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How does Bell Lighting compare to
the rest?
An independent controlled test carried out by the
University of British Columbia Department of Agriculture
was conducted to compare the yield of bell peppers grown
under lights manufactured by P.L. Lighting Systems and
Bell Lighting fixtures.
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Summary of results (view full
report below for details)
- P.L. 400W HPS light:
- Produced 1 bell pepper per plant approx.
1.5” diameter
- Weak plants, sparse foliage
- BELL LF 400W HPS fixture
- Produced 4-5 bell peppers per plant approx.
3.5” diameter
- Healthy, strong plants.
- (Note: The BLL LF 250W fixtures, in equal numbers
to the P.L. 400W fixtures, produced the same yield
as the P.L. fixtures while consuming 37.5% less
energy)
View the Complete UBC Report (.pdf)
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Bell Lighting LF 400 pepper
plant (left) compared to PL 400 pepper plant (right)
after eight weeks of treatment. |
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The first improvement to light fixtures
made by Bell Lighting's Research and Development (R&D) team was simple
but radical. Since HID bulbs produce their light on the side of the arc
tube, the team decided to design a fixture that would hold the bulb in a
horizontal position. This way, 50% of the light would be naturally
directed downward - a huge advantage in light delivery. By comparison,
the vertically positioned bulb delivers virtually no direct light to the
ground.
This simple innovation gave Bell Lighting a huge advantage in light
delivery, but was just one of the many improvements set in motion by the
R&D department. Several other technological advancements were needed to
design and build a near-perfect luminaire.
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Standard
Parabolic Reflector
Bell Lighting Reflector
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The next step was to perfect the overall design
and configuration of the finished reflector. It had to provide
the means to get the remaining 50% of light, developed by a
round bulb, delivered to a flat surface. Testing has proven that
fixtures built in a round shape are very ineffective at
efficiently redirecting light. As a result of their incorrect
configurations, a large part of the light developed by the bulb
is actually reflected directly back into the bulb rather than to
the ground.
All Bell Lighting's units make use of flat panels and proven angles
of deflection to maximize on collective, reflective, light
delivery. Equally important is the distance between the bulb and
the reflective surfaces, for every six inches (fifteen cm) of
distance you add between these two, 50% of the light intensity
is lost. Bell Lighting has calculated the precise distances and
angles for the most effective reflection of light to the ground.
Once the design and configuration of the fixture was perfected, it
was necessary to locate the correct fabricating material. This
material needed to be completely resistant to rust and
corrosion, lightweight, and able to quickly dissipate heat
generated by the bulb.
After extensive testing of many materials, both ferrous and
non-ferrous, Bell Lighting's R&D team chose ISO 9000, 5052
MARINE ALUMINUM. It is lightweight, 100% rustproof and able to
reflect more heat than it absorbs. Cooler operating temperatures
result in longer bulb life.
Finally, the search was on for the ultimate closure material. Our
research discovered that even under ideal conditions, the three
most commonly used finishes for light fixtures (gloss white
paint, polished metal, and chrome) could not reflect any more
than 75% of the light produced by the light source. We found
these statistics completely unacceptable.
After many hours of research and experimentation, a breakthrough
occurred. By making use of one of Mother Nature's base minerals
and formulating it into a powder-coating material, we have
achieved fantastic light delivery results. Not only does it
reflect a consistent 95 to 98% of the light developed by any
light source; it's also 100% UV/IR resistant, anti-bacterial, as
well as corrosion and acid proof. |
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West Coast Growers offers lighting systems and accessories by
