Controlled environment agriculture specialists, Light Science Technologies, have welcomed the inclusion of the horticultural sector in eligibility for Phase 3 of the UK Government's Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
Initially launched in 2020, the most recent phase of the funding scheme was opened in January and is accepting applications until April.
The scheme invites eligible businesses in high energy use sectors to apply for funding to reduce energy consumption and emissions by investing in energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies.
Following lobbying from the National Farmers Union (NFU), the latest tranche of the £500 million grant scheme now includes Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH) as a sector that can benefit.
"We're naturally delighted that our clients and partners in horticulture can now access this important funding. It makes perfect sense that a growing sector, seeking to improve UK food security, should benefit from funding to help reduce carbon emissions too" says Craig Price, Operations Director of Light Science Technologies.
Following a public consultation, horticulture within greenhouses will now be eligible for contributions from £30,000 to £30 million per project, depending on the size of the business and nature of the project.
The new support for Controlled Environment Horticulture is aimed at businesses registered with a SIC (Standard Industrial Code) of 1110, 1130, 1190, 1240, 1250, 1280, 1290, 1300 or 1610.
As industry leaders in commercial greenhouse technology, Light Science Technologies see it as a strong opportunity to benefit from the very latest generation of energy efficient lighting which promotes higher growth.
"Growing under glass is currently an area of great opportunity and low-energy technology is not only driving down costs but increasing yields. With the right mix of light, UK growers can choose higher value crops and varieties, and increase profitability" adds Craig.
"Light Science Technologies' products help provide crops grown under glass with the perfect 'recipe' of light. They have developed technology which can provide the ideal mix of light frequencies to promote healthier and more sustainable growth."
"Their lighting systems are used within commercial greenhouses and polytunnels and for vertical farming and medical plants. Utilizing LED technology, they consume much less energy than traditional lighting."
"Sunlight can be inconsistent, particularly in spring and autumn, so our technology helps growers to lengthen the growing season and produce bigger harvests without the costs or emissions traditionally associated with lighting. With funding now available to help pay for its installation, it could be a game-changer for many UK growers,' concludes Craig.
As well as lighting, Light Science Technologies also provides the sensorGRO system, which gathers real-time data on light, temperature, humidity, CO2, and pressure to enable growers to make more informed decisions to help optimize yields.
Light Science Technologies sister company, Tomtech, also designs and install greenhouse control systems for ventilation, heating, irrigation, fertigation and lighting which have been included in Light Science Technologies' range.
More information on Phase 3 of the UK Government's Industrial Energy Transformation Fund can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-energy-transformation-fund-ietf-phase-3-spring-2024
For more information:
Light Science Technologies
www.lightsciencetech.com