins, and Brix, besides energy savings,” said Udo van Slooten, Director of Philips Horticulture LED Solutions. “Choosing the right spectrum of light that ultimately helps the plants grow, is a matter of having extensive lighting knowledge, and combining it with a deep understanding of plants. With all this knowledge in our team, Philips creates crop related LED ‘light recipes’ to further improve efficiency for growers. Working with research Centres such as Stockbridge Technology Centre, Universities, growers, and our UK partners across the globe, Philips is building up a database of light recipes for different crops, crop stages and even varieties that will help each grower produce their crops as efficiently as possible.” For the UK, CambridgeHOK being our Horti Partner, is able to advise and support recommendations for lighting installations. Their expertise also provides solutions for installations, energy modelling and business case proposals.

Just like a cooking recipe, a Philips lighting recipe includes an ingredients list and a method. Philips provides extensive support in both areas to ensure the end result meets the grower’s exact needs. Based on the grower’s facilities and types of plants, Philips specifies the type, light level, spectrum, and number of LEDs required, and where they should be placed to deliver the optimal lighting conditions and coverage for each crop. Philips also instructs growers in system operating, when to switch them on and off, etc. to help growers get optimal results. More information about Philips LED light recipes is available at the Philips Horti website.

Farmers, woodland owners and forestry contractors can apply for grants under the Countryside Productivity Scheme. The Scheme is part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), which works to make England’s agriculture and forestry sectors more competitive, to improve the quality of life in rural areas and to diversify rural economies. This Scheme is funded in part through the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri). More information about the Countryside Productivity Scheme can be found here. 

For more information

Daniela Damoiseaux, Global Marcom Manager
daniela.damoiseaux@philips.com

Tim Haworth – General Manager