If you're a grower, or if you're thinking about becoming a grower, then you need to be thinking about the type of lights of lights you're choosing and if they are the best and most appropriate for your use case.
The previously prevailing wisdom for most growers has centred around the use of high intensity discharge lighting, most commonly, metal halide and high pressure sodium lights.
The current thinking on lighting has moved on and the lights that were once the standard are now stored away in boxes or being sold as scrap.
Here's the top 6 reasons you should be using LEDs -
- Yield - Growers using LEDs of the most current type and level of efficiency are reporting results of up to 2.4g per watt per harvest. To offer some kind of relevant contrast, the previous rule of thumb is 1 gram per watt of HPS.
- Spectrum - Growers using LEDs of the most current type and level of efficiency are able to adjust spectrum and intensity. This allows you to do things like slow starts to simulate dawn and dusk. You can also adjust light levels when you have people working in the room. You can also see the plants and spot problems and pests much easier than you can under HID lights.
- Heat - Less heat in generated by the LEDs and ballast/control than is generated by a HID light and their control gear. This simply means you have less heat that needs to be managed or expelled from the grow room.
- Efficiency - LEDs are much more efficient at pushing photons than a HID of either persuasion. As mentioned above, the new number standard being quoted is 2.4.
- Weight - The new LEDs by and large, weigh less than a HID light. Unlike most of the HID gear, the control gear is electronic and the units are optimised for hanging as one piece.
- Starting current - LEDs don't have a starting current surge like a HID light. This usually means you can run more lights on the same circuit, because you don't have to be overly concerned about what happens every time you switch the lights on.