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Solid State Volumetric Lighting for plant growth
Product Manual
Model: TG15A
www.totalgrowlight.com
Solid State Volumetric Light Packages
(SSVL)
TotalGrow TG15A Light Fixture
(Actual product may vary due to product enhancement)
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TOTALGROW TG15A OWNER’S MANUAL REV13
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Table of Contents
Overview
o
o
o
o
Product Description
Applications
Solid State Volumetric Grow Technology
Advantages
3
3
3
4
Getting Started
o
o
o
o
o
Package Contents
Key Components of Light Fixture
Safety
Installation
Maintenance
5
5
5
6
8
Product Notes
o
o
o
o
o
Available Models
Product Specifications
Light Spectrum
Light Output
Setup & Coverage
10
10
11
12
14
Support
o
o
o
o
Warranty
Returns & Refunds
Terms of Sales
Contact
15
15
16
16
Appendices
o A: Old Lighting Technologies
o B: Solid State Volumetric Grow Technology
o C: TotalGrow Spectral Efficiency
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11/19/2013
Overview
Product Description
Thank you for purchasing the TotalGrow TG15A Light Fixture. Your new grow light fixture is
designed to maximize plant growth for a wide range of applications. The grow light fixture,
powered by Solid State Volumetric Lighting Technology (SSVL) delivers a high quality light
spectrum with highly uniform light coverage for uniform plant growth. It’s easy to install and
can provide significant energy savings.
Applications
Commercial greenhouses, home gardens (indoor), nurseries, hydroponic centers, garden
centers, universities and research institutes.
Solid State Volumetric (SSV) Technology
At the heart of the TotalGrow fixture is proprietary Solid State Volumetric Lighting Technology
(SSVL). SSVL Technology provides significant advantage over traditional grow light sources as
well as over conventional LED lighting. Key advantages include:
o Volumetric mixing of light to provide optimum light consistency.
o Specifically designed phosphor mixture to optimize light spectrum for a broad range of
plants; we do not use multiple LED colors to approximate a light spectrum.
o Better control of light patterns through omni-directional light output vs. directional
output.
See Appendix B for more information on Solid State Volumetric Lighting Technology (SSVL).
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Advantages
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Uses Solid State Volumetric Lighting Technology.
Provides optimal light in the spectrum that plants need most for efficient and healthy
growth.
Incredible uniformity of light distribution over the plant grow area, eliminating hot
and cold spots that inhibit uniform growth.
Designed to produce much better plant growth while using less wattage than
competitive technologies.
Replacement for High Pressure Sodium, Metal Halide, Fluorescent and LED grow
lights.
Environmentally friendly Solid State Lighting Technology. (No heavy metal vapors,
HAZMAT materials or neuro-toxins).
No expensive light bulbs to replace.
Contains no moving parts to eliminate noise vibration and maintenance.
UL Certified, suitable for use in Damp Locations in US and Canada.
Patents and Patents Pending
Designed and built in Michigan, USA.
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Getting Started
Package Contents
(1) TotalGrow Light Fixture
(1) Product Information Card
(4) Mounting Hooks or (2) Hangers
Key Components

Key Components of Light Fixture:
o Power supply, cord & plug
o Heat sink
o Reflector
o 15 Solid State Volumetric Light Packages
o Mounting hooks or Hangers

The basic TG15A Fixture looks like:
15 Solid State Volumetric Packages

Included are 15 proprietary Solid State Volumetric Light Packages, a high reflectivity
diffuse reflector providing uniform downward lighting, a heavy aluminum heat sink to
provide optimum thermal management and minimize heat buildup, a 150W power
supply with cord and mounting hooks or hangers.
Safety
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The grow light fixture includes multiple Solid State Volumetric Light Packages. Do not
look directly into the grow light fixture or the SSVL Light Packages. Avoid direct eye
exposure to the light source while it is on.
To prevent the risk of shock, do not touch or handle the Solid State Volumetric Light
Packages, or any of the electrical components inside the fixture.
If a SSVL Light Package is damaged, immediately unplug the power from the source and
discontinue the use of the fixture.
This product is for indoor use only.
UL Certified, suitable for use in Damp Locations in US and Canada.
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TOTALGROW TG15A OWNER’S MANUAL REV13
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To prevent risk of fire, never use this product around combustible materials or
flammable atmospheres such as gasoline or flammable paints.
Use only extension cords employing grounded receptacles that accept the fixture’s plug.
Make sure the power cord & plug are never crimped or damaged.
Do not disconnect the power cord by pulling or tugging on the cord.
Ensure you are connecting the fixture to the proper voltage.
Never operate the fixture with a missing or damaged glass safety shield.
Unplug or turn off power to the fixture for installation, relocation, adjustments, or
cleaning.
There are no user-serviceable parts. Do not attempt any repairs yourself. If repairs
should be required, please contact the original seller or email us your contact
information to [email protected].
Installation



Carefully remove the contents from the box.
Before proceeding with the installation, please read and understand the instructions
listed on the Warning labels affixed to the fixture as well as additional safety
instructions listed in the "Safety" section in this document.
Mount the grow light fixture over the plants at your desired height using the following
method:
1. Depending on your fixture's heatsink, you may have "S-Hooks" or "Wire
Hangers" supplied for use with suspension mounting.
S-Hook Hanger
Wire Hanger
2. Whichever suspension method is used, ensure the suspension method is
rated for a Working Load Limit of 80lbs or higher.
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TOTALGROW TG15A OWNER’S MANUAL REV13
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4. When using the Wire Hangers for suspension mounting, ensure each wire
hanger leg is fully inserted into the fixture mounting channels.
Incorrect

Correct
5. For best product performance, ensure the fixture is level to the plant surface.
Connect your fixture to the proper power source (See Product Specifications for power
requirements):
1. For fixtures supplied with an a/c power connector, plug the fixture into an
appropriate grounded power receptacle.
2. For fixtures supplied without an a/c power connector, use of a cord strain
relief (such as the Hubbell SHC1022 cord connector) when wiring the fixture
into your conduit junction box may be required. Please consult your local
electrical building code(s) for specific requirements.
Hubbell SHC1022
Note: Some Volatile Organic Compound (VOC’s) emitted from commercially available products
can cause degradation in performance of the Solid State Volumetric Lighting Product. Locating
this product in areas where there is high concentration of the (below) listed VOC’s may
affect performance and the longevity of the product. Please see the maintenance section of
this manual for a listing of volatile organic compounds.
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Maintenance

THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS. Never attempt any
repairs yourself to any of the lighting or electrical components. . If repairs should be
required, please contact the original seller or email us your contact information to
[email protected].

Remove product from power before performing any maintenance.

Keep the heat sink free of dust and debris buildup. Use a dust brush and/or clean, dry
compressed air to blow dust from heat sink fins.

Clean reflector and lens with a clean damp cloth as needed.
Note: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) emitted from cleaning solvents can
penetrate the silicone lenses and encapsulates of LEDs. These VOCs in the silicone can
discolor when exposed to heat and high photonic energy of an LED. The result can
produce significant loss of light output or color shift from an LED.
The following is a list of chemicals that contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’S)
that will cause harm to the performance of this product. Use of these chemical or
chemical types MAY VOID THE PRODUCT WARRANTY. The below list may not be
all inclusive, please see our website http://www.totalgrowlight.com/ for the most
complete and up to date list of VOC’s.
Classification
/Type
Acids
Chemical Name
Hydrochloric Acid, Sulfuric Acid, Nitric Acid, Phosphoric Acid,
Found In Some
Cleaners, cutting
fluids
Organic acids
Acetic acid
RTV silicones, cutting
fluids, degreasers,
adhesives
Bases
Solvents &
Cleaners
Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonia, Potassium Hydroxide, Amines
Ethers, Glycol Ether , Ketones, MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), MIBK
(methyl isobutyl ketone), Aldehydes, formaldehyde, Xylene,
Toluene, Benzene, Isopropyl alcohol (IPA), Gasoline,
Dichloromethane Petroleum, Paint, Mineral Spirits,
Tetracholoromethane
Petroleum, Silicone Oil, Kerosene
DCA sCC3, HT902
Butadiene rubber, Butyl rubber, Chlorinated Polyethylene,
Chlorobutyl, Chlorosulphonated Rubber, Epichlorhydrin,
Polyethylene
Detergents, cleaners
Cleaners, mineral
spirits, petroleum,
paint, gasoline
Oil / Lubricant
Coating / Potting
Rubber / Plastic
Seal
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Low Molecular
Weight Organics
(VOC's)
Acetates & Acetones, Aldehydes, Aldehydes, Acrylates, Dienes,
Cyanoacrylate
Superglue, Loctite
adhesives,
threadlockers and
activators, common
glues, conformal
coatings
Petroleum Oils
Liquid hydrocarbons
Machine oil, lubricants
Non-petroleum
Oils
Siloxanes, fatty acids
Silicone oil, lard,
linseed oil, castor oil
Oxidizers/Reducers
Sulfur compounds
gaskets, paints,
sealants, petroleum
byproducts
Structural Plastics
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Polycarbonate (PC),
Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (gPPs) ,
Thermal
Compound
Graphite Gasket, Non-silicon thermal grease, Thermal transfer
grease (silicone based), Thermal transfer tape (with or without
adhesives)
Cl, F,or Br containing organic and inorganic compounds
Halogen
compounds
Other / Misc.
solder fluxes/pastes,
flame retardants
Halogenated hydrocarbons (containing F, Cl, Br
elements)/miscellaneous, Tetradecylamine,
Trimethylhexamethylene Diamine
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Product Notes
Available Models
o 150W Grow Light Fixture
o Additional models to be introduced in 2014
Product Specifications
Item
Fixture Power Consumption
TG15A-0x
150W
TG15A-1x
150W
Input Voltage
Power Frequency of Driver
Power Efficiency of Driver
Power Factor (PF)
100 to 120 VAC
47 ~ 63 Hz
89.5% 1
0.99
100 to 277 VAC
47 ~ 63 Hz
89.5% 1
0.99
8.25”/11.5”
8.0”
32”/34”
26/18
14
9.5
41
8.25”/11.5”
8.0”
32”/34”
26/18
14
9.5
41
2ft/10ft
-5F to 130F
15% - 90% RH
75F
25,000 hours
2ft/10ft
-5F to 130F
15% - 90% RH
75F
25,000 hours
15
15
Light Fixture - Height (inches)*
Light Fixture - Width (inches)
Light Fixture - Length (inches)*
Light Fixture – Weight (pounds)*
Standard Package - Height (inches)***
Standard Package - Width (inches)***
Standard Package - Length (inches)***
Chord Length(AC Input)**
Operating Temperature
Operating Humidity
Service Temperature
Service Life
Number of SSVL Light Packages
Notes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Measured at full load, 110 VAC input, and 25°C ambient temperature after the unit is thermally stabilized.
Measured at full load, 120 VAC input, and 25°C ambient temperature after the unit is thermally stabilized.
Minimum at 110 VAC input.
Service life represents hours to failure or 70% of lumen output at the given service temperature.
* Model change to include new lower profile/shorter length heat sink and elimination of power supply standoff brackets as of
approximately 12/30/13.
** Models with 2ft AC Input Chords are being discontinued as of 11/01/13 and will be shipped until inventories are depleted.
New models to be fitted with 10ft. AC Input Chord..
*** Parcel Shipping Box dimensions may not be the same as Standard Package Dimensions.
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Light Spectrum
The TotalGrow spectrum has been critically tailored to meet the greatest needs of growers.
The 4:1 ratio of broad-spectrum red:blue light increases the overall efficiency of the light by
matching the peaks of the photosynthetic action spectrum while balancing in
photomorphogenic requirements of plants. Put simply, this spectrum grows the plant more
efficiently while maintaining or improving the way it looks. Our significant blue proportion
will encourage plant density and bushiness that a lower proportion will not achieve. The
addition of far red (700-750nm) further supports total plant functions while actually
enhancing the efficiency of the already photosynthetically efficient wavelengths.
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Light Output
Single Fixture - Priority: Light Usage (min light > 35% center intensity)
Height Center Intensity Area
Area Intensity Area
Avg. Hourly Light
-2
-1
(ft)
(umole*m *s )*
(ft)
Average*
Range*
(DLI/hr)**
1
429
3x2
290
204-429
1.04
1.5
255
4x2.5
150
101-255
0.54
2
168
5x3
94
62-168
0.34
3
84
7x4
49
31-84
0.18
4
51
8x6
30
19-51
0.11
5
33
10x7
21
13-33
0.08
6
24
12x8
16
9-24
0.06
7
19
13x10
12
7-19
0.04
8
14
15x11
10
6-14
0.04
Single Fixture - Priority: Light Uniformity (min light > 50% center intensity)
Height Center Intensity Area
Area Intensity Area
Avg. Hourly Light
-2
-1
(ft)
(umole*m *s )*
(ft)
Average*
Range*
(DLI/hr)**
1
429
2.5x1.5
362
303-429
1.30
1.5
255
3x2
183
150-255
0.66
2
168
4x2.5
112
91-168
0.40
3
84
5x3.5
57
45-84
0.20
4
51
7x4
35
28-51
0.13
5
33
8x6
24
19-33
0.09
6
24
10x7
18
14-24
0.06
7
19
11x8
14
10-19
0.05
8
14
13x9
11
8-14
0.04
*units in effective umoles*m-2*s-1 = 125% measured PAR due to spectral effectiveness (see Appendix C).
**units in effective moles*m-2*hr-1 = 125% measured PAR due to spectral effectiveness (see Appendix C).
Multiply by hours/day runtime for DLI boost.
Single fixture heights above 4’ not recommended for a significant growth boost.
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Setup & Coverage
Height (ft)
1
1.5
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Surrounded Fixture Luminance
Spacing (ft) Avg. Effective Light* Light Range*
3x2
438
385-504
4x2
299
241-356
5x3
164
140-200
6x4
108
99-119
7x5
78
69-84
8x6
53
48-60
9x7
41
38-48
10x8
34
30-38
11x9
26
24-30
Avg. Hourly Light**
1.58
1.08
0.59
0.39
0.28
0.19
0.15
0.12
0.09
*units in effective umoles*m-2*s-1 = 125% measured PAR due to spectral effectiveness (see Appendix C).
**units in effective moles*m-2*hr-1 = 125% measured PAR due to spectral effectiveness (see Appendix C).
Multiply by hours/day runtime for DLI boost.
For greater light intensity at higher heights fixtures can be spaced closer together as
desired, generally with improved uniformity. Listed spacing options are maximum
recommended spacing at each height.
Surrounded Fixture Illustration
Surrounded Fixture data based on fixtures surrounded by at least 2 rows of other fixtures at the
same spacing to represent the additive benefit of multiple fixture arrangements to light intensity
and uniformity.
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Support
Warranty
o
TotalGrow is a brand of Venntis Technologies, LLC.
o
Venntis Technologies, LLC, warrants to the purchaser of its TotalGrow products that it will be
free from defects in materials and workmanship, under normal use, conditions and service, for
a period of three years from the original date of purchase, subject to the terms specified below.
o
During the warranty period Venntis Technologies, LLC. will, at its option, either repair the
defect or replace the defective product or part thereof.
o
This warranty does not apply to any product which has been damaged, defaced, subjected to
misuse, abnormal service or handling (including shipping damage), or which has been altered
in design or construction.
o
Neither sales personnel of the seller nor any other person is authorized to make any warranties
other than those described above, or to extend the duration of any warranties beyond the time
period described herein.
o
Removal of the manufacturing label from the product will result in the nullification of this
warranty.
Returns & Refunds
o
**If you are not satisfied with your Solid State Volumetric Technology Light Fixture, you may
ship your product back to us within 30 days of delivery for a 100% refund. Please refer to our
website http://www.totalgrowlight.com/ for detailed instructions before returning the
product.
o
All returns must be in original condition and must be undamaged, unbroken or unaltered in any
way.
o
All returns are required to be shipped in the original packaging.
o
Orders over $3,000 will be subject to a 10% restocking fee.
o
Buyer is responsible for return shipping costs. Any damages that occur as a result of shipping
are the responsibility of the buyer. Shipping insurance is recommended.
o
All refunds go to the original purchaser. A full refund will be due provided the return is
received within the return window.
** All product returns will need to be returned to the original place of purchase for a refund.
The original seller’s return policy may not be the same as our return policy.
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Terms of Sale
o
Purchaser acknowledges by providing payment for product or receiving product to these Terms
of Sales.
o
The warranty as described on our website http://www.totalgrowlight.com/ shall be the sole
and exclusive warranty granted by Venntis Technologies, LLC and shall be the sole and
exclusive remedy available to the purchaser. Correction of defects, in the manner and period of
time described herein, shall constitute complete fulfillment of all liabilities and responsibilities
of Venntis Technologies, LLC. to the purchaser with respect to the product, and shall constitute
full satisfaction of all claims, whether based on contract, negligence, strictly liability or
otherwise.
o
In no event shall Venntis Technologies, LLC be liable or in any way responsible for any damages
or defects in the product which were caused by repairs or attempted repairs performed by
anyone other than Venntis Technologies. LLC.
o
Nor shall Venntis Technologies, LLC be liable or in any way responsible for any incidental or
consequential economic or property damage. Some states do not allow the exclusion of
incidental or consequential damages so the above exclusion may not apply to you.
o
This warranty does not apply to improper installation or grounding, acts of God, such as
lightning strikes and/or electrical line power surges, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados,
vandalism, vermin such as slugs, ants, rodents, etc., or improper electrical connections.
o
Removal of the manufacturing label from the product will result in the nullification of the
product warranty.
o
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: Any and all inventions, discoveries, patent applications, patents,
copyrights, trademarks and trade names, commercial symbols, trade secrets, work product and
information embodying proprietary data existing and owned by Venntis Technologies, LLC as of
the date of the order or provided sample of product shall be and remain the sole and exclusive
property of Venntis Technologies, LLC. and its affiliates.
Contacts
Please send all inquiries to: [email protected].
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Appendices
A: Old Lighting Technologies
There have been many lighting technologies used for providing artificial lighting to plants.
Many lighting users for plant applications often use them as supplemental lighting by using the
sun’s energy as the primary light source, while supplementing the sunlight with artificial light.
A growing number of users are using artificial light indoors to provide 100% of the plant
lighting without the benefit of the sun.
Most horticultural lighting technologies used today were actually designed for human lighting.
However, the human eye has a much different response than plants. The human eye responds
mostly in the green to orange wavelengths with a strong yellow component and a total range
from about 400 – 700nm, with a peak around 555nm (Figure. 6).
Relative Response
Human Eye Sensitivity
400
500
600
Wavelength (nm)
700
Figure 6
Plants are most responsive in the region of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) of
around 400 – 700nm with peaks in both the blue and the red regions (Figure 7).
Relative Response
Plant Response
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
Wavelength (nm)
Chlorophyll Absorption
Total Photosynthetic Efficiency
Figure 7
There is less plant response from chlorophyll absorption in the areas that the human eye finds
most responsive and a lot of plant response where the human eye is not so responsive. Using
lighting for plant growth that is primarily designed for the human eye may be using energy in
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areas where it is not so useful for plant growth and likewise, not providing the wavelengths of
light that the plants would find most useful for growth.
For plant growth, the necessary blue light to which humans are not so responsive is useful for
plant gas exchange, managing plant shape, chlorophyll generation and regulating the growth
toward the light. Deficiencies in blue light can negatively affect plant growth. Likewise, the
orange/red light affects, among other things, the flowering and fruiting cycle. Most important
for consideration for plant growth and the spectral output of lighting is photosynthesis as
regulated by chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b and supported by accessory photoreceptors like
carotenoids (Figure 8).
Photoreceptor Absorptions
100%
Relative Absorption
Zeaxanthin
80%
Lycopene
Lutein
60%
Pr
Pfr
40%
B-carotene
Chl A
20%
Chl B
0%
400
450
500 550 600 650
Wavelength (nm)
700
750
Figure 8
It is desirable to provide a light spectrum that is most useful for plant growth and to provide it
economically.
You may be surprised, but most grow lights do not do this!
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Most grow lights were designed for people, not plants!
Many of the lighting technologies used in grow light applications, while claiming to be
beneficial to growing plants, do not provide much of their light output in the spectrum that
would be most beneficial to the plants, while at the same time providing light energy in the
parts of the spectrum that are not as useful to plant growth.
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Metal Halide
•
Metal Halide lamps have output peaks in the blue, green and yellow areas of the PAR
spectrum.
•
BLUE: The blue output has appearance and plant health benefits including stem
elongation inhibition and proper pigmentation stimulation.
•
GREEN/YELLOW: Most output is in the yellow-green spectrum and is the least efficient
light region for plant growth. Plants are green because they reflect the most green light
rather than absorbing and using it.
•
RED: The minimal output in the highly efficient red spectrum results in inefficient overall
growth.
•
For plants to properly flower and fruit they generally require stimulation by the correct
balance of red (620-700nm) and far red (700-750nm) light. This is lacking in metal
halides and is difficult or impossible to generate even at high power.
Figure 9
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High Pressure Sodium (HPS)
•
High Pressure Sodium bulbs, like metal halide bulbs, generate a spectrum determined
by the emission spectra of the elements inside. In this case it results in predominantly
green, yellow and orange emission peaks.
•
BLUE: The minimal blue light generation (400-500nm) means that the
photomorphogenic responses controlling plant shape and many important pigments,
such as antioxidant anthocyanins and coloration pigments, are not well stimulated.
•
GREEN/YELLOW: Most HPS output is in the green-yellow spectral region. This is a very
inefficient region when compared to blue and especially orange-red light, resulting in
wasted energy.
•
RED: The minimal output in the red spectrum results in inefficient overall growthstimulating light output.
Figure 10
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Fluorescent
•
Fluorescent lamp spectra bear strong resemblances to metal halide spectra (they also
share responsibility for large amounts of toxic mercury, even greater than HPS and MH).
Their overall effectiveness is thus relatively similar.
•
They are generally limited by relatively low photonic outputs requiring many units and a
large amount of fixture space to achieve high light levels for plant growth, and frequently
generate disappointment due to short life spans in growing environments.
Figure 11
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LED
LED Technology – What’s good about it?
•
Recently, there has been much advancement in LED technology and many have adapted
systems for the purpose of growing plants.
•
LED lighting in general has potential for reduction in energy usage as compared to other
technologies like metal halide, HPS, fluorescent and incandescent.
•
LED’s have a very long life with many of the LEDs on the market rated at 25,000 hours and
above.
•
LED’s are a type of semiconductor, they give off light when power is applied; there is not
much wasted energy by heating up gases that give off light like many of the other lighting
technologies.
•
LED’s radiate a fraction of the heat as compared to other lighting technologies. It is
possible to locate the LED light source very close to the plants without heat damage.
Placement can be as close as 12-18 inches.
The Problem with LED Grow Lights!
Current LED lighting products for grow light applications use a collection or an array of
various colored LED lights to approximate a desired light spectrum. The array can include
individual blue LED lights, red LED lights, white LED lights or other colors making it difficult
and expensive to assemble the necessary collection of individual LED lights to generate the
desired or a productive light spectrum.
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The spectrum below shows the spectrum of a popular LED grow light. Although the light is
provided in both the blue and red regions most useful for chlorophyll absorption, the narrow
bandwidth of the red light output severely limits the growth potential of the plant which
requires a much broader range of red for healthy growth. Furthermore, there is virtually no
light output in the critical far red region above 700nm.
Most LED products designed for growing plants do not provide a light spectrum that is fully
optimized for plant growth, especially when used as the primary lighting source. Also, because
of the directional output of traditional LEDs, when the light is radiated to the plants it often
creates areas in the plant growing area with higher levels of either blue or red lighting,
therefore not achieving a uniform color distribution.
Traditional LED grow lights with arrays of various colored directional LEDs
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B: Solid State Volumetric Lighting Technology
TotalGrow Light Fixtures use a foundational new way to provide improved greenhouse and
unsupplemented grow lighting called Solid State Volumetric Lighting Technology. This
advanced technology solves many of the challenges facing other lighting technologies in grow
light applications such as high pressure sodium, metal halide, fluorescent, and LEDs and
provides significant benefits to maximize plant growth in a wide range of applications. But
why is SSV Grow Technology better than other grow light technologies?
At the heart of the TotalGrow Light Fixture is a proprietary technology called Solid State
Volumetric Lighting Technology. What does this mean?
Solid State Volumetric Lighting Technology:
Volumetric Light Packages
•
With Solid State Volumetric Lighting Technology,
there is a volumetric chamber with phosphors
suspended throughout.
•
Solid state semiconductors at the base of the
chamber emit short wavelength light into the
chamber and it is reflected throughout between the
top and bottom reflectors.
•
As the short wavelength light passes through the
chamber, it excites the phosphor which then downconverts that light to secondary wavelengths (red,
orange, etc.) which are then emitted through the
sides of the volumetric chamber.
•
The Volumetric Light Package is designed with a
unique combination of semiconductors and
phosphor materials for producing a light spectrum
optimized for maximum and efficient plant growth.
•
The light is emitted in an omni-directional pattern
similar to an incandescent light bulb.
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Solid State Volumetric mixing of light has significant advantages for grow light applications
including:
 Scientifically designed phosphor mixtures to create and optimize a light spectrum for a




broad range of plants or for a specific plant requirement. We do not use multiple LED
colors to approximate a light spectrum, but rather give the plant what it really needs.
Providing uniform light. There is little glare or hot spots.
Better control of light patterns through omni-directional light output vs. directional
output of LEDs.
No color separation typical of directional LEDs or conventional lighting. The light
spectrum is the same in all directions.
Maintains consistent color over the life of the light and fixture.
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C: TotalGrow Spectral Efficiency
In short, photosynthesis is more efficiently driven by photons in the blue and especially the red
spectra primarily due to chlorophyll absorption peaks. TotalGrow light emission is
concentrated in these regions where plants are most efficiently fed so plants get approximately
25% more useful energy per photon received by our lighting than standard PAR lighting.
Relative Response
Plant Response
400
450
500
Chlorophyll Absorption
550
600
Wavelength (nm)
650
Photosynthetic Efficiency
700
750
TotalGrow Output
In greater detail, the starting point for plant growth is the absorption of photons of light by
chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for the majority of plant photosynthesis and therefore
energy to grow. Chlorophyll absorbs light with the efficiencies depicted here:
Chlorophyll Absorption
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
400
450
500
550
600
Wavelength (nm)
650
700
750
1
1
Source data from University of Copenhagen - http://www.bio.ku.dk/nuf/resources/scitab/chlabs/
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Many LED-based companies will stop here and make lamps consisting of LEDs that generate
light around the blue and red peaks, and then vastly overstate their efficiencies. However, a
plant is more than just chlorophyll. When testing individual wavelengths at the leaf level
rather than chlorophyll level for photosynthesis, plants on average demonstrate the following
photosynthetic efficiencies:
Quantum Yield
Plant Efficiency
400
450
500
550
600
Wavelength (nm)
650
700
750
2
Again, this remains too simplistic. Just as humans require more than just energy content from
fats, proteins or carbohydrates, so too do plants require more than just photosynthesis-driving
red and blue photons. The blue curve “loses” the efficiency suggested by chlorophyll
absorption because many other plant pigments absorb best in this range, including the
antioxidant anthocyanins that give many red plants their color, carotenoids like beta carotene,
and pigments like cryptochromes and phototropin that inform the plant how to adjust to its
environment based on ratios of different parts of the received light spectrum. In addition to
this, it has been proven that there are enhancement effects that cause efficiencies of red
photons (around 620-700nm) and far red (700-750nm) to be higher in the presence of one
another by 10-20%.34 These enhancement effects shift the photosynthetic efficiencies curve to
something like this:
2
Source – McCree K.J. (1972). Action spectrum, absorptance and quantum yield of photosynthesis in crop plants. Agric.
Meteorol. 9: 191-216
3 Govindjee (1963) Emerson Enhancement Effect and Two Light Reactions in Photosynthesis: Dedicated to the Memory of Late
Professor Robert Emerson. Photosynthetic Mechanisms of Green Plants (eds. B. Kok, and A.T. Jagendorf) Publication 1145, Nat.
Acad. Sci. Nat. Res. Council. Washington, D.C. pp. 318-334.
4 Hogewoning S.W., Wientjes E., Douwstra P., Trouwborst G., van Ieperen W., Croce R., Harbinson J. (2012). Photosynthetic
quantum yield dynamics: From photosystems to leaves.Plant Cell 24: 1921–1935
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Quantum Yield
Enhanced Plant Efficiency
400
450
500
550
600
Wavelength (nm)
650
700
750
Finally, a plant needs other vital processes that are stimulated by specific parts of the PAR
spectrum to grow well. The following plot shows the absorption spectra for the most common
and important of these photoreceptors:
Photoreceptor Absorptions
100%
Relative Absorption
Zeaxanthin
80%
Lycopene
Lutein
60%
Pr
Pfr
40%
B-carotene
Chl A
20%
Chl B
0%
400
450
500
550
600
650
Wavelength (nm)
700
750
5
Thus, the complexities encountered when moving beyond simple photosynthetic
measurements to measures of true efficiencies and total plant health cause the simplicity of
lights with narrow-spectrum LEDs to fall short of the potential of TotalGrow Solid State
Volumetric LightingTechnology with its unique broad-spectrum but ideally peaked output
curve:
Sourced from: Pinho, P., Jokinen, K., & Halonen, L. (2012). Horticultural lighting–present and future
challenges. Lighting Research and Technology, 44(4), 427-437; also Lun-Yi Zang, Olaf Sommerburg, Frederik J.G.M
van Kuijk, Absorbance Changes of Carotenoids in Different Solvents, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Volume
23, Issue 7, 1997, Pages 1086-1089, ISSN 0891-5849, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0891-5849(97)00138-X.
5
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This is an ideal balance of blue photons to support the vital functions of a plant, including
preventing elongation, developing chlorophyll, increasing coloration and regulating gas
exchange, and a broad red peak with about 85% of the total photons for driving the growth of
the plant, including a small but important region of far red light to further boost photon
efficiencies while supporting key plant functions dependent on far-red sensitive phytochrome
pigments.
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