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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

Happy St. Patrick’s Day—whether you’re going fact or legend, it’s a great excuse to celebrate!

St. Patrick is a mix of solid historical fact and popular myth/legend that grew over centuries. He was a real historical figure—a British-born missionary (likely from what is now Scotland or northern England/Wales area) who lived in the 5th century (roughly 385–461 AD). His birth name was probably Maewyn Succat, and he became known as Patricius (Patrick) later. He wrote two surviving documents: his Confessio (Confession) and a letter to Coroticus, which are the main primary sources about his life. These confirm he was kidnapped by Irish raiders as a teenager, enslaved in Ireland for about six years (herding sheep), escaped, trained for the church, and returned as a missionary bishop to convert the Irish to Christianity. He wasn’t the first Christian in Ireland—some communities already existed—but he’s credited with major missionary work and is the patron saint of Ireland.

Many beloved St. Patrick’s Day traditions and stories are myths or later embellishments: Myth: He drove the snakes out of Ireland. Completely legendary. Ireland has had no native snakes since the last Ice Age (about 10,000+ years ago)—the post-glacial island was isolated, and snakes never recolonized it. The “snakes” story symbolizes driving out paganism or “evil”  but it’s not historical. Myth: He used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. This is a charming story, but it doesn’t show up in Patrick’s own writings or early biographies. While the shamrock (a three-leaf clover) became a symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day, the Trinity analogy is probably a later invention. Myth: St. Patrick was Irish by birth. No—he was Romano-British, captured and brought to Ireland against his will. Other common myths: Green wasn’t always the color associated with him or the holiday; massive parades and “wearing of the green” became big in America first; he didn’t drink green beer or eat corned beef and cabbage, those are more modern Irish-American traditions. In short: The man himself is fact—a brave, devout missionary who helped spread Christianity in Ireland. But many of the fun, magical tales attached to him are myths.

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