Fluence ups the photon flow

With an ownership change underway at horticultural lighting firm Fluence by Osram, new product development continues apace, as the company announced a cannabis growing fixture that showers nearly a quarter more photons than any of its previous products, auguring higher crop yields.

The new SPYDR 2h produces a photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of 2,100 μmol/s, which Fluence said is a 24% increase over the SPYDR line’s previous highest.

“High-intensity lighting is top of mind for commercial cannabis operations seeking to increase crop yields,” said Jordon Musser, chief product officer for Fluence. “We’re proud to provide growers the next generation in our SPYDR series — a higher-performing lighting solution — to boost their cultivation goals.”

As for efficiency, the 2h comes in just below the existing 1,700 μmol/s SPYDER 2i. The new 2h is rated at 2.6 μmol/J at 277V AC compared to 2.7 μmol/J for the 2i. With its higher PPF, the 2h will help maximize space, Fluence noted.

The company said that in a typical multitier rack system, the 2h averages a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 1,060 µmol/m²/s over a 4-ft² (122-cm²) area, and that it can deliver as much as 1,500 μmol/m²/s.

In addition to increasing yields, the LED fixture gives growers a change “to also hone plant production to achieve specific traits such as higher THC percentages and more potent terpene profiles,” Fluence claimed. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the compound associated with the euphoric effects of cannabis. Terpenes are associated with aromatic quality. They help protect the plant and may have health benefits for humans.

Fluence is a cannabis lighting specialist but also sells to food and vegetable growers. It noted that the 2h system is intended for cannabis as well as noncannabis crops and is available now 

Austin, TX–based Fluence, currently part of Premstaetten, Austria–based ams Osram, is set to change hands to Eindhoven, Holland–based Signify during the first half of this year. While ams Osram will continue to pursue horticultural opportunities, it will do so at the chip level rather than selling finished horticultural lighting products.

Signify intends to operate two horticultural groups — Fluence, which will focus on the North American market while also selling internationally; and the Eindhoven-based Horticulture LED Solutions group, which will focus on Europe but, like Fluence, also sell globally. Signify is expected to retain the Fluence name, while dropping the “by Osram” portion.

MARK HALPER is a contributing editor for LEDs Magazine, and an energy, technology, and business journalist ([email protected]).

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