Osram Opto Semiconductor’s Oslon product family boosts horticulture plant growth while significantly lowering energy consumption.

Based in the province Reggio, between Parma and Bologna, Servizi Ambientali Bassa Reggiana (S.A.BA.R.) produces Italian basil for salad, pasta and other dishes. By replacing their former HPS lighting with an LED solution based on the Oslon product line by Osram Opto Semiconductors, S.A.BA.R could increase their crop and lower their energy consumption significantly.

S.A.BA.R. used an artificial lighting system equipped with HPS (high pressure sodium) lamps with a total power consumption of 32KW in their basil greenhouse. To avoid typical basil illnesses, artificial light is used for many hours per day in greenhouses, so the total power consumption of the lighting system is an important factor of the operating cost.

By replacing the HPS system with a horticultural lighting solution designed by Osram’s LED Light for You (LLFY) partner, Italian horticulture lighting specialist Ambra Elettronica, using Oslon LED technology, S.A.BA.R. reduced power consumption by 56 percent to 14KW, resulting in energy savings of 75000 KWh per year, avoiding 30 tons of CO2 emissions and saving 15 tons of oil equivalent (TOE). In addition, the basil producer reduced harvest time by five days and increased the crop production.

“We are very satisfied with the AmbraLight solution. The production of basil utilizing Oslon LEDs with red, hyper red and blue in different proportions has increased the crop and did not cause any problems,” said Marco Boselli, CEO of S.A.BA.R. “We were worried about proliferation problems because the peronospara fungus was previously eradicated by the heat generated by HPS lighting, but didn’t experience any. We could also observe a better and faster growth of our basil due to the lower percentage of blue light – which is 5 percent with the LED solution compared to 25 percent with our former HPS solution.”

Ambra Elettronica, a certified Osram LED Light for You partner, developed the AE80 luminaire used for the S.A.BA.R greenhouse utilizing Osram Opto Semiconductors' Oslon LEDs including blue 450nm, red 630nm, red 660nm and far red 735nm. The LED lamp for professional use is designed to be highly energy efficient as the light is emitted inside the visible light spectrum in the photosynthetic active region. Ambra offers a whole portfolio of LED lamps for both professional and domestic horticulture applications, based on the Oslon LED technology.

“We believe in the value of ’Made in Italy’ products and therefore choose the most advanced and high quality technology to develop our luminaires,” said Maurizio Fasolo, CEO at Ambra Elettronica. “Osram Opto Semiconductors offers a comprehensive portfolio for horticultural applications and allow us to achieve the best possible color mix and intensity for specific demands of different plants. They also provide the basis to design lamps withstanding the harsh environment of modern greenhouse, being resistant to moisture, temperature fluctuations and dust, and to sustain a long term heavy duty working cycle.”

“Durable, energy efficient and long lasting LED technology becomes more and more popular and replaces standard horticultural lighting,” said Sebastian Lyschick, global project manager - LED Light for You (LLFY) at Osram Opto Semiconductors. “Ambra Elettronica has a longstanding experience in horticulture lighting. Their success shows they understand the challenges and needs of this specific market and address those needs with customized solutions in order to achieve the optimum results.”

Over the last years, Osram Opto Semiconductors has extended the horticulture portfolio with new packages and upgraded efficiency by up to 20 percent. An important addition was a 120 degree Oslon complementing the 80 degree and 150 degree options for 450nm (deep blue), 660nm (hyper red) and 730nm (far red). Together, the solution portfolio provides the basis for tailored lighting solutions for all types of plants and flowers, allowing the light to be exactly adapted to the needs of various crops.

Additional information

For more information on the Oslon LED family of products for horticulture applications, visit our video; for more information on Ambra Elettronica’s horticultural lighting fixtures, visit http://www.ambralight.it/en/.