The UK government has banned halogen light bulbs since September 2021. Fluorescent light bulbs will be the ones to follow and will be removed from all British shelves from September 2023.
Why such a legislation against fluorescent light?
Halogen and fluorescent light bulbs have been historically used in several places, including grow rooms across the countries.
The UK government found that a shift to LED bulbs will cut 1.26 million tonnes of CO2. This is the equivalent of removing over half a million cars from UK roads.
These new rules are part of a tighter energy efficiency standards for electrical appliances as the UK builds back greener, something incredibly important with the ever-growing prices the consumers across the country have been facing.
The benefits of LED lights
On top of the promised positive environmental impact, LED grow lights offer many critical improvements.
They are a very cost-efficient solutions for indoor growing spaces, either used as a supplementary and unique light source. LEDs can help reduce the seed to harvest times and increase yearly production cycles. LEDs give growers the ability to improve their plant disease control as LEDs with tiny amounts of UV have been known to inhibit detrimental bacteria and fungus.
LED lights are also extremely flexible and give growers the ability to control the light spectrum. Growers can then generate specific responses from the crops, such as blue hues for sturdy growth and root development, and red for blooms and higher yields. This is something you can read more about here.
Other advantages include the increased light uniformity thanks to LEDs’ optics delivering a more even light distribution over the plant canopy. Ultimately, LEDs made vertical farming possible as it enabled us to grow delicate crops on shelves without the risk of burning and uneven heat distribution.
What does it mean for British growers?
Following the replacement of halogen lights where necessary, British growers now have to replace their fluorescent light bulbs. While LED lights deliver better growing environments, the transition can be a difficult and expensive process if not done right.
At Kroptek, we offer a wide range of LED grow lights, suitable for all growing environments. Our energy-efficient solutions will allow you maximise crop yield and quality all year round. We also offer a wide range of services, ranging from free light planning and horticultural advisory to turnkey solutions. Our team of lighting engineers, horticulturalists and product developers is available to ensure growers are getting the very best results, no matter their requirements.
With this measure, LED lights will account for 85% of all bulbs sold in the UK by 2030. It is then more important than ever to choose the right partner to make the switch as easy as possible. Get in touch with our experts to discuss your LED transition plans today.