Seoul Semiconductor’s Horticultural Series LEDs deliver entire spectrum from UV-C to far-red

South Korean LED maker Seoul Semiconductor Co Ltd says that its new Horticultural Series LEDs – available in chip-on-board (COB), mid-power, and high-power packages – makes it the only LED maker to provide lighting designers with the complete spectrum of light used for growing plants, from ultraviolet (UV-C) to far-red. The new product family also includes Seoul’s SunLike Series natural spectrum LEDs, which produce light that closely matches the spectrum of natural sunlight.

The firm introduced the new Horticultural Series LEDs at the 2017 Horticultural Lighting Conference USA in Denver, CO on 17 October. One of the invited speakers was Dr Peter Barber, product marketing manager for Seoul VioSys, on ‘The Myriad Ways That UV LEDs Will Impact Society Through Horticultural Lighting’.

Full spectrum for horticultural applications

While many conventional LED makers have developed horticultural-optimized LEDs in the visible light spectrum from violet (~390nm) to red (~700nm) wavelengths, the new Horticultural Series LEDs extends this spectrum to include multiple ultraviolet bands (UV-A, UV-B, UV-C), as well as into far-red bands (~700-800nm). The extension of this new LED product series beyond the ends of the visible spectrum provides horticultural lighting designers with the capability to develop the widest range of light sources beneficial for growing and propagating different types of vegetables and plants in indoor settings, says Seoul Semiconductor.

Also playing a critical role in the new family is Seoul Semiconductor’s recently introduced SunLike LED technology, which is claimed to be the first LED to closely match the spectrum of natural sunlight. This provides a light source more like natural light than conventional ‘white light’ LEDs, giving lighting designers a wider range of options as they develop horticultural-specific lighting systems.

“By extending the spectrum of LEDs to include both ultraviolet and far-red light sources, Seoul Semiconductor provides horticultural lighting designers an entirely new spectrum of possibilities in developing lighting systems for specific plant growth and propagation,” says Mark McClear, VP, Americas. “Our Horticultural Series LEDs include high-power, mid-power and COB devices, enabling the design of a wide range of lighting fixtures – from high-bay and directional lights to rack-mounted fixtures for vertical farming systems – all from a single LED manufacturer.”

SunLike Series COB LEDs

For lighting fixtures designed to produce light that closely matches the spectrum of natural sunlight, Seoul offers a range of standard COB LED modules ranging from 6W to 25W.

High-power Horticultural Series LEDs, including UV, white and color devices

For high-bay and other lighting fixtures, Seoul’s Horticultural Series LEDs include the following options:

• UV-C – producing a dominant wavelength of 275nm, these unlensed UV LEDs can be used for sterilization;
• UV-B – producing a dominant wavelength between 280nm and 310nm, these unlensed UV LEDs are rated at 10mW with a photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) value of 0.25µmols/s;
• UV-A – producing a dominant wavelength between 360nm and 400nm, these lensed UV LEDs are rated at 636mW with a PPF value of 2.2µmols/s.
• Deep Blue – featuring a dominant wavelength between 449nm and 461nm, these deep-blue dome-lensed LEDs are rated at 650mW with a PPF of 2.6µmols/s;
• Deep Red – with a dominant wavelength of between 646nm and 665nm, these visible red LEDs are rated at 345mW with a PPF of 2.32µmols/s;
• Far-Red – producing a dominant wavelength of ~730nm (peak), these near-infrared LEDs are rated at 260mW with a PPF of 1.64µmols/s; and
• White – these high-power white LEDs feature a light output of 168lm with a PPF of 2.4µmols/s.

Mid-power Horticultural Series LEDs, including SunLike natural spectrum LEDs & color devices

For vertical rack systems and other close-up lighting fixtures, Seoul’s Horticultural Series LEDs include the following mid-power options in standard 3030 packages:

• SunLike 5000K – with a color temperature range of 2700–5000K, these LEDs produce light that closely matches the spectrum of natural sunlight, and feature a light output of 22.3lm with a PPF of 0.38µmols/s;
• Deep Blue – featuring a dominant wavelength of between 449nm and 461nm, these blue mid-power LEDs are rated at 155mW with a PPF of 0.62µmols/s;
• Deep-Red – with a dominant wavelength of between 646nm and 665nm, these visible red LEDs have a PPF of 0.43µmols/s, and a light output of 77lm/mW; and
• Far-Red – producing a dominant wavelength of ~730nm (peak), these near-infrared mid-power LEDs are rated at 50mW with a PPF of 0.38µmols/s.