Here's the short version fisrt, then if you want to know why I'm using LEDs and CFLs, you can read below.
Short version -
Set-up
4x90w LED UFOs (360 watts total) - 2x dual spectrum 8:1 660 red and 470 blue, the other 2 are tri-spectrum 7:1:1 640 red 470 blue and cool white 6000k. Each has 90x1w LED lights.
2x68w CFL (136w total) - 2700w kelvin and 4200 lumens each.
Plants-
2xMazari Sharif
1x Purple Kush
1xBubble Gum
All 4 were vegged outdoors (for slightly too long) then brought indoors and put directly under 12/12 LED/CFL combo.
(end short version, stay tuned for pics later tonight)
Long Version-
Recently, I've been looking a lot into LED lighting. I've heard both sides of the story and wanted to see what all the talk was about. Here is what I found:
LED LIGHTING vs HPS LIGHTING -
There really is no normal comparison that can be used in terms of lighting. You can't compare watts, you can't compare lumens, and you can't compare wave lengths. Each has it's own strengths and weaknesses, and both are loved in their own way.
LED- Pros
-Cheaper electrical bill - BUT, not as cheap as you might think. To keep up with HPS, it has been shown that you need about half the Watt output + soft white fluorescents.
-Generates MUCH less heat.
-50,000 hour lifetime on some fixtures
-All light is emitted at targeted wave lengths to optimize plant growth and flowering.
LED - Cons
-Very expensive initial cost. Personal units over 350w will cost over $1000, and higher as you climb in wattage. But, you can save a lot of money by looking around a little. Factory direct ordering will save you hundreds of dollars without sacrificing quality.
-Still very new technology, up until this last year or so there were only red and blue spectrum lights. Now there are tri, quad, and five spectrum lights incorporating orange, white, and deep reds. Who knows what's to come next year?
HPS - Pros
-Reliable, very widely used and much more material is available regarding setup, costs, expected yield, etc.
-Very high intensity light, brightest warm white bulbs available.
-Used as the "gold standard." You will never see a thread asking how a HPS compares to this or that, it's alwats the other way around - always compare to what's considered the best.
HPS - Cons
-Expensive electrical bill.
-High cooling costs due to heat from the lamps.
-Bulbs don't last longer than a few harvests.
Why LEDs then?
Well, I decided I need to try this out for myself to really see what the fuss is about. So, I looked into the claims that seemed too good to be true: "90w LED out perform 450hps" or "300w out performs 100wHPS," and came to the conclusion that yes, they ARE too good to be true. No 90w LED is going to outperform a 450w HSP. But, how much can it actually out perform HPS? Most people stopped caring when the original claim was shut down, but just how much can LED actually produce, watt for watt?
My second reason for trying LEDs, besides curiosity, was the heat factor. Due to housing accomodations for the next year or so, I only have a small 5x5 closet with no ventallation. HPS would simply generate too much heat.
The cheapest route:
LEDs are far from cheap, I've seen 90w UFOs ranging upwards of $450 for one fixture. So, I made a limit. I gave myself $1000 (I'll explain why so high in a minute) to get as many watts into my 5x5 grow area as I could.
After much searching, I found a few companies that were direct LED manufacturers rather than middle men dealers. Because of this, I got all 4 LEDs for just under $180 each. The 2 CFLs were about $30 each including bulb and socket. Lights ended up totalling $780 at 496 watts total. The remaining was spent on all my nutrients. Running low on funds, I built my own grow tent for $50 with PVC and reflective material. It's no commercial grade tent, but it'll ge the job done.
Why add CFLs?
Most testing done with LEDs has shown that while the red and blue spectrum are the most used light wavelengths in plant growth, there are still wavelengths needed in white light that the LEDs don't offer. Supplementing 2500-2700k warm white CFLs is suppose to make LED/CFL combo grows yield much more than 100% LED grows and 100% CFL grows. The suggested amount is about 1/2w of CFL per 1w of LED light (roughly half); hence, my set up of 360w LED and 136w CFL.
What is this grow trying to prove? Efficientcy!
Basically, I want to see how long it takes for LED to make up for it's cost, based on it's yield. The average 1000w HPS grow with cooling and electric usually comes out to around $160+ per month depending on set-up (can vary). A new 1000w setup, including reflector, ballast, and bulb runs about $400-500 total. That's a total fixture cost difference of $280-$380.
So let the test begin - ~500w mixed LED/CFL grow
***This is a isolated case, results will not guarantee similar yield with equal set-up. Grow is legal under CA state law, medical proposition 215.
Short version -
Set-up
4x90w LED UFOs (360 watts total) - 2x dual spectrum 8:1 660 red and 470 blue, the other 2 are tri-spectrum 7:1:1 640 red 470 blue and cool white 6000k. Each has 90x1w LED lights.
2x68w CFL (136w total) - 2700w kelvin and 4200 lumens each.
Plants-
2xMazari Sharif
1x Purple Kush
1xBubble Gum
All 4 were vegged outdoors (for slightly too long) then brought indoors and put directly under 12/12 LED/CFL combo.
(end short version, stay tuned for pics later tonight)
Long Version-
Recently, I've been looking a lot into LED lighting. I've heard both sides of the story and wanted to see what all the talk was about. Here is what I found:
LED LIGHTING vs HPS LIGHTING -
There really is no normal comparison that can be used in terms of lighting. You can't compare watts, you can't compare lumens, and you can't compare wave lengths. Each has it's own strengths and weaknesses, and both are loved in their own way.
LED- Pros
-Cheaper electrical bill - BUT, not as cheap as you might think. To keep up with HPS, it has been shown that you need about half the Watt output + soft white fluorescents.
-Generates MUCH less heat.
-50,000 hour lifetime on some fixtures
-All light is emitted at targeted wave lengths to optimize plant growth and flowering.
LED - Cons
-Very expensive initial cost. Personal units over 350w will cost over $1000, and higher as you climb in wattage. But, you can save a lot of money by looking around a little. Factory direct ordering will save you hundreds of dollars without sacrificing quality.
-Still very new technology, up until this last year or so there were only red and blue spectrum lights. Now there are tri, quad, and five spectrum lights incorporating orange, white, and deep reds. Who knows what's to come next year?
HPS - Pros
-Reliable, very widely used and much more material is available regarding setup, costs, expected yield, etc.
-Very high intensity light, brightest warm white bulbs available.
-Used as the "gold standard." You will never see a thread asking how a HPS compares to this or that, it's alwats the other way around - always compare to what's considered the best.
HPS - Cons
-Expensive electrical bill.
-High cooling costs due to heat from the lamps.
-Bulbs don't last longer than a few harvests.
Why LEDs then?
Well, I decided I need to try this out for myself to really see what the fuss is about. So, I looked into the claims that seemed too good to be true: "90w LED out perform 450hps" or "300w out performs 100wHPS," and came to the conclusion that yes, they ARE too good to be true. No 90w LED is going to outperform a 450w HSP. But, how much can it actually out perform HPS? Most people stopped caring when the original claim was shut down, but just how much can LED actually produce, watt for watt?
My second reason for trying LEDs, besides curiosity, was the heat factor. Due to housing accomodations for the next year or so, I only have a small 5x5 closet with no ventallation. HPS would simply generate too much heat.
The cheapest route:
LEDs are far from cheap, I've seen 90w UFOs ranging upwards of $450 for one fixture. So, I made a limit. I gave myself $1000 (I'll explain why so high in a minute) to get as many watts into my 5x5 grow area as I could.
After much searching, I found a few companies that were direct LED manufacturers rather than middle men dealers. Because of this, I got all 4 LEDs for just under $180 each. The 2 CFLs were about $30 each including bulb and socket. Lights ended up totalling $780 at 496 watts total. The remaining was spent on all my nutrients. Running low on funds, I built my own grow tent for $50 with PVC and reflective material. It's no commercial grade tent, but it'll ge the job done.
Why add CFLs?
Most testing done with LEDs has shown that while the red and blue spectrum are the most used light wavelengths in plant growth, there are still wavelengths needed in white light that the LEDs don't offer. Supplementing 2500-2700k warm white CFLs is suppose to make LED/CFL combo grows yield much more than 100% LED grows and 100% CFL grows. The suggested amount is about 1/2w of CFL per 1w of LED light (roughly half); hence, my set up of 360w LED and 136w CFL.
What is this grow trying to prove? Efficientcy!
Basically, I want to see how long it takes for LED to make up for it's cost, based on it's yield. The average 1000w HPS grow with cooling and electric usually comes out to around $160+ per month depending on set-up (can vary). A new 1000w setup, including reflector, ballast, and bulb runs about $400-500 total. That's a total fixture cost difference of $280-$380.
So let the test begin - ~500w mixed LED/CFL grow
***This is a isolated case, results will not guarantee similar yield with equal set-up. Grow is legal under CA state law, medical proposition 215.
