AppHarvest has announced that its 60-acre greenhouse will be outfitted with a $15 million hybrid LED lighting system, making it the world’s largest LED installation for a single building. It will be materialised through a partnership with Equilibrium, a leading greenhouse investment firm that is providing upwards of $100 million for the facility. The state-of-the-art greenhouse will utilise Philips GreenPower LEDs from Signify and will soon begin the installation.
AppHarvest’s controlled environment agriculture facility in Morehead will grow tomatoes and cucumbers. The structure is under construction and will open in the second half of 2020. AppHarvest’s engineers have devised a cutting-edge hybrid system to dramatically reduce energy usage in the greenhouse and increase yields. The Philips GreenPower LEDs, which are 40% more efficient than typical greenhouse lighting, will be paired with Agrolux high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps.
Given their efficiency, the LEDs produce less heat and will be used in warmer fall and spring months to grow more produce. During colder months, both the LEDs and HPS lamps will be used, and the heat from the latter will help warm the greenhouse and reduce natural gas usage. AppHarvest produce will be distributed to the top 25 US grocers through partner Mastronardi Produce.
The LEDs will be installed by Dalsem Complete Greenhouse Projects, which is overseeing construction of the 2,762,073-square-foot greenhouse. The LED installation raises the all-cash investment by Equilibrium’s Controlled Environment Foods Fund from $82 million to upward of $100 million.
According to AppHarvest Founder and CEO Jonathan Webb, this LED installation reinforces how our Farming Now movement uses proven technology to grow more fresh food with far less resources. He believes that Eastern Kentucky is mobilising to lead the real food revolution and become the AgTech capital of America. This is Farming Now.
Equilibrium Senior Principal Marco de Bruin has suggested that this $15 million lighting deal is the latest example of how farming is undergoing a profound shift to utilize more capital and production infrastructure. The result is better meeting the demands of consumers, retailers and food processors for more reliable, year-round, fresher, and sustainable foods.
Dalsem Complete Greenhouse Projects Managing Director Jan Pieter Dalsem said Dalsem has helped build nearly 1,500 projects over the course of 87 years of experience, and the scope of AppHarvest’s Greenhouse and its leading technology make it unlike any other.
