The tomatoes at Windset Farms’ newest greenhouses in Delta hang in such abundance they might be grapes, an eye-popping result of innovation that maximizes yields and energy efficiency while using less land. The artificial light that helps them thrive is not from the high-pressure sodium lamps that have illuminated greenhouses for decades, but from thousands of energy-efficient LEDs.
Founded in Delta nearly 30 years ago, Windset Farms has grown into one of North America’s largest greenhouse vegetable producers, including an operation in Delta that is the largest LED-lit greenhouse vegetable facility in Western North America. Premium tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and specialty produce are sold throughout North America under the Windset Farms brand.
Despite an international footprint, the company’s newest investments are concentrated in B.C.
Since 2024, Windset’s Delta operations have added four new greenhouses—and installed LED lighting in an existing greenhouse—to increase their total LED-lit greenhouse production to 86 acres. And they’re not stopping there. Construction has started on an additional 38 acres, which will start producing in the summer of 2027.
All combined, Windset will have 168 acres of greenhouse production area in B.C. a year from now.
“Every component of their greenhouse systems is designed to incorporate leading-edge technology,” says BC Hydro senior account manager Ivana Nikolic.
“The installation of LED lights in four greenhouses resulted in a whopping 110 million kilowatt-hours of electricity savings, which is sufficient to power about 11,000 average B.C. households annually.”
Windset’s recent expansion of its B.C. operations has been driven by access to renewable electricity, a favourable growing climate, proximity to Western Canadian markets and a growing appetite for locally grown food. Together, they’ve created an environment that promotes long-term investment.
“It makes sense for us to invest here in Canada,” says Windset CEO Steven Newell. “Our plan is not only to build in Canada to support the Western Canadian retail base and the Canadian consumer with fresher, better-tasting, high-colour fruit. It’s also to support our customers with produce from Delta shipped down the I-5 corridor into Washington, Oregon, California and other western states.”
Windset maximizes yields compared to outdoor growing while using less land. They do this by using LEDs and by utilizing precision growing techniques to control the indoor climate for temperature, humidity, air movement, CO2 and irrigation.
Windset designed their newest greenhouses around 100 percent LED lighting. Because LEDs generate much less radiant heat, the newest greenhouses were engineered with additional hot-water heating pipes, thermal energy screens, light-abatement screens and advanced climate-control systems that continuously maintain ideal growing conditions throughout the year.
The result is a highly efficient growing environment that uses up to 55 percent less electricity for lighting than comparable high-pressure sodium systems while giving growers more precise control over light intensity and spectrum.
“It’s more efficient to make red light than any other colour, and it’s also the wavelength that tomato and cucumber plants use most effectively,” explains Newell. “We can adjust the red and blue and other colours based on the plant variety, on the age of the plant and on how much natural light we’re getting from the sun.”
In addition to being energy efficient, Windset collects irrigation drain water, then filters and disinfects it before recirculating it throughout the greenhouse back to the plants. As a good neighbour, Windset Farms has also invested in dedicated light-abatement curtains to minimize the amount of grow light visible at night, helping reduce light pollution for nearby residents.
BC Hydro helped enable a significant electrical-service upgrade and provided advice and incentives as the company’s strategy focused on LED lighting. Two new greenhouses were connected to a BC Hydro 69-kilovolt transmission line in 2024, another two were connected this summer and existing greenhouses were also transferred from the local distribution system to the new service.
As demand for fresh, locally grown produce continues to grow, Windset Farms believes that renewable electricity plays an important role in the future of controlled-environment agriculture.
“We have a utility in BC Hydro that’s all about renewable power,” says Newell. “It’s exciting to turn this electricity into food that’s close to the people who enjoy it.”
Get more information at bchydro.com/businessprograms, contact your BC Hydro key account manager, or email at [email protected].
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