Horticultural Technical Requirements V2.0

Updates to SSL Technical Requirements V5.0 due to COVID-19

DLC Workplan

Horticultural Technical Requirements V2.0

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is quickly becoming the fastest growing electric load for many utilities, with lighting representing the greatest portion of that load. Well-designed horticultural lighting products have the potential to save significant energy while optimizing plant growth and health.

Hort V2.0 will increase the minimum efficacy threshold of listed products, meaning LED products on the Horticultural QPL would be approximately 40% more energy efficient, on average, than the most efficient legacy products. The new requirements also continue the transition from using traditional lighting metrics to using horticultural-specific metrics that better represent horticultural lighting performance. Finally, V2.0 addresses barriers to listing multiple product variations by introducing a process for family grouping and private labeling of already listed OEM products, meaning more horticultural products will be available to choose from on the QPL.

V2.0 contains three policy documents to review: the Draft Testing and Reporting Requirements, the Draft Family Grouping Policy, and the Draft Private Label Policy. Download each document below.

Cover Letter for Horticultural Technical Requirements V2.0

Draft Testing and Reporting Requirements for Horticultural Lighting V2.0

Draft Family Grouping Policy V2.0 Draft Private Label Policy V2.0

Download V2.0 Comment Form

Objectives and Benefits

Technical Requirements enable a variety of reliable and efficient horticultural products and product families to be qualified on the DLC SSL QPL.

The policy includes clear definition(s), performance criteria, and testing requirements that align with accepted horticultural metrics and ensure that listed products are high quality and energy efficient.

Energy efficiency program administrators and others have a wide variety of QPL listed products to choose from, allowing them to support the installation of high quality, energy efficient horticultural lighting products in their rebate or procurement programs, driving market adoption of energy efficient solutions in horticultural applications.

Growers and specifiers have the horticultural-specific data and tools they need to be able to specify horticultural lighting products appropriately.

Utilities are better able to manage increasing energy demand from horticultural facilities through incentive programs for a range of efficient and effective horticultural lighting products.