Demand for LED horticultural lighting, due to the coronavirus pandemic and technological improvement in luminous efficiency, is on the rise, with application extending to controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), according to Charles Wu, global marketing manager for Amphenol LTW Technology, which produces connectors used in harsh environment.

Pandemic-induced lockdowns in the US and Europe have negatively impacted supply of vegetable and fruits, and users of indoor-grown vegetables have extended from restaurants to general households, Wu explained.

Luminous efficiency for high-power red-light LED chips has been hiked from 18-24lm/W to 22-26lm/W and lighting efficiency in wavelength selection and spectral absorption has also been enhanced, Wu noted.

Sensors, automated equipment and big data analytics have helped shortened vegetable growth cycles from one week to 3-4 days, Wu indicated.

Global CEA market value is estimated at US$2 billion for 2020 and is likely to grow to US$300-400 billion in 2025, Wu said.