As growers and consumers look to sustainability, indoor agriculture is expected to revolutionize farming over the coming decades – and Silicon Valley’s XtremeLUX makes the most advanced and efficient LED lighting system for industrial indoor growing.
“We are able to increase yields tremendously because of the quality of our lighting,” said XtremeLUX co-founder Dr. Edward Stoneham.
Most LED lighting systems currently used for indoor farming are broad-spectrum phosphor-converted lights. But XtremeLUX’s innovative system uses narrow-band LEDs that can precisely address four different wavelengths. This has the dual advantage of making the system extremely energy-efficient and optimizing plant growth in ways that even surpass natural sunlight.
The other systems “are putting out light in some ranges that don’t help the plant,” Stoneham explains. “If you hit the plant with just those wavelengths in which the photosynthetic efficiency of the plant is high, then you can efficiently provide an experience that’s like heaven to the plant with efficient use of energy. The approach we have is the most efficient available.”
Co-founder & CTO
He says their lighting system is about 20% more efficient than standard LED agricultural lighting systems and about 10% better than their most advanced competitor.
And this precision can produce crops that are better for humans. Under controlled conditions, as in indoor farming with the proper lighting, it is possible to markedly boost the vitamin content of certain plants, such as lettuce.
In addition, their unique and advanced digital control system allows growers to attach sensors that track humidity, temperature, light levels and other data. And the lighting and sensors can all be integrated into systems that control water, fertilization and air conditioning.
Dr. Stoneham and co-founder Chiamin Cheng have deep roots in the innovative culture of Silicon Valley. After growing up in Los Altos, Stoneham pursued a doctorate in applied physics at Stanford and made his first LED as a student of Professor James Gibbons. After a career in semiconductor device processing and cellular infrastructure, he developed multispectral LED lighting, leading to the co-founding of XtremeLUX in 2011. Co-founder Cheng has more than 25 years of experience in the wireless communications and computer industries.
XtremeLUX supplies LED lighting systems for industrial indoor growers as well as supplemental for greenhouses. They have helped growers increase their crop yields and wield more precise control over their growing environments. Over that time, they’ve seen indoor farming technology blossom. The next wave of growing will include not only lettuces and other food crops, but will be really driven by the growth of pharmaceutical biologics grown in plants, Stoneham predicted.
“Indoor agriculture is about to start a second wave,” Stoneham said. “We’ve been developing this system a long time. We’re well tested in the field and we’re ready for that second wave.”
For more information about the company and their innovative systems, go to xtremelux.com or call them at (650) 218-3079.
XtremeLUX
1350 Dell Ave., Ste. 105, Campbell
(650) 218-3079 | xtremelux.com