As bright as the sun: modular plant light from BINDER

Natural growth conditions and utmost flexibility – the new modular plant growth systems from BINDER offer customized solutions for a wide range of applications at research institutes and companies.

The units combine state-of-the-art environmental simulation technology with a modular design, enabling individual adaptation to specific requirements and parameters. The LED plant light modules produce lighting scenarios inside the climate chambers that are very similar to natural sunlight.

Climate chamber + LED plant light module = plant growth chamber

The latest generation of constant climate chambers and cooling incubators can be converted into a plant growth chamber in next to no time by adding the LED plant light module. Thanks to the unique modular principle, the basic units can be converted as required and thus adapted to various requirements and applications.

The LED lighting system was also developed with maximum flexibility in mind. It consists of a light control box with program controller and 16 LED strip lights that can be positioned inside the climate chamber as required. The light control box is mounted on the side wall of the basic unit and the strip lights can be easily clipped in beneath the standard chamber racks using integrated metal clips. Each strip light contains three different LED color channels that can be controlled separately: sunlight-simulating warm white, sunlight-simulating cold white, and dark red phytochrome control light. The three color channels can be switched, dimmed, and programmed in real time independently of each other using the intuitive control unit. In addition, the system contains a twilight function and a fresh air function. The maximum irradiance (PAR) reaches sunlight strength. In contrast to the bright red light in the warm white channel, the dark red channel is used to trigger the plants’ phytochrome system.

Emission spectra of the LED channels

The BINDER LED plant light module can be used to create lighting scenarios in the climate chamber that resemble natural daylight. Maximum brightness close to sunlight strength is achieved if all 16 LED strip lights are mounted next to each other.

The white color channels are similar to sunlight in their spectrum. The ratio of cold white and warm white light can be used, for example, to simulate autumnal light conditions that lead to accelerated seed formation.

Flexible and sustainable

An extensive range of accessories is available for the plant growth cabinets, which can be retrofitted at any time. If, for example, an elevated CO2 concentration is required, the units can be supplemented with a BINDER CO2 fumigation module, which precisely regulates the CO2 concentration in the range of 0.05 to 1.0% CO2 by volume. The LED strip lights can be moved to different positions in the unit time and again, making it easy to change the configuration. The basic unit can also be used without a light module, making it suitable for many different applications. This not only reduces investment and operating costs, but also the space required in the laboratory.

The new plant growth chambers are also impressive in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency. They consume up to 66% less energy than their predecessors and are operated with climate-neutral refrigerants that comply with the latest EU F-Gas Regulation. They therefore make a positive contribution to environmental protection. The new units are also incredibly sustainable thanks to their versatile and flexible customization options and long service lives. The plant growth cabinets are available in five different sizes: in addition to the free-standing units with a volume of 260, 470, 720 or 1060 liters, there is also an extra-large version with a volume of 1600 liters.