The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) released the second draft of its updated Technical Requirements for Horticultural Lighting (Version 2.1). Scheduled to take effect on July 1, the proposed changes would establish Qualified Products List (QPL) eligibility for three additional product types including DC-powered fixtures, externally supplied actively cooled horticultural fixtures and LED replacement lamps. The DLC is proposing changes to specifications related to all three product types in response to stakeholder comments received last fall. Comments on the proposal are due by April 9.
“These changes will support eligibility on our QPL for fixtures that enable greater whole facility energy savings by removing excess heat from the grow environment, while adding eligibility and performance criteria for LED replacements that will facilitate growers’ transition from legacy lighting to highly efficient, horticultural fixtures,” DLC Executive Director and CEO Christina Halfpenny says.
The proposed V2.1 policy defines externally supplied actively cooled horticultural fixtures as those in which liquid, often water or a water/glycol solution, flows through input and output ports of each fixture in the system, channeled through a cooling plate or other heat exchanger within the fixture. In adding these products to its Horticultural Lighting Program, the DLC provides descriptions of how to test and report on them to ensure performance comparable to products listed under previous versions of the policy.
Changes related to these fixtures in response to comments the DLC received following release of the first draft of V2.1 last fall include removal of requirements specific to the cooling system and not measurable at the fixture level, and the following new proposals:
- New self-protect functionality requirements
- Revisions to requirements for testing and reporting with respect to fixture-level allowable operating conditions for cooling systems
- Reporting of image showing photosynthetic photon efficacy (PPE) as a function of inlet fluid temperature
The DLC will accept comments on draft Technical Requirements for Horticultural Lighting V2.1 via a comment form emailed to comments@designlights.org.
Full details of the draft policy will be provided during an informational webinar on Thursday, March 11 from 1-2pm EST.