Light across the growing area
Review average intensity and uniformity at the intended mounting distance. Bar placement and tier edges matter as much as the fixture’s rated output.
LIGHTING FOR STACKED FOOD PRODUCTION
Make every
tier count.
Plan lighting for leafy greens, herbs, microgreens, and other food crops—with uniformity, usable space, and service access in mind.
START WITH YOUR GROWING GOALS
Close to the crop. Part of the rack.
Short mounting distances and repeated tiers make the relationship between light bars, crop height, and rack geometry especially important. Design the lighting around the crop and the full growing cycle.
Use the available clearance
Allow for crop growth, fixture depth, irrigation, airflow, and work access. A compact fixture still needs a practical installation plan.
Keep maintenance accessible
Consider cleaning, connection access, and power-supply service. Repeated tiers make small installation decisions important across the whole facility.
LIGHTING OPTIONS
Two starting points for stacked crops.
Compare modular bars and connected linear fixtures against the shelf dimensions, crop targets, and installation approach.
Food-crop vertical farming
Strata
30 W per light barModular light bars for leafy greens, herbs, microgreens, and other food-crop applications in stacked growing systems.
Plan for: External power supply. Bar spacing, tier clearance, and driver access are part of the final design.
Propagation & stacked food crops
Infinity XE
60 WLinear lighting for propagation areas and stacked food production, with connected runs that can follow the growing layout.
Plan for: Flush-mount brackets; end-to-end links or connection cables. Verify row length and electrical connection limits.
IN PRACTICE
Inside Vertical Harvest.
A look at Vertical Harvest’s Westbrook, Maine farm brings the whole operation into view—from stacked growing racks to crop movement, irrigation, and heat recovery.
PLAN THE WHOLE SYSTEM
Think beyond the light bar.
A rack-level design needs to work within a facility-level operation.
Talk to a Lighting Expert- 01
Set crop and tier requirements
Document crop species, production stages, DLI or PPFD targets, light periods, growing area, and minimum and maximum canopy height.
- 02
Model the actual geometry
Review fixture spacing, mounting distance, tier edges, and any obstructions. Check distribution at the canopy rather than inferring coverage from watts.
- 03
Plan installation and service
Coordinate wiring, driver locations, cleaning, airflow, and irrigation. Make it possible to access connections and replace components without disrupting adjacent tiers.
A FEW PRACTICAL ANSWERS
Plan with a clearer picture.
Have a question about your facility?
Talk it through with Thrive.
Is this page intended for cannabis racks?
This page focuses on food crops, herbs, microgreens, and related non-cannabis applications. See Indoor Cannabis for multi-tier cannabis guidance and Strata HP.
How close can the lights be to the crop?
The appropriate mounting distance depends on the fixture, bar spacing, desired intensity, and crop height. Review a lighting layout at the actual growing distance rather than applying a universal clearance.
Why compare uniformity as well as average PPFD?
An average can hide brighter and darker areas within a tier. Review the distribution across the full growing area so the layout supports your production goals at the edges as well as the center.
Does 30 W describe a complete Strata rack?
No. The published Strata rating is 30 W per light bar. Total installed power depends on the number of bars and the selected power arrangement.
Can the greenhouse DLI calculator size an indoor rack?
The tool can help illustrate light intensity and operating-time relationships, but it does not design indoor rack geometry, bar spacing, or fixture quantities. A rack lighting plan should use your crop targets and actual mounting dimensions.
KEEP EXPLORING
Put the next piece in place.
DESIGN GUIDE · PDF
Explore vertical-farm layouts
Review published examples before developing a plan for your own growing system.
GROWER’S JOURNALPlan vertical-farm lighting
Explore the relationship between crop requirements, fixture choice, and project economics.
PRODUCT SUPPORTFind installation documents
Access Strata and Infinity XE specifications and support resources.
RELATED APPLICATIONPlanning cannabis racks?
Explore stage-specific lighting and Strata HP on the Indoor Cannabis page.
YOUR FACILITY. YOUR GOALS. OUR EXPERTISE.
Let’s look at your tiers together.
Share your crop, rack dimensions, growing heights, and production targets. We’ll help build a lighting plan that fits.