Issue link: https://te.mouser.com/i/1475713
34 Connected LED Lighting Solutions Horticulture LED Lumileds has developed a LUXEON SunPlus Series designed for indoor horticulture applications. They are categorized and validated based on Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF), which quantifies the amount of light on the crop at the target wavelengths (Figure 1). Viewing angles around 85- 150° and ~3-5mm 2 package footprints provide the optimal amount of simulated sunlight for healthy plant growth. Lumileds product line offers the high- performance (both μmol/J and μmol/s PPF) and long lifetime (2200-6500K CCT) vertical farming needs for commercial success. LED hardware should also leverage the latest interconnect technology to interface with building infrastructure. Reliability is another critical feature with interconnects, as an efficient discharge of light does not allow for much excess lighting (beyond any built-in resiliency) in case of a connection failure. Other technology requirements are reviewed below. Sensors Like many technology-enhanced approaches, sensors are critical to the success of indoor horticulture. Indoor vertical farm sensors measure ambient temperature, humidity, air exchange rates, and CO2 concentrations to optimize efficiency (Figure 2). In addition to ambient conditions, sensors collect data on the plants themselves, such as temperature, nutrient concentration of the hydration source, plant-exposed light intensity, and spectral range, and progress (or deficiency) in plant growth. FIGURE 1. Lumileds LUXEON SunPlus Series Horticulture LEDs (Source: Mouser Electronics) FIGURE 2: Vertical farmers employ indoor sensors to measure various parameters to optimize growth and health. (https://stock.adobe. com/images/smart-agriculture-vertical-farm-sensor-technology-concept-farmer-hand-using-tablet-for-monitoring-temperature-humidity- pressure-and-light-of-soil-in-strawberry-farm-and-control-ai-robot-arm/184180845)