Fluence Provides Maryland Greenhouse Cannabis Growers With LED Lighting For Upcoming Expansion

On Tuesday, Cannabis-focused provider of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions Fluence by OSRAM announced its partnership with SunMed Growers, a 250,000-square-foot greenhouse cannabis facility located in Maryland.

The companies retrofitted SunMed’s facility from high-pressure sodium (HPS) fixtures to LEDs and increased its overall light intensity over the last two years.

The move resulted in up to 30% yield increases for several of the company’s main production strains.

SunMed Growers, the Warwick-based cultivator, is headed by third-generation greenhouse grower Jake Van Wingerden. In addition, Van Wingerden family members oversee more than 30 million square feet of U.S. greenhouse space, as per a recent feature in Cannabis Business Times.

“We have learned so much over the last five years, and I’m thrilled that we not only continue to grow our footprint but deliver the highest-quality cannabis products to the Maryland market,” Van Wingerden said. “Through our partnership with Fluence, we’ve seen a notable difference in plant quality over the last two years. Our plants have never been healthier and are growing with incredible vigor under Fluence’s LEDs.”

Prior to implementing Fluence’s lighting solutions, Van Wingerden used HPS fixtures to supplement the greenhouse’s natural light. Now, Van Wingerden is working with Fluence to double the facility’s light intensity without impacting the shading of the current fixture arrangement.

“Cannabis plants can take a tremendous amount of light. By doubling our light intensity—and with another facility expansion in our future—we’ll be producing off-the-charts yields,” Van Wingerden explained.

David Cohen, CEO of Fluence, is honored to work with Van Wingerden and his team.

“We’re eager to support the SunMed team in their future expansions and witness how high-light-intensity strategies can drive record yields and superb plant quality,” Cohen stated.

Photo: Courtesy of Justin Lane on Unsplash