Interpretation of the "Technical Specifications for Light Environment in Artificial Light Plant Factories"

I. Policy Background: Addressing the Pain Point of "No Standards to Follow" in Light Environment Regulation​

With the rapid popularization of artificial light-based plant factories in China, the light environment, as a core element for crop growth, has long faced industry challenges such as "chaotic spectral configuration, inconsistent irradiance standards, and varying testing methods," leading to large fluctuations in crop yields and serious energy waste. Against this backdrop, the State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standardization Administration) released the "Technical Specification for Light Environment of Artificial Light-Based Plant Factories" (GB/T 45177—2024) in January 2025, which officially came into effect on July 1st. This is the first national standard in China specifically addressing the light environment of plant factories, marking the entry of light radiation agriculture into a standardized development stage.​

II. Core Content: Three Key Indicators Standardize Lighting Environment Configuration​

1. Photon irradiance requirements The appropriate photon irradiance range for different crop types (leafy vegetables, fruit vegetables, medicinal plants, etc.) should be clearly defined, and differentiated standards should be developed for different growth stages such as seedling stage, growth stage, and harvest stage to avoid a "one-size-fits-all" approach to light configuration.​

2. Power density control Limiting the power density upper limit in artificial light cultivation areas, taking into account both crop growth needs and energy-saving goals, and promoting the upgrading of supplemental lighting equipment towards "high light efficiency and low energy consumption".​

3. Unified Testing Methods Standardize the instrument requirements, test point layout, and data processing methods for light environment testing to ensure the comparability of test results and provide a unified basis for equipment acceptance and effect evaluation.​

III. Practical Points: How can enterprises and growers be matched in compliance with regulations?​

• Equipment manufacturing enterprises The product's spectral design and power configuration need to be optimized according to standards. The applicable crop types, irradiance parameters, and test methods should be clearly stated in the product manual to ensure that the product meets national standards.​

• Plant factory operators New projects need to configure supplemental lighting systems according to the types of crops to be planted and in accordance with the standards. Existing projects can be upgraded by adjusting spectral parameters and optimizing the layout of lighting fixtures. If necessary, a third-party organization can be commissioned to conduct light environment testing.​

• Testing agency The testing instruments and procedures specified in the standards must be used to check key indicators such as photon irradiance uniformity and spectral stability, and a compliant testing report must be issued.​

IV. Industry Impact: Driving the shift from "experience-based" to "precision-based" light environment regulation​

The implementation of this standard will accelerate industry reshuffling: on the one hand, inefficient supplemental lighting equipment with substandard spectra will be eliminated, forcing companies to increase investment in technological research and development; on the other hand, standardized light environment configuration will reduce the operational risks of plant factories, improve crop yield and quality stability, and is expected to increase the industry's average energy utilization efficiency by more than 15%, laying the foundation for the large-scale development of solar radiation agriculture.