SmartAg Controls: Incentivizing Efficiency & Yields

This report provides results from a field demonstration research project evaluating daily light integral (DLI)–based smart lighting controls in commercial greenhouse operations. The authors of this report were responsible for third-party energy monitoring and verification, including sensor selection, sensor installation, data collection, data analysis, and report writing. The vendor for the lighting equipment and DLI controls was responsible for site selection, site recruitment, installation, commissioning, and site operations coordination. The project team designed the study to evaluate whether advanced DLI-based smart lighting controls’ ability to adjust light intensity in response to real-time environmental conditions could improve energy performance without negatively affecting crop productivity. While the project did not demonstrate the expected DLI-control outcomes due to commissioning and operational challenges, this report presents data collected, valuable insights, and subsequent recommendations.The primary objectives of this field demonstration were to quantify the lighting energy savings, demand impacts, and crop yield impacts associated with DLI lighting controls. Specifically, the project aimed to verify percent reduction in lighting energy use, demonstrate potential for peak demand reduction through dynamic load management, and quantify impacts in crop metrics (e.g., yield observations, waste, etc.). The project serves to document lessons learned, with a goal of informing utility program design and California Title 24 codes and standards related to greenhouse lighting controls and support broader adoption of DLI-based lighting control systems across California’s greenhouse industry.This report summarizes baseline conditions, project activities, site setup details, metering infrastructure, data collection, data analysis methodologies, and energy impact findings. It also documents environmental conditions, crop production, lighting system details, and guidance for setting up and evaluating DLI-based lighting controls. Establishing a baseline was critical for accurately quantifying the impacts of DLI-based control strategies. The findings provide the foundation for validating the energy and productivity benefits of advanced greenhouse lighting controls and ensuring credible, replicable results. The documentation of site conditions, measurement protocols, and data collection methods will also support future demonstrations and inform the development of more targeted and robust measurement and verification (M&V) approaches for utility energy efficiency programs, as well as inform codes and standards assumptions.To enable precise evaluation of DLI-based control performance, the project team installed electrical power submetering infrastructure and environmental sensors capable of measuring lighting energy use, photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration. The site manager provided crop metrics, including yield and waste, to establish baseline performance and assess impacts of DLI-driven control.