Over the years, vertical farming has boomed considerably, and growers have learned to customize their vertical farms to match their exact horticulture needs. With an array of new farming technology and equipment, it is more important than ever to pick the right lighting to ensure plants will thrive. At LED iBond, we are proud of our Tracy® and Gracy products which provide high-quality and customizable LED lighting for optimal utilization of each cultivation area.
Introducing Tracy® and Gracy
Tracy® and Gracy are two of our revolutionary lighting fixtures that take center stage at LED iBond. These lighting solutions come in sleek, minimalist designs and offer customizable and flexible installation.
As our core products, both have been used extensively in vertical farms and various production areas and industrial spaces, and their reliable and excellent performance leaves growers impressed and satisfied.
The Tracy® spot luminaire
The Tracy® spot luminaire is a thin lighting panel that can be integrated with individual spot LEDs. Elongated in shape, it can be connected continuously for up to 96 meters from just one electrical input.
The Gracy LED light panel
Gracy, our core product, is an LED light panel that can be cut in any shape and size to fit users’ needs. It can be installed with only one cable, and just like Tracy®, it can be integrated with individual high-powered LEDs.
Shared characteristics
Tracy® and Gracy are one-component light panels designed based on our patented technology. Both panels utilize the ‘sandwich’ system in which the LED is placed between two Aluminum Composite Panels (ACPs). This gives each lighting fixture a sleek and minimalist design that is only 6mm thick.
Both panels are also open platforms for integrating Internet of Things (IoT) equipment in addition to emitting light. They are compatible with motion and light sensors and thermostats, and they can be controlled on the spot or remotely via a smartphone or a tablet.
Benefits of Tracy® and Gracy in vertical farming
Both of these LED lighting solutions come with a plethora of unique benefits that will help vertical farmers on their farms of any shape and size.
Flexible and customizable
Vertical farms are by nature compact. At only 6mm, Tracy® and Gracy’s sleekness was designed to accommodate this. These LED panels can be installed on ceilings as a traditional lighting source, or they can be combined in different ways for creative installations.
If an indoor farm requires lighting around corners of an irregularly shaped room or lighting installed on walls, both make a welcome addition. While Tracy®’s spot panels are extendable to up to 96 meters from a single connection point, Gracy is available in any shape and size. Both panels can be installed both horizontally and vertically.
For lighting in between levels of vertically stacked cultivations, they also make a suitable solution as they are lightweight and can be installed without becoming a strain. This makes a strong case for safety.
For those looking for an LED upgrade, Gracy can be retrofitted and mounted on an existing ceiling without replacing entire structures that could halt farm production.
Finally, both solutions can be fitted with individual LEDs of different colors. This is perfect for farmers that are looking for a customizable mix of red, blue, and white lights in their vertical farming structures.
Low heat emissions
Both Tracy® and Gracy are light panels integrated with LEDs which are not only compact in size but also emit very little forward heat. About 80% of an LED’s energy is converted into visible light and only 20% as heat.
Low heat emissions from lighting sources are desirable, as the general rule is that the less heat is generated, the longer the bulb’s lifespan. In fact, for an increase of every 10 degrees of heat output, the service life of an LED bulb is halved.
Both of these products’ heat emissions are kept further controlled by our ‘sandwich’ system which allows for effective thermal dissipation. This is advantageous in vertical farming for several reasons.
Many vertical farms are located indoors and therefore rely entirely on artificial lighting, and farms can have as many as hundreds of lights in action daily. Light panels with low heat emissions can avoid overheating farms, and they can also be placed closely to plants without drying them out or scorching them.
Easy to clean and manage
The panels’ main component is aluminum, and their minimalist appearance allows for easy cleaning. Both panels can be wiped down with a dry or damp cloth to remove dust and stains.
Individual LEDs integrated can also be replaced within a matter of seconds in both panels. LED iBond has developed Everly, a replacement solution that contains a special tool and a plug in which the LED can be mounted on. With the help of the tool, the LED plug can be fitted into Tracy® and Gracy so that when the time comes for a replacement, the individual LED can be replaced in a few seconds.
In a vertical farm with hundreds of lights, the ability to replace LEDs quickly can prevent disruptions in operations. When farmers do not have to replace the whole light panel each time a light goes out, they also save time and resources. Additionally, being able to clean panels easily can help them maintain the overall cleanliness of farms, which can mitigate food safety concerns when the plants are ready to be harvested.
Sustainable and environmentally friendly
Aside from being easy to clean and manage, both Tracy® and Gracy are sustainable lighting solutions and were designed to harmonize with the environment. Their core material, aluminum, presents the advantage of being easy to recycle as it can be shredded, melted, and solidified again into new products.
LED iBond’s LEDs present a unique advantage, as due to our ‘sandwich’ system and effective heat dissipation, they are able to provide lighting for up to 100,000 hours. This translates to over a decade of continuous use, and it is double that of the average LED on the market.
With this increased longevity, replacements are limited. This greatly lowers the need for farmers to purchase new components year in, year out, and therefore lowers the total cost of operation.
How Tracy® and Gracy can fit within specific systems
Over the years, vertical farmers and researchers have made great strides in horticulture machine design and improving irrigation systems. We are proud to say that we have kept up with these innovations and responded with some of our own.
Below are two commonly encountered vertical farming systems and equipment that Tracy® and Gracy are perfectly compatible with.
Vertical farming towers
Vertical farming towers are structures with layers of crops being grown on each shelf. True to their name, they can reach up to two to three stories high, and towers are often placed closely together due to limited space in vertical farms.
An effective vertical farming tower can greatly increase crop production when plants receive adequate light for healthy growth and development. This is where Tracy® spotlights come in.
How Tracy® spotlights can help
Our minimalist Tracy® spotlights is particularly suited for implementation in vertical farming towers as they are highly extendable. As spot panels can be extended up to 96 meters from one single connection point, growers can ensure that all their plants receive adequate lighting – even those at the very top of the tower.
Additionally, Tracy®’s light weight and wireless design also mean it will not pose any safety problems at the farming tower for growers and harvesters.
Moving gutter system
A moving gutter systems is a rotating system with open or closed gutters. These gutters, planted with crops, can be configured to move automatically to take plants from one section of the vertical farm to another. Growers may also add automatic spray booms in the farm or utilize gutter trolleys to transport gutters.
An effective moving gutter system can optimize the quantity of crops grown and harvested by ensuring the cultivation area is used as efficiently as possible. The automatic movement of the gutter also means that less manual action from growers is required, and farms can save significantly on labor costs.
Implementing Gracy as gutter lights
Our Gracy LED light panel can be easily installed on gutters as well as any flat surfaces within the system due to its sleekness and lightweight quality. It can also be retrofitted into existing ceilings for vertical farms looking for a high-quality LED upgrade.
Gracy is also an ideal solution for growers that would like a fully automated vertical farm as it is compatible with IoT devices. LEDs can be integrated with time and movement sensors that can trigger them to turn on and off depending on the movement of the gutters. Growers can then monitor the status of the farm from their smartphone or tablet and even adjust elements remotely.
Order your customized lighting solution today
At LED iBond, we want to help plants thrive in all conditions with high-quality LED lighting while keeping operational costs low. We also understand that when it comes to vertical farming one size never fits all, and our efficient LED solutions Tracy® and Gracy are designed with customization in mind.
For more information, please contact Sales on the button below. We look forward to talking to you.