LED iBond

This interview details LED iBond, an intelligent lighting solutions company based in Denmark. The interview is with Martin Løbel, CEO of LED iBond.

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What is the origin story of LED iBond?

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LED iBond was founded back in 2014 with a focus on LED technology and the development of smart high-quality lamps with the best energy efficiency possible. Our focus today is still to fabricate the best and smartest lamps in our production facility in Denmark, but now we have also taken the step to develop an advanced software solution so we can control the lamps smarter and harvest energy savings or increase production from indoor farms using our light systems. 

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What is unique about LED iBond compared to competitors?

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1. Our new high-power HORTISABER top lighting light panel for traditional greenhouses outperforms any other lamp on the market regarding energy efficiency and light homogeneity.

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2. Generation technology and a patented and unique design, we have solved the thermal issues that all LED lamp manufacturers in the past have faced. Heat kills any LED lamp over time if not properly solved as we have using passive cooling. Furthermore, our 6-meter-long light panel offers a simple installation in any type of greenhouse and reduces the number of required lamps by more than 50 percent. The energy saving with HORTISABER is 67% compared to typical HPS lamps. We have developed something truly remarkable.

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Do the farms you work with use CO2 in their operations today -- What are your thoughts (if any) on CO2 usage in indoor farms?

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Some of them use CO2 actively but mainly as a bi-product produced when burning gas for heating the farms. We see some farms actively considering the use of CO2 delivered by tanks from carbon capture activities (e.g. for electricity production or heat production facilities). The use of CO2 proactively is challenged by required investments in infrastructure and delivery systems for the CO2 and the change in operations - e.g. you can’t just open the windows for cooling of the temperature as the CO2 will escape. 

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I believe that these challenges will prevent large-scale adaptation in existing indoor farms. Maybe new greenhouse designs will be adopted or vertical farming could benefit even more from the use of CO2 actively. 

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Energy is a big topic in indoor farming right now. What is the range that indoor farms and greenhouses pay for electricity (kWh)? Is it mainly from the grid or renewables? 

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Due to the increase in energy prices, all farms are looking into energy savings. Some farms are forced to reduce production during wintertime by closing down parts of the farm as the production is not profitable business with the current electricity price level. The price per kWh is at least 2-4 times higher today compared to a few years ago.

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It is a huge problem for the business. So many of the large indoor farms are looking into installing large wind turbines or solar plants for renewable electricity but it all requires huge investments and permits from authorities which are not easy to get.  For the short term, most farms are trying to reduce costs by using electricity in periods of high supply of renewable energy and low cost.

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This requires more advanced management software solutions to control the indoor climate of the indoor farms and the use of electricity for top lighting. Such solutions require more monitoring and forecast models for the sun and weather in general. LED iBond offers advanced light control solutions and we expect that they over time will become much more advanced than normal practice today.  I believe we will see investment in smarter control solutions for the farms in this area as the financial benefits are huge. 

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How can people connect with you or learn more about LED iBond?

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We work with customers all over the world and know that indoor farms in general differs with respect to needs and challenges when it comes to toplighting and technical aspect of incorporating and using it. We offer in-depth technical discussions based on pictures and drawings of customers' farms and it is simple to book a meeting with an expert directly via our web ledibond.com. 

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