Pearl

OptiPAR is Phormium’s variable shading solution, designed to provide crops with the right amount of light at the right time. In addition to optimizing light quantity in the greenhouse, OptiPAR also improves light quality.

OptiPAR improves light quality by strongly diffusing the incoming light and distributing it evenly throughout the greenhouse and across the crop.

As a result, plants receive a more uniform distribution of light horizontally, while diffuse light penetrates deeper into the crop canopy, reaching more leaves.

This improves photosynthetic efficiency, reduces the risk of crop damage, and promotes more uniform plant growth.

At the same time, the system continuously adjusts light quantity to the crop’s needs, minimizing light loss without exceeding critical intensities.

This makes it possible to achieve a higher daily light integral, with less risk of crop damage and better, more uniform crop development and yield.

OptiPAR consists of two screens installed on separate wire beds and controlled independently. The upper screen has a high shading level and opens or closes depending on the incoming solar radiation. The lower screen strongly diffuses the light, distributing the remaining light evenly throughout the greenhouse and across the crop. OptiPAR can therefore achieve any shading level from 20% to 100%.

The lower screen in every OptiPAR system is Pearl. With a HortiScatter value of 83% and a PAR shading level of 28.5% according to NEN 2675, Pearl strongly diffuses the incoming light while blocking only a limited proportion of it.

Another distinctive feature of Pearl is its exceptionally high moisture transport rate of 37.1 g/m²/h, measured under standardized conditions at the WUR LightLab. This strong moisture-transporting capacity is achieved through Pearl’s breathable structure made from state-of-the-art moisture-wicking yarns.

With an energy-saving rating of 47%, Pearl can also be used as an energy-saving screen at night. Combined with a fully aluminized screen such as Noctis Thermo on the upper wire bed, the greenhouse’s insulation level can be significantly increased.