During the GreenTech it was announced that Illumitex was chosen by the Dutch company PlantLab as the exclusive supplier of advanced LED technology for its new 66,000-square-foot research and development center, which officially opens in September. Plantlab will install Illumitex’ Quantum fixtures throughout the entire facility. When we visited their booth, we learned that the manufacturer of precision LEDs and LED lighting fixtures from Austin, Texas, had even more big news to share.
Senior Horticulture Scientist Paul Gray, CEO Chris Hammelef and VP Business Development Eric Anderson.
Senior Horticulture Scientist Paul Gray, CEO Chris Hammelef and VP Business Development Eric Anderson are set up and ready for customers. - See more at: http://www.illumitex.com/illumitex-greentech-2014/#sthash.JWBrwI05.dpuf
Aurora
At the show, we got the first glimpse of the Aurora Greenhouse LED light, an ideal fixture for high-mounting grow operations in both greenhouse and enclosed contained growing environments.
According to Paul Gray, Senior Horticulture Scientist at Illumitex, the Aurora is meant as a 1-for-1 replacement for the 1,000-watt high pressure sodium lamp. Its photocell is able to record the incoming light in the greenhouse and regulate the output based upon it. “The fixture is thus designed to maximize the energy efficiency, while offering about five times the output of our standard fixture because of the new technology we have built into it,” affirms Paul.
The product takes advantage of Illumitex’s patented optics and uniformity of spectrum. It is priced within the realm of other similar fixtures in the market, although Paul claims that “its competitors are not really LEDs, but high pressure sodium or metal halide lamps, as they are the ones with the market share that we are going after. We knew that we needed a fixture that would beat those in terms of performance, and by doing that we know we have created the best product.”
The company will also launch a smaller version meant to replace the 600-watt HID, enabling different ways for Illumitex to approach an operation’s goals.
Quantum
Meanwhile, in the field of high-grade research and multilayer fixtures, Illumitex’s premium product is the Quantum, a dynamic, spectrum-changing fixture that makes it possible to adjust from 0 % output all the way up to 100 % output. “Its granularity and precision of control of the wavelength are second to no other product. It also takes advantage of our patented optics, which entails the same uniformity of light intensity and spectrum,” assures Paul.
Illumitex’s fixtures use a 0-10 volt control, so any type of 0-10V control system is suitable. Paul says, “We preferred to leave that choice to the end user because we know there is a very dynamic market in terms of how people want to control the light for growing.”
PlantLab plans to install Quantum in all its facilities, which total about 66,000 square feet (6,131 square metres). “What we are enabling them to do is to have the highest control possible, and thus this fixture and its technology is simply the best option,” concludes Paul Gray.
For more information:Illumitex
Paul Gray, Senior Plant Scientist (e-mail)
www.illumitex.com