Signify
Established in 1991, Canadian Valley Growers grows vegetables, herbs, and annuals and leafy greens including butter lettuce, multi-leaf lettuce, and teen leaf. Central to their business is using environmentally sustainable practices to produce top-quality crops. In 2019, Canadian Valley took the step to invest in LED lighting and partnered with Signify to install more than 1,500 Philips brand LED toplighting luminaires over their leafy greens propagation and finished production areas.
Investing in LED technology
Canadian Valley previously relied on HPS lights for their supplemental lighting needs. They began to investigate other lighting options to support year-round production including an HPS and LED hybrid setup and a full LED solution. Bill Brar, Canadian Valley Growers co-owner, was interested in a lighting solution that would not only efficiently extend their growing season but reduce operating costs while producing higher quality crops.
In 2019, Brar participated in a Signify-hosted Leafy Greens Community Event in Europe, where he met other growers already using Philips LED lighting. The communal gathering of growers and Signify representatives also gave Brar an opportunity to learn more from Signify’s team of plant specialists and have discussions about the Canadian Valley facility and talk about their specific needs.
Tailored solution delivering tangible results
The Philips LED team that included a key account manager, plant specialist, and application engineer collaborated to develop a tailored light plan using the Philips LED toplighting linear with a target light level of 220 μmols for the propagation area and 110 μmols for the finished production area. Following the switch to LED, Canadian Valley realized an almost 30% reduction in crop time. In addition, Brar noted heavier root mass and heavier leaf mass. Brar commented about the results, “Before we were propagating with HPS and the difference in propagation [under LEDs] has been day and night.”
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