The Artesyn iHP – Horticultural Case Study

iHP Series – The Perfect Solution for Horticultural Lighting Systems

LED lighting for horticultural applications is a fast moving and increasingly important market sector. The use of high efficiency, programmable power supplies plays a vital role in helping the supply of high yield crops, at the times that the population demand them. The iHP Series of modular power supplies from Artesyn provide up to 24kW of truly programmable power offering the follow advantages:

• True current source can drive any LED luminaire
• High efficiency saves electricity costs for the grower
• Growth cycle control via cloud based or local (connected PC) control
• Highly Scalable, based on 3kW blocks, up to several MW in total
• High Voltage, low current leads to lower wiring installation costs

Challenges for Horticultural Lighting

Traditionally, farms using artificial lighting have used individual luminaires as growth aids.  These each have individual control systems, adding to the complexity and installation costs. They also have inherent inefficiencies, generating extra heat and increased energy costs.  The iHP offers a powerful, flexible solution to significantly reduce both installation and running costs.

Lighting for horticulture is quite distinct from other lighting applications. Light, in the wavelengths useful for horticulture, is called photo-synthetically active radiation (PAR) and falls within the 400-700nm range. Photosynthetic Photon Flux, or PPF, measures the total amount of PAR photons generated by a luminaire. A higher PPF means the lighting system is more efficient at creating PAR. The ability of the power supply to precisely control the current through the LED allows growers to closely match the LED spectra to the needs of their plants

Modular approach of iHP Series can be used in multiple (serial or parallel) configurations

The iHP series is made up of 3kW building blocks, all of which can have their output voltages and currents controlled incredibly accurately.  This modular approach means the iHP can be used to power luminaires in either serial or parallel modes, each with their own advantages:

Centralized Power with Distributed Lighting using 54 V LED String in Serial Configuration 

• Centralized power source and the associated conversion/heat losses can be managed separately outside the environmentally controlled growth space, lowering cooling and energy cost
• Higher voltage distribution can help reduce total installation cost (e.g., reduced wire sizes)
• Faults in serial configuration can shut down all the luminaires connected in the same loop

Centralized Power with Distributed Lighting using 250 V LED String in Parallel Configuration

• Centralised power source and associated conversion/heat losses can be managed separately outside the growing area
• Analog: 0-5V or 0-10V dimming Control (0-100% output current)
• Digital: Cloud-Based Ethernet or LAN control
• Higher voltage distribution can help reduce total installation cost (e.g., reduced wire sizes)
• Faults in parallel configuration will not shut down all luminaires connected on the same power rail

About Artesyn

Artesyn Embedded Power is an Advanced Energy product brand, and is well recognized as a global leader in the design and manufacture of highly reliable power conversion solutions for a wide range of industries including communications, computing, server storage, healthcare and industrial. Customers trust Artesyn to help them accelerate time-to-market and reduce risk with cost-effective power conversion solutions.

GET IN TOUCH TODAY FOR MORE ARTESYN INFORMATION – 01929 555700

Here at Relec Electronics, we have worked closely with our key suppliers for over 40 years. We specialise in many industries, including; automotive, industrial, transportation, instrumentation & defence. We have a team of dedicated engineers ready to support you throughout the design process. We also carry stock of all standard modules and accessories for next day delivery.

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