Input parameters of a greenhouse lighting calculator are:
- LED and HPS specificities : lighting intensity, efficiency…
- Regulation setpoints:
- Day Light Integral (DLI) and minimum hours of ‘’night’’ per day,
- or fixed monthly schedule,
- above which solar radiation intensity lighting is switched off,
- Greenhouse transparent cover specification,
- Black out and shading screen specification and their regulation setpoints,
- GPS position to generate a weather file.
An example is shown below:
You can also define the blackout screen and its regulation setpoints as shown below :
Hortinergy’s greenhouse lighting calculator simulates your project during one year like a virtual greenhouse.
The results are :
- Solar radiation transmitted by the transparent cover and reaching the canopy,
- Supplemental lighting required, according to regulation setpoints (mol/m²/day):
- Day Light Integral (DLI),
- or fixed monthly schedule,
- Electricity consumption,
- Impact on the inner climate and energy consumption: heating, cooling, dehumidification.
The reports are :
- a pdf document with typical days and monthly summary tables
- an Excel file with hourly data for deeper analysis.
Solar radiation reaching the canopy and supplemental lighting required
The example below shows a monthly summary :
Hortinergy models the impact of supplementary lighting on the inner climate and energy consumption (heating, cooling, dehumidification).
The example below shows the crop transpiration and a higher inner temperature when HPS assimilation lighting is switched on from 9 to 11 AM and 4 to 9 PM to reach DLI.
Hortinergy also shows the electricity consumption and expenditures :