Modular Horticultural Lighting System

Abstract

Various implementations disclosed herein include a lighting system that includes a power supply and a first lighting fixture coupled to the power supply, the first lighting fixture including a determined number of removable light-emitting surfaces, wherein the lighting system meets a target PPFD at a canopy of a plant bed having a specified area and a specified mounting height of the determined number of light-emitting surfaces above the canopy; determines the determined number of light-emitting surfaces based on the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height; determines a system wattage supplied by the power supply based on the determined number, the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height; and determines a spacing between each of the light-emitting surfaces in the light-emitting surfaces based on the determined number, the specified area, and the specified mounting height.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application is an international application and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 935,366, entitled "MODULAR HORTICULTURAL LIGHTING SYSTEM", filed on November 14, 2019; U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 011,336, entitled "MODULAR HORTICULTURAL LIGHTING SYSTEM", filed on April 17, 2020; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 066,347, entitled "MODULAR HORTICULTURAL LIGHTING SYSTEM", filed on August 17, 2020, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to horticultural lighting systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for adjusting horticultural lighting systems using modular components to meet specific customer needs. Background Art

[0004] Horticultural lighting is an important part of indoor agricultural environments because it has a significant impact on plant growth but also consumes a large amount of electricity. Growers are always seeking to reduce operating costs while increasing the quantity and quality of crops. The cost of lighting solutions is determined by their efficacy, wattage, and the number of emission surfaces (e.g., light bars). The higher the number of emission surfaces and the wattage, the greater the capital expenditure (CapEx). For a given geometry and desired uniformity, the minimum number of emission surfaces is necessary, but more emission surfaces can be added as long as the total wattage remains the same.

[0005] When the geometry of the equipment and the photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) are fixed and when a given light uniformity target is set, the average photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of the system - which is a measure of the irradiance of light on the leaves - becomes uniquely fixed. Alternatively, given a fixed geometry and an average PPFD target, the uniformity of the system becomes uniquely fixed. Thus, any deviation from these unique geometries, uniformities, or PPFDs is not optimal. For example, a system with 3 light bars spaced 8 inches apart implies an illuminated area placed 8 inches away to produce optimal uniformity. At a fixed wattage and fixed efficacy, the PPFD is also fixed. If a higher PPFD level is required, the wattage of the system must be increased, otherwise the light uniformity will be affected. Conversely, if a lower PPFD level is required, the wattage must be decreased, otherwise the light uniformity will be affected.

[0006] Traditionally, lighting manufacturers have created lighting systems with a fixed number of emission surfaces for each driver driven at a fixed wattage and efficacy. For proper operation, a lighting system must include an emission surface and a power supply, but these components are typically pre-defined and cannot be increased or decreased. For fixed lighting systems, conventional thinking requires lighting manufacturers to offer unique SKUs of different wattages / efficacies in order to meet various lighting requirements. The solution to this problem is to over-intensify and then dim the fixed lighting system to the appropriate level. While this may eliminate the SKU proliferation problem, customers may be forced to purchase more systems than needed.

[0007] As a result, fixed lighting systems are almost always above or below the target requirements. Modifying them to meet the target requirements is expensive. The result is that solutions with poor performance do not fully meet the customer's PPFD / uniformity requirements, or solutions with good performance meet the customer's requirements but are too costly. Customers may choose a custom solution, but this option is only cost-effective at large scales and is not feasible for most customers.

[0008] From the seller's perspective, the only way to address all potential requirements is to modify the pre-defined system to balance both performance and price goals. Typically, the seller can customize the power output of the power supply, re-design the emission surface to achieve different preset intensities, or do both. All options result in more components to inventory and manage, increased costs associated with business operations and overhead, and constant rework of the "standard" pre-defined lighting system, which is rarely utilized by many customers. For customers, all of these result in higher-cost and higher-priced solutions. Additionally, customization of standard products results in delays in lighting design, quote submission, and final order fulfillment, as well as the opportunity cost of constantly re-designing existing systems rather than using engineering resources for other tasks. Customization also increases the complexity of logistics, which ultimately results in higher overhead, and more importantly, quality issues that either require time to pre-mitigate or money to resolve later. Therefore, a cost-effective modular solution is needed that can be easily configured to provide a wide range of performance characteristics. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The systems and methods disclosed herein present an improved approach to designing lighting systems that allows for changing the number of emission surfaces at a given wattage / efficacy to achieve a specific PPFD goal and level of light uniformity. This means that the wattage per emission surface is flexible and allows for changing the wattage per emission surface based on application requirements. From an engineering and operational perspective, the system is ultra-flexible while limiting the number of different parts (SKUs) to a manageable number.

[0010] From the customer's perspective, they are provided with the minimum number of parts that meet their PPFD / uniformity requirements, thus increasing the reliability of the entire system and reducing its cost. Due to the modular nature of the solution, the customer can still add emission surfaces to the system or remove emission surfaces from the system to expand the system on a smaller / larger geometry, or reconfigure the system to achieve new PPFD / uniformity goals on an existing geometry.

[0011] From a sales perspective, the modularity of components and performance will greatly help to quickly arrive at the best solution with the minimum input from the customer. Currently, lighting design is based on the preset output and wattage of the equipment and thus also on efficacy. This is a constraint imposed by a fixed system - the seller is forced to sell a lighting system with a fixed wattage, output, and efficacy and with a predetermined number of components. When the system falls outside the pre-determined optimal configuration, the customer and the seller must negotiate a compromise. Therefore, the lighting design process and the sales process take a long time, and the customer usually has to reluctantly accept the closest-fitting solution rather than the best solution. The modular lighting system allows the customer to prioritize any lighting goal (whether related to uniformity, intensity, efficacy, cost, etc.) with a higher level of precision and the lowest cost (e.g., the lowest cost that fits best). At the same time, the flexibility of the system allows sales resources to achieve the desired solution faster and more easily, thus allowing them to allocate time more effectively and reduce the sales cycle time. When the number of emission surfaces is determined only by the geometry of the system, the system components can be determined formulaically. The required wattage is derived from the PPFD requirements of the system provided by the customer together with the geometry of the system. Applications can be used to calculate the optimal set of components for building the lighting system. These calculations are programmatically based on the hard requirements from the customer and allow for a quick determination of the best solution.

[0012] In summary, the benefits of the modular system disclosed in this article include flexibility in initial design and later modification, optimization and minimization of the number of components used, dynamic reallocation of parameters (e.g., total wattage) among all components when adding or removing emission surfaces to / from the lighting system, fast design turnaround, easy replacement of faulty components, and the ability to transfer excess resources (e.g., wattage) for other uses.

[0013] Various implementations disclosed herein include a lighting system that includes a power supply and lighting fixtures coupled to the power supply, the lighting fixtures including a determined number of removable emission surfaces, wherein the lighting system meets a target photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) at a canopy of a plant bed having a specified area and a specified mounting height of a determined number of emission surfaces above the canopy; determines the determined number of emission surfaces based at least on the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height; determines a system wattage supplied by the power supply based at least on the determined number, the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height; and determines a spacing between each of the emission surfaces in the emission surfaces based at least on the determined number and the specified mounting height.

[0014] In some implementations, when at least one of the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height is changed, the determined system wattage, the determined number, and the spacing between each of the emission surfaces are re-determined. In some implementations, when the re-determined system wattage exceeds the maximum wattage of the power supply, the power supply is replaced by a replacement power supply having a maximum wattage higher than the re-determined system wattage. In some implementations, when the re-determined number of emission surfaces is greater than the determined number of emission surfaces, additional removable emission surfaces are added to the lighting fixtures, and the spacing between each of the re-determined number of emission surfaces is adjusted to be equal to the re-determined spacing. In some implementations, when the re-determined number of emission surfaces is less than the determined number of emission surfaces, the excess emission surfaces are removed from the lighting fixtures, and the spacing between each of the remaining emission surfaces is adjusted to be equal to the re-determined spacing.

[0015] In some implementations, when the determined system wattage is less than the maximum wattage of the power supply, the system further includes one or more peripheral devices coupled to the power supply. In some implementations, the one or more peripheral devices include at least one of a fan, a heater, a sensor, a communication module, and a control device. In some implementations, the one or more peripheral devices consume a total peripheral wattage, and the total peripheral wattage plus the determined system wattage is less than or equal to the maximum wattage of the power supply.

[0016] In some implementations, the system further includes a first connector that couples a power supply to a determined number of emission surfaces. In some implementations, the determined number becomes a re-determined number of emission surfaces, and the first connector is replaced by a second connector that couples the power supply to the re-determined number of emission surfaces. In some implementations, the system further includes a plurality of connectors that couple the power supply to a determined number of emission surfaces. In some implementations, when one of the plurality of connectors fails, the failed connector is replaced by an identical replacement connector. In some implementations, when at least one of the emission surfaces fails, the at least one failed emission surface is removed, the spacing between the remaining emission surfaces is adjusted based on a specified area, and the specified mounting height is adjusted based on the spacing between the remaining emission surfaces. In some implementations, the specified mounting height is equal to the spacing between each of the emission surfaces. In some implementations, a power supply is selected from a plurality of power supplies, each of the plurality of power supplies having a maximum wattage, and the difference between the maximum wattage of the selected power supply and the system wattage is minimized. In some implementations, different combinations of the values of the system wattage, the determined number, the spacing, and the specified mounting height satisfy a target PPFD and a specified area.

[0017] Other implementations disclosed herein include a method for determining characteristics of a lighting system. The method includes: receiving a target photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) at a canopy of a plant bed having a specified area and a specified mounting height between the canopy and emission surfaces of lighting fixtures above the plant bed; determining at least the number of removable emission surfaces on the lighting fixtures based on the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height; determining at least the system wattage supplied by a power supply of the lighting system based on the determined number, the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height; and determining at least the spacing between each of the emission surfaces based on the determined number and the specified mounting height.

[0018] Other implementations disclosed herein include a lighting system that includes one or more power supplies and one or more lighting fixtures coupled to the one or more power supplies, each of the lighting fixtures including a plurality of removable emission surfaces. The system wattage provided by the one or more power supplies, the number of emission surfaces on each lighting fixture, and the spacing between the emission surfaces on each lighting fixture are determined based on a target photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) at a canopy of a plant bed having a specified area and a specified mounting height between the canopy and the emission surfaces.

[0019] Other implementations disclosed herein include a lighting system that includes: one or more power supplies; one or more lighting fixtures, each of the one or more lighting fixtures having one or more emission surfaces; and one or more connectors that couple the one or more power supplies to the one or more lighting fixtures, wherein each of the one or more power supplies, the one or more lighting fixtures, the one or more emission surfaces, and the one or more connectors is replaceable while maintaining a target photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) at the canopy of a plant bed having a specified area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a modular lighting fixture according to various implementations.

[0021] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations.

[0022] Figure 3 is a graph of variable parameters that can be changed in a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations.

[0023] Figures 4A to 4C is a block diagram showing different variants of an adjustable horticultural lighting system that meets the same lighting needs according to various implementations.

[0024] Figure 5 shows an example of replaceable components in a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations.

[0025] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a modular horticultural lighting system having a replaceable connector component according to various implementations.

[0026] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing different replaceable connector components that support the same number of lighting fixtures according to various implementations.

[0027] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing different modular horticultural lighting systems that provide the same wattage according to various implementations.

[0028] Figures 9A to 9B is a block diagram showing the dynamic reconfiguration of a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations.

[0029] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing a method of determining a customer's lighting solution using a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations.

[0030] Figure 11is a flowchart showing a sales process for a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations.

[0031] These and other features of the presented implementations will be better understood by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings described herein. The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. For clarity, not every component may be labeled in each drawing. Detailed Description

[0032] Modular Fixtures and Lighting System

[0033] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a modular lighting fixture 100 according to various implementations. The modular lighting fixture 100 includes a plurality of emission surfaces 102. The emission surfaces 102 can be, for example, light bars that include a plurality of light emitters (e.g., light-emitting diodes or LEDs) and associated power and / or control circuitry. Although Figure 1 the emission surfaces 102 shown in are linear / rectangular in shape, generally the emission surfaces 102 can have any shape configuration, such as circular or wide area (e.g., square).

[0034]

[0035] Although Figure 1 two support structures 104 are shown in Figure 1 , generally the modular lighting fixture 100 can include any number of support structures. The modular lighting fixture 100 can include other components not shown in

[0036] A light-emitting surface 102 can be added to or removed from the modular lighting fixture 100, and the spacing between each light-emitting surface 102 can be changed and customized. The geometry of the modular lighting fixture 100 is customizable to meet specific customer lighting needs. For example, considering the customer's PPFD / uniformity requirements, the number and spacing of the light-emitting surfaces 102 can be adjusted, and the wattage of the system can be set to exactly or nearly meet the PPFD / uniformity requirements. Thus, the modular lighting fixture 100 provides greater flexibility than a fixed lighting system where the wattage and geometry of the fixture are static.

[0037] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a modular horticultural lighting system 200 according to various implementations. The horticultural lighting system 200 includes one or more power supplies 202, and the one or more power supplies 202 can be a power supply unit and associated AC power cord or DC power grid. The power supply 202 is connected to one or more modular lighting fixtures 100 (refer to Figure 1 for description) via a modular connector 204. Each power supply 202 can provide power of different wattages. Based on customer requirements, one or more of the power supplies 202 can be connected to one or more of the modular lighting fixtures 100. For example, the power supply 202 and the modular lighting fixture 100 can be connected in such a way that a specific uniformity goal is achieved over the integrated analysis area (e.g., controlling costs and adapting to customer lighting goals) or the intensity over a specific part of the integrated analysis area is changed (e.g., adapting to different intensity goals for specific plant varieties / growth stages). The modular connector 204 allows for flexible connection between the power supply 202 and the light-emitting surface 102 on the modular lighting fixture 100, and particularly allows for the dynamic addition, removal, and reconfiguration of the light-emitting surface 102.

[0038] The horticultural lighting system 200 allows each light-emitting surface to be driven at different wattages based on the number of light-emitting surfaces connected to the system. For example, a 600 direct current (DC) watt (W) power supply unit can be connected to one or more modular lighting fixtures 100 that together have a total of six light-emitting surfaces. Thus, each light-emitting surface draws 100 DC W of power. Adding a seventh light-emitting surface means that the wattage of the power supply unit / DC power grid 202 is reallocated such that all seven light-emitting surfaces each draw 85.7 DC W.

[0039] Given a target irradiance (PPFD) and the geometry of the system (e.g., area and mounting height), the wattage required for the system, as well as the optimal number of emitting surfaces and the distance between the emitting surfaces, can be calculated. The use of the horticultural lighting system 200 allows the customer to easily change the hardware and the emitting surfaces used in the system without changing the total wattage used by the system. This flexibility in the componentry also addresses another constraint imposed by the customer: cost. The modular lighting system also allows the customer to balance cost and performance. For example, if the optimal solution is too costly, then it is easy to remove components to achieve the desired cost if a compromise is made between uniformity, irradiance, or the distance between the illuminated area and the emitting surfaces.

[0040] One of the main advantages of a modular lighting system over a fixed system is the ability to decouple the number of emitting surfaces from the wattage (total power) of the system. It can solve complex problems when only two non-dependent variables are known: uniformity and irradiance. While these two attributes are closely related in a fixed lighting system, they are separate and independently manipulable in a modular lighting system. Discrete control of these two variables allows for a wider range of applications to be designed while allowing for the optimization of performance, cost, or even the componentry to achieve the best physical fit.

[0041] The horticultural lighting system 200 may include Figure 2 other components not shown. For example, the horticultural lighting system 200 may include a driver configured to transfer power to a specific emitting surface on a per-application basis to meet the customer's uniformity or intensity goals. The horticultural lighting system 200 may also include sensors for monitoring environmental or plant parameters and a communication module for communicating with a server and / or user device 206. The horticultural lighting system 200 may be connected to one or more computing devices such as user devices (e.g., tablet computers, laptop computers, smart phones) and servers to enable cloud storage, cloud computing, and smart agriculture functions. For example, the computing device may provide remote monitoring and control functions for the horticultural lighting system 200 (e.g., receiving sensor data from a horticultural facility and analyzing the data to detect anomalies or monitor plant growth, and providing recommendations for improving plant growth through lighting or other environmental controls). In another example, a grower or customer can use a user device connected to the system to remotely monitor and control the horticultural lighting system 200.

[0042] Figure 3Chart 300 of variable parameters that can be changed in a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations. Each column in Chart 300 represents an independent variable that can be adjusted in horticultural lighting system 200 and modular lighting fixture 100. The variables include the wattage of the available power supply, the length of the emission surface (e.g., the length of a linear light bar), the intensity of the emission surface, and the number of emission surfaces used. Given a target uniformity, PPFD, and geometry (e.g., the area to be illuminated and the mounting height), the power supply wattage and emission surface parameters can be selected to achieve the target specifications. For example, the optimal solution can include: determining the minimum power supply that achieves a fixed total wattage, the correct size of the emission surface that meets the geometric constraints, or the total number of emission surfaces.

[0043] Figures 4A to 4C is a block diagram showing different variants of a modular horticultural lighting system that meets the same lighting needs according to various implementations. The following is an example of how horticultural lighting system 200 can be adjusted to meet the changing needs of a customer. Suppose a customer wishes to provide illumination of approximately 450 PPFD above a 4-foot by 8-foot canopy. Considering the geometric constraints and the PPFD target, the lowest-cost solution is determined to be: a 600W power supply powers six 100W emission surfaces (light bars in this example), and these six 100W emission surfaces are spaced 1 foot 4 inches apart and mounted 1 foot 4 inches above the canopy. This solution is shown in Figure 4A At 1 foot 4 inches above the canopy, this solution provides the target intensity (PPFD) and has optimal uniformity, but the customer is concerned about the mounting height because there will be multiple layers of crops stacked on top of each other. To help maximize the existing vertical space and install more layers in the same footprint, the light bars may be lowered to a position closer to the canopy, but the uniformity will be reduced to an unacceptable level.

[0044] To reduce the mounting height, the customer can choose to add light bars to the solution. The higher-cost solution that meets the customer's new performance goals is shown in Figure 4B : eight 75W light bars spaced 1 foot apart and mounted 1 foot above the canopy. This solution meets the PPFD and uniformity goals, is smaller in terms of height than the first solution (the distance between the lights and the canopy is reduced by 4 inches), and the total wattage remains the same because the 600W power supply redistributes the power evenly among the eight light bars, resulting in each light bar consuming 75W.

[0045] Now suppose the customer wishes to reduce their electricity bill (operating expense or OpEx) by improving the efficacy of the solution. Readjusting the variables in the modular lighting system results in Figure 4CThe solution shown in: Twelve light bars are spaced 8 inches apart and mounted 8 inches above the canopy. Compared with Figure 4B , the resulting solution further reduces the vertical height of the solution by 4 inches while still meeting the customer's PPFD target and uniformity target. More importantly, adding four additional light bars means that each light bar is now driven at a lower wattage, thus increasing the efficacy of each light bar and the system. The power supply evenly redistributes 600W among the twelve light bars, so that each light bar consumes 50W. In a further optimization, medium-power light bars capable of handling 100W and 75W can be replaced with cheaper low-power light bars. Although increasing the number of light bars increases the cost, the increased cost is at least partially offset by using cheaper parts.

[0046] It should be noted that the uniformity, PPFD, and total wattage are the same in the Figures 4A to 4C solution shown. The parameters that are changed are only the number of light bars, the spacing between the light bars, and the wattage supplied to each light bar. Therefore, the horticultural lighting system 200 can adjust certain variables (e.g., mounting height, cost) while maintaining the same irradiance and uniformity requirements. Even after the initial setup, the horticultural lighting system 200 can easily switch between the Figures 4A to 4C solutions shown - the only changes required are the mounting height and the addition / removal of light bars. Comparing this with a fixed lighting system, in a fixed lighting system, it may be necessary to replace the entire system (including the power supply, connectors, and fixtures) in order to accommodate different lighting and geometric requirements.

[0047] Replaceable system components

[0048] The flexibility in a modular horticultural lighting system is not limited to the emission surface itself, but can also extend to other components that make up the entire system. The modular horticultural lighting system can also include a power supply and connector components that connect the power supply to the emission surface. Although the emission surface shares the wattage and redistributes the wattage dynamically based on the number of attached components, the power supply and connectors can also be modular and replaceable. When the entire system is standardized according to a set of common specifications, any given component can be easily replaced without the need to adjust or replace the rest of the system.

[0049] Figure 5Shows an example of a replaceable component in a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations. The replaceable component may include an AC power cord 502 that can be connected to various AC power supplies 504. In some implementations, when the modular horticultural lighting system operates via a DC grid, the AC power cord 502 can be replaced with a DC power cord and there is no AC power supply 504. In some implementations, there may be more than one power supply in the system. A power supply is used to provide the required total amount of DC watts (W DC ), where the required total amount of DC watts (W DC ) is used to drive all emission surfaces at an appropriate voltage (V DC ) for each individual emission surface. The power supply has a range of power levels and a range of output voltages. For the lighting system to operate properly, the W DC and V DC of the power supply must match the W DC and V DC requirements of the emission surfaces. In a modular horticultural lighting system, all possible emission surfaces and power supplies must share common W DC and V DC electrical specifications.

[0050] If the power supply fails, the power supply can be replaced without replacing or disassembling any other components. The power supply can also be replaced with a power supply with a higher or lower output to adjust the light intensity without changing the uniformity or replacing or disassembling any other components. Alternatively, power from a DC grid can be used instead of the power supplies for multiple modular lighting systems. The DC grid is powered by a large centrally located power supply that outputs a large amount of watts. Pairing multiple modular lighting systems with the DC grid during installation provides significant labor and material savings because only the DC grid replaces multiple power supplies. The DC grid can also be reconfigured later to accommodate new electrical requirements, more modular lighting systems, or other components (e.g., fans, motors, irrigation pumps, and sensors) without requiring a change in the placement or performance of the systems connected to the grid.

[0051] The modular horticultural lighting system can also include many different wirings / connectors between the AC power supply 504 and the emission surface 512. These connectors can include various different manifolds 506, various different wire harnesses 508, and various DC extension cords 510. Figure 5Other types of replaceable components not shown may also be part of the modular horticultural lighting system. The manifold 506 may be used to connect the AC power supply 504 to the wire harness 508. Different manifolds 506 may have different numbers of connectors, each configured to connect to the wire harness 508. For example, a 2-connector manifold may connect the AC power supply 504 to two wire harnesses 508, a 4-connector manifold may connect the AC power supply 504 to four wire harnesses 508, and a 6-connector manifold may connect the AC power supply 504 to six wire harnesses 508.

[0052] Similarly, the wire harness 508 may have different numbers of connectors, each configured to connect to the emission surface 512 with or without the DC extension cord 510 between the connector and the emission surface 512. For example, a 2-connector wire harness may connect the manifold to two emission surfaces, a 3-connector wire harness may connect the manifold to three emission surfaces, and a 4-connector wire harness may connect the manifold to four emission surfaces. Each DC extension cord 510 may be used to connect the wire harness 508 to the emission surface 512. If the DC extension cord 510 is used between the wire harness and the emission surface, the DC extension cord 510 may be of different lengths, such as short, medium, and long, depending on the spatial requirements of the system setup.

[0053] Each of the AC cord 502, the AC power supply 504, the manifold 506, the wire harness 508, the DC extension cord 510, and the emission surface 512 may be replaceable, such that they can be easily replaced in the event of a failure of any one of the components or when the lighting requirements of the system change. For example, if the number of emission surfaces supported by the wire harness increases from three to four, the 3-connector wire harness may be replaced by a 4-connector wire harness. In another example, if one of the manifolds in the system fails, the failed manifold can be replaced without replacing any other components. Each of the various replaceable components uses the same connector type, such that any component can be easily replaced without worrying about the compatibility of the connection points. Therefore, the replaceable components enable the implementation of a fully flexible and adjustable modular horticultural lighting system, in which the system can be easily replaced to meet various lighting needs and can be easily repaired when a component fails.

[0054] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a modular horticultural lighting system 600 with replaceable connector components according to various implementations. The modular horticultural lighting system 600 includes Figure 5The multiple replaceable components shown in, for example, the AC power supply 504 can be connected to a plurality of manifolds 506 (in this case, 4-connector manifolds), each of the manifolds 506 being connected to a plurality of wire harnesses 508 (in this case, 2-connector manifolds). Each wire harness is connected to a DC extension cord 510, which is connected to the emission surface 512. By replacing any of the parts in the replacement system 600, the number of emission surfaces can be changed to meet any specific lighting needs. Additionally, any of the parts in the system 600 can be replaced without affecting any of the other parts, making it easy to replace a faulty part.

[0055] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing different replaceable connector components that support the same number of lighting fixtures according to various implementations. In configuration 702, an AC cord is connected to a 4-connector manifold. Four 2-connector wire harnesses are connected to the 4-connector manifold, thus supporting a total of eight emission surfaces. In configuration 704, an AC cord is connected to a 2-connector manifold. Two 4-connector wire harnesses are connected to the 2-connector manifold, again supporting a total of eight emission surfaces. Figure 7 is an example of how different sets of components can be used to meet the same lighting requirements. This allows for greater flexibility when building a modular horticultural lighting system and reduces the need to have specific parts on hand to meet specific lighting requirements.

[0056] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing different modular horticultural lighting systems that provide the same wattage according to various implementations. In configuration 802, an AC power supply providing 80W of power is connected to a 2-connector manifold. Two 2-connector wire harnesses are connected to the 2-connector manifold, thus supporting a total of four emission surfaces, each rated at 20W and receiving 20W of power. Thus, each emission surface provides 20W of power. Configuration 804 is similar to configuration 802 except that the four emission surfaces are each rated at 40W but only receive 20W of power. However, since only 80W is being provided to the system and the 80W of power is evenly distributed among the emission surfaces, each emission surface again provides 20W of power. This is another example of how different sets of components can be used to meet the same lighting requirements.

[0057] Having a series of selectable emission surfaces has multiple benefits. For example, during the design process, the emission surface can be replaced with an option of higher or lower intensity (wattage) as the total system wattage and design goals change. Unless the wattage required for each emission surface exceeds the maximum rated wattage of that emission surface, changing the emission surface during the design process does not require changing any other components. Additionally, if an emission surface fails after deployment, the failed emission surface can be easily replaced without replacing the rest of the system. The rest of the system will be compensated by outputting more light through each emission surface until the failed emission surface is replaced. Even when one or more emission surfaces are disconnected, the modular power architecture of the system will still provide the same total wattage above a given area. Furthermore, having a series of emission surfaces with different outputs (e.g., 30W, 60W, 90W) provides significant supply chain and warehousing advantages. If the inventory level of the 30W emission surface is insufficient, any higher wattage emission surface in the platform can be used as a replacement to fulfill the order, such as Figure 8 the example shown in

[0058] A modular horticultural lighting system where each component is replaceable has additional overall advantages. For example, if any component in the modular lighting system fails, the failed component can be replaced individually without having to send the rest of the system back for replacement. Shipping a single emission surface, power supply, or cable / connector saves on shipping costs and takes less time to complete. In contrast, when replacing components in a fixed system, the entire system or a large part of the fixed system must be replaced, resulting in higher shipping costs when replacing fully functional components that cannot be easily separated from the larger system. Additionally, at any time after deployment / installation, the modularity of the system allows it to be easily reconfigured. Not only can the emission surface be replaced to meet new uniformity / intensity goals, but the system can even be divided into two or more new geometries without replacing any components. Therefore, modularity provides substantially greater flexibility than a fixed system.

[0059] Excess system wattage usage

[0060] In addition to Figure 5 the components shown in

[0061] If more wattage is needed to meet the customer's lighting requirements, these additional components can also be powered by the modular horticultural lighting system. Each component can include or be connected to a current limiter such that they do not draw more power from the emission surface than required. For example, the modular horticultural lighting system can include a 600W DC power supply and 20 emission surfaces that only require 25W of power to meet the customer's light intensity target. The emission surfaces utilize a total of 500W of power, which means there is 100W of power remaining. This excess wattage can be used to power other components in the system, such as a DC fan that requires 100W of power. The DC fan can have a built-in current limiter or be connected to a current limiter such that it never draws more than 100W of power and thus will not compromise the wattage provided to the emission surfaces and / or overload the power supply. In an alternative example, a 50W DC fan, a 45W DC heater, and five 1W sensors can all be connected to a 600W power supply. These components draw a total of 100W of power, leaving 500W for the emission surfaces.

[0062] Accordingly, the modular horticultural lighting system can be used to power additional non-lighting components, which results in less wiring, socket usage, and labor to set up. This, in turn, can save labor and cost. Since the wattage of the power supply and the lighting wattage requirements can be determined when designing the system, it is easy to incorporate peripherals into the system to use up the excess wattage. Peripherals can be selected based on a comparison of the power drawn by each device with the amount of available excess wattage, and each peripheral can include current-limiting components such that they do not compromise the performance of the system. After the system is installed, peripherals can also be replaced, added, or removed as long as the power limits of the entire system are not violated. Dynamic reconfiguration to minimize yield loss

[0063] Another beneficial feature of the modular horticultural lighting system disclosed herein is the ability to electrically reconfigure components to dynamically redistribute the total system PPF (measured in μmol / s) when any one or more of the emission surfaces fails. It is possible to maintain the same or a similar PPFD (in μmol / m 2The power is redistributed to the remaining emission surfaces in a manner that is measured in / s. This is made possible because there is a constant current power supply that provides a certain amount of current to the system architecture. All the emission surfaces connected to the system architecture will share this current evenly. When an emission surface is added or removed from the system, the current will be automatically rebalanced and evenly shared among the remaining emission surfaces. In some implementations, the emission surfaces may not have drivers that limit the current, so the constant current power supply can be configured to limit the amount of power that each emission surface can draw (e.g., a limit of 55W DC), so that the emission surfaces do not draw excessive power that could damage them.

[0064] Figures 9A to 9B is a block diagram showing the dynamic reconfiguration of a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations. Figure 9A A modular horticultural lighting system 900a is shown having a plurality of emission surfaces 102 connected to a constant current power supply via a connector 902. The connector 902 can include any number of manifolds, wire harnesses, and extension cords as Figure 5 shown. The emission surfaces 102 can be connected in a parallel wiring scheme. The emission surfaces 102 can illuminate a plant bed 904. There are Figure 9A ten emission surfaces 102 as shown, but generally the system 900a can include any number of emission surfaces 102. The distance between each emission surface 102 (denoted as Figure 9A d in ) and the distance between the emission surface 102 and the canopy of the plant bed 904 (denoted as Figure 9A d in ) may have a one-to-one correspondence. Assuming the emission surface 102 has an emission angle of 120°, this one-to-one correspondence can provide optimal light uniformity for the plant bed 904. For other emission angles, there may be different optimal ratios between the emission surface spacing and the mounting height. In the Figure 9A example shown, the three emission surfaces 102 on the left have failed and no longer illuminate the plant bed 904. This means that the plant bed 904 is not illuminated evenly, so the plants may experience uneven growth conditions, which can be problematic. In addition to the loss of uniformity, the reduction in PPF is directly related to the yield. For example, for certain varieties, a 1% loss of light (PPF) may result in a 1% reduction in yield (grams per square foot).

[0065] Figure 9B A modular horticultural lighting system 900b is shown in which the emission surfaces 102 have been according to Figure 9AThe emission surface faults shown in the figure are reconfigured. Specifically, three faulty emission surfaces have been removed. The remaining seven emission surfaces 102 are moved such that they cover the entire length of the plant bed 904. The distance between each emission surface is now d'. The distance between the emission surface 102 and the canopy of the plant bed 904 is also changed to be equal to d', so as to maintain a one-to-one correspondence. The power supplied by the power supply is evenly redistributed among the remaining emission surfaces 102. For example, if in Figure 9A the power supply supplies a total of 350W DC, then each of the ten emission surfaces 102 will draw 35W of power. In Figure 9B the power supply remains unchanged, but now there are seven emission surfaces 102, so each emission surface 102 will draw 50W of power.

[0066] Once the emission surfaces 102 are rearranged to a wider spacing and the mounting height of the emission surfaces 102 above the canopy is adjusted to match the spacing between the emission surfaces 102, the total intensity of light on the canopy of the plant bed 904 should have a PPFD nominally similar to the original configuration, with only a few points loss in the utilization factor U (a variable between 0 and 1). The uniformity of the light intensity will also be similar to the original configuration. This means that: even with fewer emission surfaces, the reconfigured modular horticultural lighting system will have an intensity and uniformity nominally similar to the original configuration. This reconfiguration is quickly and easily achieved while still maintaining the same or similar system PPF and photosynthetic capacity, and thus maintaining the same or similar yield / biomass production.

[0067] The average PPFD of the modular horticultural lighting system can be expressed as PPFD ave = ((number of fixtures) × PPF LES × U) / M2, where PPF LES is the PPF of each emission surface, M2 is the area of the canopy of the plant bed, and U is a variable input and is negatively correlated with the mounting height and / or room size. By adopting the additional PPF redistributed to the new number of emission surfaces and rearranging the emission surfaces outward and upward to achieve the uniformity goal, the utilization factor shows a downward trend with respect to the mounting height. This nominal loss of the utilization factor is not as harmful to plant growth as the reduction in PPFD and the loss of uniformity that would occur if the system were not reconfigured after one or more emission surfaces fail.

[0068] The following is a numerical example of rebalancing the PPFD in a modular horticultural lighting system. The system can have 16 emission surfaces irradiating the plant bed, with a canopy area of 2.97m 2, the utilization factor is 0.94, and the PPF of each fixture is 190 μmol / s. The resulting average PPFD is (16 x 190 x 0.94) / 2.97 = 958 μmol / m 2 / s. If four of the 16 emitting surfaces fail, the PPF of each fixture is redistributed evenly among the remaining emitting surfaces, resulting in a PPF of 253 μmol / s LES . The average PPFD is now (16 x 253 x 0.94) / 2.97 = 969 μmol / m 2 / s. However, the light distribution is uneven - less light shines on the part of the plant bed under the failed emitting surface, and more light shines on the rest of the plant bed. This results in over-illumination of some parts of the plant bed and under-illumination of other parts of the plant bed, which has a negative impact on crop yield.

[0069] The failed emitting surface can be removed, and the 12 remaining emitting surfaces are reconfigured to span the plant bed. The mounting height is increased by 2 inches to maintain a one-to-one correspondence of the emitter surface spacing. The change in mounting height changes the utilization factor to 0.91. The final average system PPFD is now (12 x 253 x 0.91) / 2.97 = 925 μmol / m 2 / s. This is lower than the original PPFD, but the light is evenly distributed across the entire plant bed, which maintains a crop yield similar to the original configuration without a large loss in system PPFD. In this way, in the event of an emitter surface failure, the modular horticultural lighting system can be quickly and easily reconfigured to maintain the same or similar lighting and crop growth conditions. When replacement parts arrive, the system can be easily restored to its original configuration.

[0070] Lighting Solution Optimization

[0071] As previously discussed, the modular horticultural lighting system can be quickly prototyped and modified during the design phase to accommodate changes in the lighting requirements and preferences of the customer. Given a set of customer specifications for a lighting installation, there may be many arrangements of the components in the modular horticultural lighting system that will meet the customer specifications. However, based on various factors, some solutions will be more optimal than others. For example, certain arrangements may be less costly in terms of component parts or may consume less power than other arrangements.

[0072] However, the implementations disclosed herein provide a quick and easy way to determine and re-determine a customer's optimal lighting solution using a lighting solution calculator based on the customer's input specifications. The calculator allows an individual (e.g., a salesperson) to quickly calculate the customer's optimal lighting solution based on input parameters. The "optimal" solution for a particular customer may depend on the customer's priorities and various criteria such as space limitations, cost, energy use, system efficiency, and crop growth goals. If the customer is not satisfied with the solution, changes to the various parameters can be made and a new lighting solution can be quickly recalculated until the customer finds a solution they are satisfied with. This allows the salesperson and the customer to determine the final lighting solution in about minutes or hours rather than weeks.

[0073] Figure 10 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method 1000 for determining a customer's lighting solution using a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations. The method 1000 can be implemented as instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, perform the method. The method can be embodied within an application, script, web page, or other program (e.g., a spreadsheet) executing on a computing device such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, or smart phone.

[0074] Method 1000 begins at block 1002 by receiving initial input parameters from a customer. The initial input parameters can include the dimensions of the customer's growing surface. For example, the growing surface can be a rectangular plant bed, and the dimensions of the growing surface will be the width (w) and length (l) of the plant bed. The initial input parameters can also include the mounting height (h) of the lighting fixtures above the growing surface. The dimension inputs w, l, and h can be expressed in meters. The initial input parameters can also include the average desired PPFD E at the growing surface. The PPFD can be expressed in μmol / m 2 2 s. If method 1000 is executed by an application executing on a computing device, the application can provide a user interface with input fields for the initial input parameters.

[0075] At block 1004, the application can determine the number of lighting fixtures to achieve light uniformity at the growing surface based on the initial input parameters. The number N of lighting fixtures for achieving light uniformity at the growing surface L can be calculated as:

[0076] N L = lk / h Equation (1)

[0077] In Equation (1), l is the length of the growth surface, h is the mounting height of the equipment above the growth surface, and k is an adjustable coefficient for adjusting the spacing of the lighting equipment used to change the light distribution. The relationship in Equation 1 is based on the distribution of light from the bar lighting equipment that produces peak uniformity on the receiving plane (e.g., the growth surface) and a set relationship between the distance between the equipment and the receiving plane and the distance between the equipment. For this calculation, it can be assumed that there is a one-to-one relationship between the spacing between each lighting equipment and the mounting height (e.g., the distance between each lighting equipment and the adjacent lighting equipment is h).

[0078] In block 1006, the application can receive the utilization factor U of the customer's installation. The utilization factor is a dimensionless parameter experimentally determined through the analysis of the customer's growth environment and facilities, and is a measure of the light utilization efficiency of the growth environment when the lighting equipment has been installed. For example, a salesperson selling a modular horticultural lighting system or someone from the company can calculate the utilization factor through a lighting design simulation of the customer's growth environment and input this value into the application.

[0079] In block 1008, the application can determine the DC wattage required for the modular horticultural lighting system based on the number of lighting equipment in the system. Specifically, the luminous power P of the lighting equipment at the growth surface measured in watts system，DC can be calculated as:

[0080] P system，DC = Ewl / ε l U Equation (2)

[0081] In Equation (2), E is the average PPFD at the growth surface, w is the width of the growth surface, l is the length of the growth surface, U is the utilization factor, and εl is the lighting equipment efficacy measured in μmol / J. As further described herein, the lighting equipment efficacy can be experimentally determined by measuring the light output of the lighting equipment at various wattages.

[0082] In block 1010, the application can receive a specific type of lighting fixture and power supply selected by the customer for the modular horticultural lighting system that meets the DC wattage determined in block 1008. For example, there may be many different lighting fixtures and power supplies that can be used for the modular horticultural lighting system, and the customer can select the lighting fixture and power supply for the system based on various factors (e.g., power consumption, size, cost). For example, the application can provide a drop-down menu or another type of input selection method that allows the user to select from a range of lighting fixtures and power supplies that meet the DC wattage requirements. Then, the application can extract certain parameters of the selected power supply. For example, the application can determine the maximum DC power P DC . This parameter is an inherent reference characteristic of the power supply and can be obtained from the product datasheet of the power supply. The application can also determine the power supply efficiency η at the system service voltage, which can be determined by testing the power supply or can be derived from the product datasheet.

[0083] In block 1012, the application can determine the number of power supplies that meet the DC wattage of the system calculated in block 1008 and the AC wattage requirements of the system. The number of power supplies N PS required to meet the DC power requirements of the system can be calculated as:

[0084] N PS = P system，DC / P DC Equation (3)

[0085] In Equation (3), P system，DC is the luminous power at the growth surface, and P DC is the maximum DC power of the selected power supply. The required AC power P system，AC of the system in watts can be calculated as:

[0086] P system，AC = P system，DC / η Equation (4)

[0087] In Equation (4), P system，DC is the luminous power at the growth surface, and η is the efficiency of the selected power supply at the service voltage.

[0088] In block 1014, the application can determine the power consumed by each lighting fixture in the modular horticultural lighting system and the lighting fixture efficiency. The DC wattage of the system is distributed among N L lighting fixtures in the system. Therefore, the power P L consumed by each lighting fixture is calculated as:

[0089] P L = P DC / N L Equation (5)

[0090] In Equation (5), P DC is the maximum DC power of the selected power supply. Then, the efficacy εl of each lighting fixture can be calculated as:

[0091] ε l = Φ / P L Equation (6)

[0092] In Equation (6), Φ is the photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) measured in μmol / s. The PPF can be determined directly from experimental measurements on the lighting fixture or indirectly from empirically based trend lines. For example, PPF data can be collected by measuring the light output across a range of wattages for each type of lighting fixture to create a confirmed correlation between wattage and PPF, or the PPF data can be derived from the trend line of the PPF data.

[0093] In some implementations, the efficacy of the lighting fixture calculated in block 1014 can be fed back to block 1008 during an iterative process. For example, when the DC wattage is first calculated, an estimate of the efficacy can be used in Equation 2. After calculating the efficacy εl in block 1014, the application can return to block 1008 to recalculate the DC wattage with the new efficacy value. This loop can continue one or more times until the change in the calculated efficacy in each iteration does not exceed a certain threshold.

[0094] In block 1016, the application can determine the total light output and efficacy of the modular horticultural lighting system. The photometric output Φ system of the system can be calculated as:

[0095] Φ system = N L Φ Equation (7)

[0096] In Equation (7), N L is the number of lighting fixtures in the system, and Φ is the photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) measured in μmol / s. Thus, the system efficacy ε system can be calculated as:

[0097] ε system = Φ system / P system，AC Equation (8)

[0098] In Equation (8), Φ system is the photometric output of the system, and P system，ACis the required AC power of the system. The system's photometric output and efficacy can be provided as outputs to the customer. If the customer is not satisfied with the photometric output or efficacy, the customer may make changes to certain variables (e.g., the type of lighting fixtures or power supply used, the size of the growth surface, the mounting height, the average PPFD on the growth surface). Method 900 can be executed again to recalculate the photometric output and efficacy using the updated variables until the customer is satisfied.

[0099] In block 1018, the application can also calculate the CapEx and OpEx of the proposed system. CapEx C capex can be calculated as:

[0100] C capex =(N PS C PS +N L C L )K Equation (9)

[0101] In Equation (9), N PS is the number of power supplies in the system, C PS is the cost of each power supply, N L is the number of lighting fixtures in the system, C L is the cost of each lighting fixture, and K is an adjustable multiplier representing the cost of auxiliary components such as packaging, labor, overhead, etc. OpEx C opex can be calculated as:

[0102] C opex =C power P system，DC T period / ηT cost Equation (10)

[0103] In Equation (10), C power is the cost of the customer's electricity service, P system，DC is the DC wattage of the system, T period is the lighting period in days used by the customer and provided by the customer, T cost is the time period in days for which the OpEx cost is being evaluated and provided by the customer, and η is the efficiency of the power supply at the system service voltage.

[0104] The application can output CapEx and OpEx to the customer. If the customer is not satisfied with the CapEx or OpEx costs, the customer may make changes to certain variables (e.g., the type of lighting fixtures or power supplies used, the size of the growing surface, the mounting height, the average PPFD on the growing surface). Method 1000 can be executed again to recalculate CapEx and OpEx with the updated variables until the customer is satisfied.

[0105] In this way, Method 1000 provides a fast way to determine the optimal modular lighting system configuration for the customer starting from just a few input parameters. It also allows the customer to change the parameters on the fly to see how the optimal lighting solution changes. This allows the customer to quickly evaluate their options and select a solution using an electronic interface, rather than spending weeks experimenting with various setups and prototypes in their physical growing environment before finding a satisfactory solution. The modularity of the system allows the application to use the same processes and equations to determine the relevant outputs (e.g., system efficacy, CapEx, OpEx). If the system is made of custom parts, the calculations for the outputs would have to be done specifically for those parts.

[0106] Sales process

[0107] The development and sale of custom lighting solutions, which are often associated with lighting solutions in indoor agriculture environments, can be a strain on the sales cycle because of the need to certify, approve, and stamp the solution with multiple stakeholders involved in the process. The sales process stakeholders (e.g., sales team, engineering team, finance team, management) may have different levels of workload and available time, which can slow down the entire time period from the start to the end of the sales process flow for delivering the custom lighting solution. As a result, certain revenue risks may arise due to the amount of time required to develop the custom lighting solution and also due to limited time and resources on the seller's side to serve multiple customers and potential customers. However, using a modular horticultural lighting system to create custom lighting solutions results in an improvement in the sales process flow, which significantly reduces the time to deliver the custom solution and also reduces the risk to the seller's revenue.

[0108] Under the old sales process flow for creating customized lighting solutions, a customer can contact a seller regarding the purchase of a lighting solution that meets the customer's lighting requirements. The seller may not have any off-the-shelf products that meet the lighting requirements, so a customized solution is needed. The sales department may conduct a preliminary assessment of whether a customized solution can be delivered according to the customer's schedule. If a customized solution cannot be delivered according to the customer's schedule, the seller may lose the sale. If a customized solution is feasible, the sales department may initiate an internal request for a customized product. The finance department may evaluate whether there is sufficient return on investment for developing the customized solution. If there is not sufficient return on investment, the sale fails. If the customized solution is financially feasible, the sales team may submit a proposed solution, cost, and delivery schedule to the customer. If the customer is not satisfied and the proposal cannot be negotiated to satisfy the customer, the sale may fail. If the customer proceeds, the engineering, operations, and / or manufacturing team begins to procure supplies and verify the customized design specifications. Then the customized solution is manufactured and delivered to the customer. This entire process may take approximately 4 to 6 months from start to finish, and there are multiple points in time where the sale may fail.

[0109] Figure 11 FIG. 1100 is a flow chart showing a sales process method 1100 for a modular horticultural lighting system according to various implementations. Method 1100 may be performed by one or more employees of a seller of a modular horticultural lighting system. Certain portions of method 1100 may also be automated and may be performed by one or more computing devices.

[0110] In block 1102, a customer can contact a seller regarding the purchase of a lighting solution that meets the customer's lighting requirements. The seller may not have any off-the-shelf products that meet the lighting requirements, so a customized solution is needed.

[0111] In block 1104, the seller can determine whether there is one or more possible configurations of a modular horticultural lighting system that meets the customer's lighting requirements and is economically feasible for the seller to assemble and sell. Regarding Figure 10 the described lighting solution calculator can be used by the seller to identify possible solutions for the customer's lighting requirements from the modular horticultural lighting system.

[0112] In block 1106, a lighting design proposal can be developed based on the results of the lighting solution calculator. In block 1108, a quote for the solution can be generated, which can include a list of components and their configurations, cost, and delivery schedule.

[0113] In block 1110, the seller can submit a quote to the customer, and the parties can negotiate the terms of the quote. It should be noted that the quote can be easily and quickly adjusted because the lighting solution calculator can quickly generate alternative solutions to meet the customer's requests during negotiation. Thus, the negotiation can become a collaborative process in which the seller and the customer work together to make minor adjustments to the proposed system or test hypothetical designs. Contrast this with the old sales process flow, in which changes to a proposed customized solution may have to go through the review and approval of multiple seller stakeholders before being presented to the customer. In contrast to the weeks that may be required under the old process, the seller and the customer can resolve the negotiation within hours using the lighting solution calculator disclosed herein.

[0114] If the negotiation fails and the customer rejects the quote, the sale fails in block 1112. If the negotiation succeeds and the parties agree on the quote, a customized solution order is finalized and initiated in block 1114. In block 1116, the customized solution using components of the modular horticultural lighting system is procured, manufactured, and / or assembled. In block 1118, the completed customized solution is provided to the customer. The time to complete method 1100 can be about 4 to 8 weeks, which is much faster than the 4 to 6 month timeline under the old sales process flow. Thus, the modular horticultural lighting system disclosed herein may significantly reduce the time required to provide a customized solution that precisely or nearly meets the customer's lighting requirements.

[0115] Supply chain optimization

[0116] Due to the common architecture and replaceability of the components that make up the system, the modular horticultural lighting system described herein may also result in efficiencies in the manufacturer's supply chain, manufacturing, and fulfillment operations. In other words, since the same customer lighting needs can be met by multiple arrangements of the components in the system, the components in the system can be dynamically adjusted due to supply chain issues.

[0117] For example, the system calculator described herein may determine that the optimal system for a customer's lighting requirements includes 24 low-power emitting surfaces, a 300W DC power supply, a 6-port manifold, six 4-port wire harnesses, and ten 4-foot mounting tracks. However, if there are material, manufacturing, or supply constraints that prevent the manufacturer from providing 24 low-power emitting surfaces, these 24 low-power emitting surfaces may alternatively be replaced by medium-power emitting surfaces that receive the same power. Alternatively, if a 300W DC power supply is not available for shipping, a 600W DC power supply that has been programmed to output only 300W DC may be shipped instead. The remaining hardware is also replaceable and subject to the same manufacturing and supply chain efficiencies. For example, if inventory is low or there are quality issues with the 4-port wire harnesses, the system can be reconfigured to alternatively include four 6-port wire harnesses and a 4-port manifold. Similarly, instead of ten 4-foot mounting tracks, twenty 2-foot mounting tracks may be shipped instead.

[0118] The performance of the modular horticultural lighting system (e.g., in terms of efficacy, light intensity, and / or uniformity) remains unchanged, and the differences between these solutions lie only in material costs. In some cases, the replacement of components may result in an increase in the cost of the system (e.g., using medium-power emitting surfaces to fulfill an order that only requires low-power emitting surfaces). However, the customer is still able to receive their product on time, and this relationship is preserved. The customer also has the option to balance time (delayed shipment) and cost (increase in the price of the replacement components).

[0119] Due to the redundancy of components in the modular horticultural lighting system, the sales team has the flexibility to redesign solutions that provide the same system performance in cases where the manufacturing or supply chain cannot provide the optimal solution. Since the system is configured to allow any mix of components to be paired to build a complete system, no additional certification or engineering work is required to create a new combination of components that achieves the same system performance. The speed at which the organization can reconfigure the modular horticultural lighting system and offer it to the customer allows the sales relationship to be maintained and remain in good standing, all of which have little impact on normal sales and supply operations.

[0120] Other Considerations

[0121] The methods and systems described herein are not limited to a particular hardware or software configuration and can find applicability in many computing or processing environments. The methods and systems can be implemented in hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. The methods and systems can be implemented as one or more computer programs, where a computer program can be understood to include one or more processor-executable instructions. The computer program can be executed on one or more programmable processors and can be stored on one or more storage media (including volatile and non-volatile memory and / or storage elements) readable by the processor, one or more input devices, and / or one or more output devices. Thus, the processor can access one or more input devices to obtain input data and can access one or more output devices to transmit output data. The input device and / or output device can include one or more of the following: random access memory (RAM), redundant array of independent disks (RAID), floppy disk drive, CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, magnetic disk, internal hard disk drive, external hard disk drive, memory stick, flash drive, solid state storage device, or other storage devices accessible by a processor as provided herein, where the above examples are not exhaustive and are for illustration and not limitation.

[0122] One or more high-level procedural or object-oriented programming languages can be used to implement the computer program to communicate with the computer system; however, if desired, the program can be implemented in assembly language or machine language. The language can be compiled or interpreted.

[0123] As provided herein, the processor can thus be embedded in one or more devices that can operate independently or together in a networked environment, where the network can include, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or the network can include an intranet and / or the Internet and / or other networks. The network can be wired or wireless or a combination of wired and wireless, and can use one or more communication protocols to facilitate communication between different processors. The processor can be configured for distributed processing, and in some implementations, the processor can utilize a client-server model as needed. Thus, the methods and systems can utilize multiple processors and / or processor devices, and processor instructions can be distributed among such single or multiple processors / devices.

[0124] A device or computer system integrated with a processor can include, for example, a personal computer, a workstation, a handheld device such as a cellular phone or a smart phone, or a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a laptop / tablet hybrid, a handheld computer, a smart watch, or any other device capable of being integrated with a processor that can operate as provided herein. Thus, the devices provided herein are not exhaustive and are provided for illustration and not limitation.

[0125] References to "microprocessor" and "processor" or "the microprocessor" and "the processor" can be understood to include one or more microprocessors that can communicate in a stand-alone and / or distributed environment and can thus be configured to communicate via wired or wireless communication with other processors, where such one or more processors can be configured to operate on devices controlled by one or more processors of potentially similar or different devices. Thus, the use of such "microprocessor" or "processor" terms can also be understood to include a central processing unit, an arithmetic logic unit, an application-specific integrated circuit (IC), and / or a task engine, and such examples are provided for illustration and not limitation.

[0126] Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, references to memory can include one or more memory elements and / or components readable and accessible by a processor, which can be internal to a processor-controlled device, external to a processor-controlled device, and / or can be accessed via wired or wireless networks using various communication protocols, and unless otherwise stated, such one or more memory elements and / or components can be arranged to include a combination of external memory devices and internal memory devices, where such memory can be continuous and / or partitioned based on the application. Thus, references to a database can be understood to include one or more memory associations, where such references can include commercially available database products (e.g., SQL, Informix, Oracle) and, in addition, proprietary databases, and can also include other structures for associating memories such as links, queues, graphs, trees, and such structures are provided for illustration and not limitation.

[0127] Unless otherwise provided, references to a network can include one or more intranets and / or the Internet. References herein to microprocessor instructions or microprocessor-executable instructions as described above can be understood to include programmable hardware.

[0128] Unless otherwise specified, the use of the term "substantially" can be interpreted to include the exact relationships, conditions, arrangements, orientations, and / or other features understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, as well as deviations therefrom, so long as such deviations do not materially affect the disclosed methods and systems.

[0129] Throughout this disclosure, unless otherwise specifically stated, the use of the articles "a", "an", and / or "the" to modify a noun can be understood to be used for convenience and to include one or more than one of the nouns so modified. The terms "comprising", "including", and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than those listed.

[0130] For purposes of illustration and description, the foregoing description of implementations of this disclosure has been presented. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit this disclosure to the exact forms disclosed. Given this disclosure, many modifications and variations are possible. The scope of this disclosure is intended to be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A modular lighting system, comprising: a constant current power supply; and lighting fixtures coupled to the power supply, the lighting fixtures including a determined number of removably coupled emission surfaces connected in parallel; wherein, the lighting system meets a target photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) at a canopy of a plant bed having a specified area and a specified mounting height of the determined number of emission surfaces above the canopy; the determined number of the emission surfaces is determined only by the geometry of the lighting system, the geometry including the specified area and the specified mounting height; a system wattage supplied by the power supply is determined based at least on the determined number, the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height; a power consumed by each emission surface is determined based on the system wattage and the determined number such that each of the emission surfaces is driven at a different wattage based on the determined number; and a spacing between each of the emission surfaces in the emission surfaces is determined based at least on the determined number and the specified mounting height; wherein the number of the removably coupled emission surfaces can be changed, and the wattage of each emission surface can be changed based on application requirements; wherein the constant current power supply provides a certain amount of current and is configured to: when an emission surface is added to or removed from the lighting system, rebalance and evenly share the current among the coupled emission surfaces; and the constant current power supply is further configured to: limit the amount of power drawn by each emission surface such that the emission surfaces do not draw excess power that may damage them.

2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein, when at least one of the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height is changed, the determined system wattage, the determined number, the determined power consumed by each emission surface, and the spacing between each of the emission surfaces in the emission surfaces are re-determined, wherein the lighting system includes a support structure, and the emission surfaces are removably coupled to the support structure and can slide along the support structure such that the spacing between the emission surfaces can be customized.

3. The lighting system according to claim 2, wherein, when the re-determined system wattage exceeds the maximum wattage of the power supply, the power supply is replaced by a replacement power supply having a maximum wattage higher than the re-determined system wattage.

4. The lighting system according to claim 2, wherein, when the re-determined number of emission surfaces is greater than the determined number of emission surfaces, additional removably coupled emission surfaces are added to the lighting fixtures, and the spacing between each of the re-determined number of emission surfaces is adjusted to be equal to the re-determined spacing.

5. The lighting system according to claim 2, wherein, when the re-determined number of emission surfaces is less than the determined number of emission surfaces, excess emission surfaces are removed from the lighting fixtures, and the spacing between each of the remaining emission surfaces is adjusted to be equal to the re-determined spacing.

6. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein, when the determined system wattage is less than the maximum wattage of the power supply, the system further includes one or more peripheral devices coupled to the power supply.

7. The lighting system according to claim 6, wherein, the one or more peripheral devices include at least one of a fan, a heater, a sensor, a communication module, and a control device.

8. The lighting system according to claim 6, wherein, the one or more peripheral devices consume a total peripheral wattage, and the total peripheral wattage plus the determined system wattage is less than or equal to the maximum wattage of the power supply.

9. The lighting system according to claim 1, further including a first connector that couples the power supply to the determined number of emission surfaces.

10. The lighting system according to claim 9, wherein, when the determined number becomes a re-determined number of emission surfaces, the first connector is replaced by a second connector that couples the power supply to the re-determined number of emission surfaces.

11. The lighting system according to claim 1, further including a plurality of connectors that couple the power supply to the determined number of emission surfaces.

12. The lighting system according to claim 11, wherein, when one of the plurality of connectors fails, the failed connector is replaced by an identical replacement connector.

13. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein, when at least one of the emission surfaces fails: remove at least one failed emission surface; adjust the spacing between the remaining emission surfaces based on the specified area; and adjust the specified installation height based on the spacing between the remaining emission surfaces.

14. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein, the specified installation height is equal to the spacing between each of the emission surfaces.

15. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein, the power supply is selected from a plurality of power supplies, each of the plurality of power supplies having a maximum wattage; and the difference between the maximum wattage of the selected power supply and the system wattage is minimized.

16. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein, different combinations of the values of the system wattage, the determined number, the power consumed by each emission surface determined, the spacing, and the specified installation height satisfy the target PPFD and the specified area.

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