The Future in Swine Lighting is LED.

Jun 05, 2014

 Energyficient introduces the AgrificientTM LED for the swine market, the most rugged, longest-lasting LED in agriculture.

Energyficient News


(World Pork Expo, Des Moines, Iowa – June 4, 2014) An Iowa swine producer using more than 75,000 compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) a year was the inspiration behind the development of the AgrificientTM LED, the first retro-fit LED light specifically designed for swine facilities. Created by the lighting design engineers at Iowa-based Energyficient Systems, Inc., the Agrificient LED is the most rugged, longest-lasting light in agriculture.

“We believe LED is going to become the standard in lighting for the swine industry. Pork producers know this shift in lighting standards is coming and Energyficient aims to be their partner in getting them where they need to go – with solutions that fit their specific needs,” said Justin Joens, Energyficient executive vice president.

With several patents pending, “The purpose-built design of the Agrificient LED addresses all of the daily challenges found with traditional swine barn lighting,” says Chad Palmer, Energyficient CEO and design manager. Challenges including: eliminating water penetration from the outside in and inside out, insects and water collecting in the jar, bulb burnout and glass jar breakage from over-heating.

The Agrificient LED will be available in late-July 2014 for national distribution and is already trending favorably with pork producers. “The design and structure of the Agrificient LED solves all of the problems I have in our barns,” said one of the world’s largest pork producers. “The CFL lamps are burning out before our barns are even finished being built. We’re looking forward to working with Energyficient to bring these new fixtures to our facilities.”

Agrificient LED Highlights

Superior construction

  • Low profile to provide more clearance.
  • Easy Installation. The exclusive one-piece design simply screws into original glass jar bases. No additional work required.
  • Unit is made of polycarbonate and ultra-tough nylon, making it nearly indestructible.
  • Light output is comparable to a 125W incandescent and 23W CFL light bulb.
  • The polycarbonate lens is diffused white (not crystal clear) to reduce glare, making it easier to see through the barns.

Heat control
“The secret to the life of an LED is controlling the heat it generates. You control the heat, you control the life,” says Palmer.
When a bulb goes beyond the maximum temperature by 10oC, the bulb life is cut in half. The exclusive Active Thermal Management System included in the Agrificient LED constantly circulates the cooler ambient air past the special heat sink, keeping the electronics cooler than other methods. This new active thermal management is superior to the traditional passive thermal management approach.  

Waterproof/bug proof
The Agrificient LED is waterproof, both inside and out, to protect against water from typical power washing in swine barns and the ingress of water through the conduits that fill up the traditional glass jar fixtures. This waterproof design also prevents insects from collecting inside the lens.

Efficient lumens
The Agrificient LED is focused at 120 degrees to project the light where it needs to be – on the animal. However, the overall beam spread is 180 degrees so that some of the light still shines on the ceiling of a facility to offer better visibility throughout the building.

No mercury
Unlike compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), the Agrificient LED contains no mercury and uses approximately 14 watts of power and provides approximately 1,000 lumens.

Backed by a six-year, warranty, the Agrificient LED for swine facilities is projected to save 86 percent percent of the cost of electricity for lighting compared to traditional incandescent lamps and is expected to last six to 10 years under normal hog structure conditions.

When compared to the standard CFL bulb used in the majority of swine barns today, the Agrificient LED reduces ownership costs by 46 percent, creating annual cost savings of more than $4000 in material and energy costs alone.* Ownership costs take into account not only material cost and the cost of energy used, but also labor (time spent maintaining a lighting system).**

The Agrificient LED will also be the first agricultural swine light that is listed with the Design Lights Consortium (DLC), making the light eligible for utility rebate programs that cover as much as 50 percent of the cost of a unit in some instances. Similar to the Energy Star program, the DLC promotes quality, performance and energy efficiency of lighting solutions in the commercial sector. The program’s members include federal, regional, state, utility, energy efficiency program managers, luminaire manufacturers, lighting designers and other industry stakeholders throughout the U.S. and Canada.

To find out more about the Agrificient LED, producers can contact Energyficient’s distribution partner, IVESCO, at 800-247-5077.

*           Based on the performance of the Agrificient LED when compared to a 23W CFL.
**         See the Agrificient LED Infographic for more details.

Source: Energyficient

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