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BriteSwitch: Rebates Bloom as Horticulture Lighting Market Heats Up

Once limited to research labs and specialized grow rooms, horticulture lighting has become one of the fastest-growing segments in the lighting industry. As technology costs drop and efficiency improves, these systems are now used in greenhouses, vertical farms, floriculture, and even in facilities producing plant-based vaccines. The global market is expanding at roughly 12% per year and is projected to reach $22 billion by 2033, making it one of the brightest opportunities for both lighting manufacturers and rebate-driven projects. Like they did with traditional lighting, LEDs have revolutionized grow lights. With 20 to 45% less energy usage than conventional HID grow lights, they provide a huge opportunity to cut operating costs for growers. The reduced wattage also means less waste heat, which is hugely beneficial to indoor growing operations. In October 2019, the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) created a new standard and Qualified Products List (QPL) specifically for horticulture lighting. Over the years, the DLC has become the de facto standard utilities use to ensure customers install high-quality lighting when applying for incentives.  In 2025, the DLC released version 4.0 of its technical requirements.  55% of the US is covered by an active horticulture lighting rebate; 53% are calculated on a per-fixture basis.  BriteSwitch Can Help You Find and Capture the Rebates:

Rebates Bloom as Horticulture Lighting Market Heats Up

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

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

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

Gourma Chooses Sollum Technologies’ Fully Dynamic LED Lighting Solution

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

Why Use AI – 5 Reasons besides making us smarter:

  1. Efficiency and Automation: AI can automate repetitive tasks… saves time and reduces human effort
  2. Data Processing: AI excels at analyzing large datasets quickly… uncovers patterns and insights that humans might miss
  3. Scalability: AI systems can handle growing workloads… without a proportional increase in costs or resources
  4. Accuracy: AI can perform tasks with high precision… reducing errors in areas like diagnostics or forecasting
  5. 24/7 Availability: AI tools can operate continuously… improving productivity and customer support