IL: Fluence to supply LEDs to Israel-based MMJ operations through strategic partnership

Fluence by OSRAM has partnered with REMY 108 LTD (REMY) in Israel to bring energy-efficient LED lighting to commercial crop production in the country and drive growth in its legalized cannabis market.

The new partnership makes REMY the exclusive provider of horticultural LED lighting in Israel, helping a burgeoning commercial cannabis sector meet accelerating medical demand for the crop there.

Cannabis was first approved for medical use in the country in 1993. It already had around 120 licensed users by 2005, rising to over 5,000 by the end of 2009. Today, the number is around 60,000 people and is forecast to reach 100,000 by the end of 2021.

“There’s incredible growth to come in the Israeli cannabis market over the next few years,” said Timo Bongartz, Fluence’s general manager for EMEA. “And, like any kind of agriculture or horticulture, the right conditions are crucial for success.”

“Fluence believes it takes precision-engineered lighting delivered by a reliable local partner who knows what growers need. In REMY, we’re confident we’ve found a partner that understands and can act fast on customer demands. A natural extension of the Fluence team on the ground in Israel.”

Family-owned since its inception in 2008, REMY combines deep lighting knowledge and hands-on experience of precision agriculture. Today, it’s focused exclusively on agronomic lighting, providing planning, characterization, and support in and outside of Israel.

“Agronomic lighting is different from architectural and industrial lighting in many ways”, said Elad Toby, Founder, CBDO & CTO of REMY. “One of the biggest differences, of course, is the plant will eventually tell you if you did a good job or not.”

Agronomic lighting has proven particularly effective in cultivating cannabis, for which the Israeli government first started granted commercial growing licenses in 2006. The crop was officially decriminalized in 2018 and, following reform, it was sold in pharmacies around the country a year later. In June 2020, a bill to legalize cannabis for recreational use passed the first of four Israel government approval stages.

For growers, Fluence LED lighting offers greater control over light spectrum and intensity, enabling them to produce denser, more potent cannabis flowers. The ability to deliver abundant harvests of premium-quality crop while also cutting energy and HVAC costs captured the REMY team’s imagination early.

“It was always clear that knowledge and research are a key focus for Fluence,” added Elad. “We share the belief that knowledge in the agronomic lighting field cannot be limited to the lighting alone. The job doesn’t end when the light fixtures are installed. That’s when it begins, and where we can truly add value.”

“The extra level of knowledge, coupled with a highest-quality product, delivered by one of the world’s leading lighting corporations, gives us confidence the solutions we plan, recommend and deliver for our clients will do what they’re supposed to. That was a huge part of our interest in working with Fluence.”