Smart Farming Drones and cost saving Power solutions for agricultural farming

Agriculture is extremely susceptible to climate change and in recent years British weather has not been favourable for farming conditions, the warmer temperatures and lower rainfall have had negative impacts on quality/production rates and increased issues with pests.

Recent advances in agriculture technology (Agritech) have allowed farmers to take control of the situation by controlling the growing environment, making better use of their acreage, and shortening crop cycles.

What is Agritech?

Agricultural technology or agrotechnology is the use of technology in agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture with the aim of improving yield, efficiency, and profitability.

Agritech companies are finding new and novel ways of meeting this challenge with LED Grow light installations in different variations of growing ecosystems such as greenhouses, vertical farms, Indoor and underground farms as well as container farms. Smart irrigations systems reduce water waste while ensuring soil nutrient and moisture levels remain at their optimum conditions and reduces labour costs.

According to research (global newswire) the global Greenhouse Horticulture Market in 2019 was approximately USD 17 Billion. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% and is anticipated to reach around USD 40 Billion by 2026.

horticulture LED farming (medium-large)

Read how farmers in the US save $110K per year

At Display Technology we offer novel solutions to power agritech applications, our flagship power supply the iHP from Artesyn is a prime example (see video below).

Traditionally to power LED grow light systems each luminaire requires an individual LED driver and a control system is required to monitor and operate all the lights. The initial capital investment is relatively high, however many crops remain profitable. The iHP is able to power multiple luminaires, and has remote current sense features to ensure the system operates uniformly. The power losses due to thermal dissipation compared to standard LED drivers is much lower, hugely reducing running costs and the requirement for cooling while reducing the chances of a fire occurring. The iHP can be used to as a control system and is able to be controlled remotely through an online cloud service, where the outputs to the luminaires can be set to required values or turned on and off depending on your requirements.

We can help LED grow light manufacturers and LED system integrators, help farmers and growers offset issues faced when installing such systems. Reduce OPEX and improving return on CAPEX with smart farming, lighting control and a centralised power distribution system.

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