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The DLC’s Horticultural Lighting QPL- What You Need to Know by Kasey Holland

William Attardi on July 16, 2025

Valued at $7.8 billion last year, the global controlled environment agriculture (CEA) market is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 12.2% and expected to reach $22 billion by 2033, according to a recent market research report. With lighting as the largest operational cost in CEA facilities, opportunities abound for indoor growers to save energy and reduce expenses with the right lights. The average efficacy of listed products has increased by nearly 25% since the DLC launched its horticultural lighting qualified products list (QPL) in 2019. There are now over 1,375 products from nearly 150 manufacturers on the Horticultural QPL – a more than 54% increase in listed products since 2020. The DLC’s Horticultural QPL offers CEA lighting specifiers and contractors increasing product variety, and CEA growers ample opportunities for savings. The DLC’s Horticultural Lighting Program aims to accelerate widespread adoption of high performance, energy-saving LED technology in the horticultural lighting sector. The Horticultural QPL is a key tool in advancing that goal. Accessing the QPL is simple – just create a free My DLC account to start searching. The DLC’s Horticultural Lighting QPL- What you need to know | EC&M

 

Sollum Technologies Partners with Optimal to Advance AI Greenhouse Control

William Attardi on June 12, 2025

Sollum Technologies is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Optimal, a leader in AI greenhouse control. This collaboration integrates Sollum’s 100% dynamic LED lightingwith Optimal’s AI climate and irrigation control platform, enabling growers to precisely execute their desired growing strategy under rapidly changing weather conditions.  By integrating with Sollum’s proprietary SUN as a Service® platform, Optimal’s AI anticipates the impact of light and balances it with climate and irrigation in real time. Optimal’s AI seamlessly updates settings in the grower’s existing control computer. The result for growers is a fully automated system that precisely executes their growing strategy 24/7 across lighting, climate, and irrigation. https://www.ledinside.com/news/2025/6/2025_06_12_02

Sollum Expands Its Family Of Dynamic LED Grow Lights: SF-ONE™, SF-PRO™ AND SF-MAX™

William Attardi on April 30, 2025

Sollum Technologies is pleased to expand its lighting family, which now features three new fixtures: the SF-ONE™, the SF-PRO™ and the SF-MAX™. Designed to accommodate various lighting strategies, these new LED fixtures will meet the diverse needs of a rapidly growing clientele, from large scale to niche producers.  All products come bundled with the SUN as a Service® cloud-based platform as well as access to Sollum’s smart support so that clients can reap all the benefits of a fully dynamic lighting solution. Each fixture responds to growers’ business priorities:

  • The SF-ONE is the ideal fixture for those who prefer a simpler approach to lighting and who prioritize maximum energy efficiency in large-scale greenhouses.
  • The SF-PRO balances efficiency and flexibility; it was designed for producers whose priorities combine maximizing yield, desired produce quality and characteristics, and who are looking to consistently address the evolving demands of consumers.
  • Finally, the SF-MAX is the ultimate in dynamic lighting – designed for producers who seek crop perfection and require maximum flexibility from their lights.

Sollum expands its family of dynamic LED grow lights: SF-ONE™, SF-PRO™ AND SF-MAX™

Gourma Chooses Sollum Technologies’ Fully Dynamic LED Lighting Solution

William Attardi on April 9, 2025

Sollum® announced its partnership with Gourma, a leading fine herb grower based in Saint-Norbert, Québec. Gourma offers 25 potted herb varieties, including nine that are certified organic. These aromatic herbs are distributed across Québec in the produce sections of grocery retailers, reflecting the quality and reach of their greenhouse production. In early 2023, Gourma undertook a major brand repositioning, doubled its production area, and adopted a forward-thinking vision focused on innovation. With the integration of Sollum’s dynamic LED lighting solution, the company is now making a significant shift towards a fully controlled and adaptable lighting environment. This collaboration will enable Gourma to precisely tailor lighting conditions to the specific needs of its herbs, influencing key factors such as morphology, colour, and flavour. https://www.ledinside.com/news/2025/4/2025_04_09_04

DLC Updates its Technical Requirements for LED-Based Horticultural Lighting

William Attardi on March 14, 2025

A new version of the DesignLights Consortium’s (DLC) Horticultural Lighting Technical Requirements released today strengthens efforts to improve the efficacy and quality of LED products used in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry. Taking effect April 18, 2025, the DLC’s new requirements come at a time of burgeoning growth in the CEA sector. Valued at $7.8 billion last year, the global CEA market is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 12.2 percent and expected to reach $22 billion by 2033, according to a February 2025 market research report. With lighting being the largest operational expense in CEA facilities, there are significant opportunities to increase energy efficiency and cost savings with the right lights. [News] DesignLights Consortium Updates its Technical Requirements for LED-Based Horticultural Lighting – LEDinside

Sollum Technologies and Leaficient Introduce the First Plan-Responsive Dynamic LED Lighting Solution

William Attardi on March 8, 2025

Sollum Technologies and Leaficient are pioneering a breakthrough technology that redefines how LED lighting adapts to plant growth. Today’s traditional lighting strategies rely on Daily Light Integral (DLI) as the primary metric for optimizing plant growth, based on the premise that plants absorb and use light with the same efficiency throughout the day and at all growth stages. However, recent research has shown that plant productivity can change significantly based on a myriad of factors relating to the environment, resources provided and internal biological processes. In response, Sollum and Leaficient are collaborating to develop the first closed-loop, plant-adaptive dynamic lighting system, which adjusts lighting in real time based on plant productivity and growth rates.  [News] Sollum Technologies and Leaficient Introduce the First Plan-Responsive Dynamic LED Lighting Solution – LEDinside

DLC Draft 1 Horticultural Technical Requirements V4.0

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) has released their Draft 1 Horticultural Technical Requirements V4.0. The draft proposes three updates:

  • Efficacy increase: Hort V4.0 proposes to increase the efficacy threshold to 2.5 μmol × J-1, which is an 8.7% increase over the Hort V3.0 threshold. This will set the DLC efficacy threshold for LED-based horticultural lighting at more than 45% above the most efficacious non-LED option.
  • Removal of lamp categories: Hort V4.0 proposes to remove eligibility for lamps. This decision was made based on low application numbers in lamp categories.
  • Clarifications to various requirements: A variety of clarifications are proposed throughout Hort V4.0, including for definitions of key terminology and for certain testing requirements.

The Draft 1 Horticultural Technical Requirements V4.0 document is available here.

LightNOW: News and Opinion for the Lighting Industry

2024 State of the Cannabis Lighting Market

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

This ninth annual exclusive report takes a deep dive into the fluctuating lighting trends among commercial cultivators. It has been nearly a decade since Cannabis Business Times first began publishing its “State of the Cannabis Lighting Market” report. There’s no doubt that the relationship between cannabis and light is one of the most crucial aspects of cannabis cultivation and ultimate success. From light intensity to spectral properties, to light uniformity, to dimming technology and much more, every new discovery in the cannabis industry opens another door for growers, researchers, and lighting manufacturers to explore. In this 2024 “State of the Cannabis Lighting Market” report, you’ll find exclusive data revealing practices of your cannabis cultivation peers, with valuable insights into the evolution of cannabis lighting trends through the years.

The First Army-Navy Game – Cadets and midshipmen played their first football game Nov. 29, 1890 on “The Plain” at West Point. Navy had been playing organized football since 1879 and defeated the newly established Army team, 24-0. The historic event would become one of the most celebrated traditions in American college sports: the Army-Navy football game. This was not just a mere football match; it was the birth of a rivalry steeped in pride, honor, and the spirit of friendly competition between the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point and the United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis. The Army-Navy game is more than just a sporting event; it is a celebration of American military service, a showcase of athletic prowess, and a testament to the enduring spirit of rivalry and respect. It’s not just about who wins or loses; it’s about tradition, honor, and the unbreakable bond between two esteemed military institutions.