VEGETAL GROW DEVELOPMENT
Fluorescent LED
Why replace a fluorescent tube with one led tube ?
In a context of high energy costs and pollution, Europe has banned T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes since September 2023. According to Regulation (EU) 2019/2019 and European Directive 2011/65/EU, companies manufacturing or importing these fluorescent tubes can only sell them until their existing stocks are depleted. As a result, LED tubes are no longer just an alternative, but the only high-performance solution on the lighting market . There's no need to rush to buy stock from various lighting retailers; it's better to invest in more durable products that consume less energy. Enough with the moralizing... Let's talk about professional horticultural LED lighting to replace these fluorescent tubes that have outlived their usefulness . LEDs offer spectra (colors) adapted to different types of crops, unlike fluorescent tubes, whose color is measured in Kelvin and often lacks wavelengths effective for photosynthesis. VGD offers two horticultural LED lights to replace them: the Tuborack, which will replace them one for one, or the Racklight, which will optimize the number of tubes to install.
Advantages of LED tubes compared to fluorescent tubes
Fluorescent tubes have only one advantage, which is quickly overshadowed by the advanced technology of LEDs: their price . A Tuborack VGD LED tube grows 2.5 times cooler and is made of polycarbonate, unlike fluorescent tubes which are made of easily breakable glass. Furthermore, food industry regulations prohibit the use of glass, which, if broken, is undetectable in fruit and vegetable packaging processes. The lifespan of a VGD LED tube is four times longer, reaching over 40,000 hours of operation for the Racklight VGD . In addition to these long-term savings, VGD LED tubes adapt their spectrum to the specific needs of the crop in the following areas: disease prevention, cuttings, grafting, integrated pest management, germination, variety selection, growth, algae control, insect reproduction, etc. Any reputable manufacturer of horticultural LED tubes will offer a minimum 3-year warranty, allowing you to protect your investment against your production commitments. Have you ever returned a fluorescent tube to claim under warranty…? With VGD's horticultural LED tube lighting solutions, you double the luminous flux (µmol/s) while at least halving the electricity consumption.
Environmental and economic impact of replacement
Undeniably, using an LED tube light fixture to replace fluorescent neon will reduce energy consumption by half, representing a minimum of 50% electricity savings . With VGD LED lighting, you'll benefit from additional energy savings because the LED drivers can be located outside the temperature-controlled area. In fact, 38% of the heat emitted comes from the LED driver due to current conversion . Avoid LED tubes and fixtures that use internal drivers, as heat accumulates and the lifespan is reduced by two-thirds, not to mention the loss of LED output. Ask yourself: why does VGD use an LED driver that is 10 times the size of an internal LED driver in a competitor's LED tube fixture? Beware, cheap solutions often end up costing more in the long run, and this can happen faster than expected. In compliance with European regulations, VGD offers a complete range of LED tube-style fixtures for indoor and vertical growing.
How to choose the right LED tube to replace a fluorescent tube?
It's essential to keep the initial logic in mind: what do your plants need? Don't panic, the VGD team of agronomists will advise you on choosing the right horticultural spectrum and light output . Each spectrum has a different yield because each color of an LED tube has a different efficiency. In other words, at the same power consumption, they don't emit the same intensity (µmol/s). Each crop has a spectrum that improves its productivity and/or physiological behavior. We advise against trying a 4000K neutral white LED office lighting tube thinking it will achieve the famous 20/80 rule. Think of your curious and discerning competitor who won't compromise on the quality of their setup and performance. A good LED tube light will be designed to withstand a humid environment with daily water splashes; its water resistance is one of the primary technical criteria. VGD, as with all its indoor LED lighting products, offers and recommends a water and dust protection rating of 66 (IP66).
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VEGETAL GROW DEVELOPMENT
STEPS TO REPLACE A FLUORESCENT TUBE WITH AN LED TUBE
First, it's best to conduct an audit of your existing setup . A VGD expert will be available free of charge to assist you with this process. The VGD team will always offer a 3D analysis of the light distribution of LED tube luminaires to guarantee the optimal photon levels for your crops . Second, this lighting study will determine the correct number of VGD LED tube luminaires and their layout for installation. Thanks to VGD's advice and dedicated LED spectra for your application, you may need to adapt your lighting protocols to maximize results.
Preparation and safety before you start
Replacing fluorescent tubes sometimes requires bringing the electrical installation up to code. We recommend contacting a qualified professional or the VGD technical team . Some of you are wondering whether to keep the old fluorescent tube fixtures with their ballasts. This is a mistake. VGD has already tested LED tube fixtures that directly replace fluorescent tubes. Great, they work, but… the problems begin: you don't get the same efficiency (energy consumption), your fluorescent tube ballasts fail, and it costs more to replace an LED tube. The lifespan of these LED tubes is shorter (<20,000 hours), and to top it all off, the LED tube supplier will state in their warranty that they do not guarantee connection to an older installation. Not to mention that your "retrofit" installation will not be dimmable (you won't be able to adjust the intensity). So, would you take a step back to take a bigger leap forward? We understand that budgets are often limited, which is why VGD has specially developed the TuboRack luminaire, simple and quick to implement, fully waterproof, homogeneous, with a variable LED spectrum and finally economical without compromise.
Step-by-step process
When it comes to working on an electrical installation, we often make a mountain out of a molehill, something we don't fully understand. VGD guides you through the entire process of replacing your fluorescent tubes . First, you must uninstall all the existing equipment to leave enough space for your new LED tube fixtures. Second, ensure that the electrical panel and associated cables are properly sized and in good condition for the new LED tube installation. Third, installing VGD LED tube fixtures is quick and easy thanks to their stainless steel quick-mount brackets and IP68 overmolded waterproof connectors with tool-free connection. Fourth, powering up the new LED tube equipment will allow us to verify the complete functionality of the installation. Fifth, checking the homogeneity and the correct number of photons on the culture using a spectroradiometer. The sixth and final step, calibrating multiple intensity levels according to the different growth stages of your plants, can be managed automatically by the VGD Box. The VGD team can handle all or part of these steps; feel free to ask us for details.
VEGETAL GROW DEVELOPMENT
Tips and recommendations for a successful installation
VGD advises against using the LED tubes commonly found in offices or warehouses . Indeed, the most frequent feedback we receive is from customers who come to us saying, "I was advised to use a 3000K or 4000K LED tube, but we're no longer achieving the results we get with fluorescent tubes." This is the most common issue we encounter. Remember that power is meaningless without the correct amount of µmol/m²/s (number of photons) in the right spectral color for the crop. Avoid undersizing your needs, as they may change; opt for horticultural LED tube lights with adjustable intensity. The entire VGD LED tube range is adjustable in intensity and even in spectrum with the HighRack multispectral lamp.
Our answers
The choice of spectrum and its intensity will be decisive on the results obtained on the culture. Simply ask VGD who will guide you through user experience on the correct lighting protocol to use. The only advice to remember is not to use commercially available LED neon lights to light offices or otherwise. Also beware of the false horticultural LED spectrum that a manufacturer can offer who would be tempted by the opportunity of the European directive in force to promote knowledge that he does not master.
Fluorescent neon lights consume the power indicated on the tube plus residual ballast consumption due to current conversion. Let's take the example of a 120cm 36W fluorescent tube with a ferromagnetic ballast, its consumption depending on the brand will be around 44W unlike TuboRack VGD 120cm which will consume only 16W. When calculating consumption, it is necessary to take into account this additional consumption of the ballast which represents between 10% and 20% more than the value indicated on a fluorescent tube unlike a LED neon.
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