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Coming Soon: Facilities That Also Happen to be Farm

William Attardi on April 22, 2026

What if your most important tenants were not people but, well, crops? The coming of a new “vertical farm” industry is turning that unusual vision into reality. Vertical farms offer new, unique option for building owners looking for ‘tenants’. The multiple concerns with our global industrialized food system range from the existence of “food deserts” in which many people lack access to fresh, nutritious food to the increasing desire and market for food that is healthy, safe, high quality and free of harmful pesticides. The idea of bringing food production closer to its consumers is manifesting itself in the development of a new sector experimenting with how to turn buildings into indoor farms.  Coming Soon: Facilities That Also Happen to be Farms – Facilities Management Insights

Sollum Technologies Launches SF-INFINITE the Most Advanced Dynamic LED Fixture for Commercial Greenhouses

William Attardi on February 28, 2026

Sollum Technologies announced the launch of the SF-INFINITE™️ fixture, strengthening its leadership in lighting technology for commercial greenhouses. The SF-INFINITE is the most advanced dynamic LED lighting fixture. It consolidates Sollum’s roadmap in Greenhouse lighting represents one of the most capital-intensive infrastructure decisions that growers must make. Traditional systems often restrict operations into fixed capabilities for years after installation. This forces producers to anticipate future crop strategies, energy constraints, and market demands well in advance —often as they have yet to emerge. The SF-INFINITE was designed to eliminate that risk.to a single, future-ready solution designed to support the evolving needs of greenhouse operators. EN + FR 2026 SF-INFINITE SPEC SHEET MARKETING

BriteSwitch: Rebates Bloom as Horticulture Lighting Market Heats Up

William Attardi on November 12, 2025

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

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

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

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”