Nourse Farms Adopts California LightWorks MegaDrive LED System to Maximize Year-Round Berry Production

CANOGA PARK, Calif., June 6, 2023 (Newswire.com) - California LightWorks, a leading provider of horticultural lighting solutions, today announced yet another successful deployment of its MegaDrive lighting technology at Nourse Farms in Whately, Massachusetts. Nourse Farms is a large producer of starter plants for a wide variety of berries. While already producing north of 40 million plants a year, Nourse Farms is aggressively expanding its annual output. However, lack of sufficient sunlight dramatically slows down production in the winter months. This is especially problematic because most Nourse Farms customers want their starter plants in the ground as early as possible in the springtime.  Therefore, steady production over the winter months is essential to meet this peak demand in the early spring. This is very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in a greenhouse with sunlight alone over the winter in Massachusetts.

"Supplemental lighting during the winter months is mission-critical for our business," said John Place, CEO at Nourse Farms. "To meet customer demand year-round, we need a dependable yet efficient lighting solution. We adopted the California LightWorks MegaDrive system because of its reliability and industry-leading efficiency." 

Adding typical supplemental lights to an existing greenhouse requires power outlets all over the canopy. This means extensive wiring and electrical infrastructure. The patented MegaDrive system eliminates the need for outlets by powering up to 27 fixtures from one driver located at the end of the greenhouse.  This means no power drops over the canopy, no conduits, no contactor panels, or expensive electrical contractor bills. Removing all the driver electronics from the top of the canopy where the temperature tends to be the highest also markedly increases the reliability of the system. The result is an up to 80% reduction in installation cost while significantly increasing the product lifespan.

"We custom-tailored the MegaDrive LED System for Nourse Farms to deliver consistent growth even in the middle of winter when sunlight levels are at a minimum in Massachusetts," said George Mekhtarian, CEO of California LightWorks. "MegaDrive's high-intensity light levels and two-channel spectrum control allow the farm to maintain even production across all seasons with the least amount of energy usage.  Compared to other greenhouse lighting solutions, MegaDrive has proven less expensive to install, offers better controls, and runs more efficiently. The spectrum control feature of the MegaDrive system even allows Nourse Farms to tailor the growth of their starter plants to the season and growth targets."

About California Lightworks

Since 2008 California Lightworks has been a pioneer in advanced technology LED lighting for horticulture. All products are designed and manufactured in our Southern California factory. The company stands behind every product it has ever made. From small-scale home growth to large-scale indoor and greenhouse applications, the company offers optimal lighting solutions. California Lightworks has helped reduce carbon emissions by 640,493 metric tons.

Source: California LightWorks