LED Grow lights are taking the indoor gardening world by storm, and it isn’t a wonder why. With an increase in efficiency, optimized color spectrums, less heat, and longer life cycles it is a wonder why everyone hasn’t switched already. But just how much of a difference are they really in comparison?

Energy Efficiency

Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium Lights have been the industry standard for several decades now. The problem with these two lighting systems is that they require copious amounts of electricity to keep them going. Average indoor gardens will require between 25-40 watts of conventional light per square foot of growing space. If you have a moderate sized garden around 40 square feet, this can cost the farmer as much as $960 per year. On the other hand, LED grow lights require much less electricity for a number of reasons that will be covered, all of which assist the lights in only require 25% of the energy used for the purpose of lighting. That means a year of operating LED lights over the conventional High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide lights could save as much as $720 per year. The annual cost of operating the LED grow lights would only be around $240.

Less Heat

In addition to electrical savings for the light itself, there is also a savings on the cooling costs of the system. Conventional grow lights will be as hot as 750 degrees Fahrenheit. LED grow lights on the other hand are a much lower and manageable 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows for a wider array of plants to be grown in the same area without the worry of dehydrating or wilting particular sensitive plants, as well as reducing the energy use for cooling the room from the high heat output off the HPS or MH lamps and ballasts.

Increase in Lamp Life Cycle

Lamp life is often rated in the number of hours they operate on average to failure. LED lights have a period where they perform at a higher lumen output and the way they are rated is slightly different because of it. Conventional light bulbs will last between 12,000 and 20,000 hours on average before they require replacement. LED lights will operate at 90% lumen efficiency up till around 50,000 hours. This is how they have come to be rated on life cycle calculations, however it is important to note that they often will be able to remain at 80% lumen efficiency for as long as 100,000 hours. If you buy your LED lights over sized for your area, you may be able to save additional money in the long run by operating them for the entire 80% efficiency.

How Adjustable is the Color Temperature?

Many of the manufacturers of the LED grow light systems allow you to create your own lighting array with a balance of reds and blues to maximize vegetating or flowering stages of your plant life cycle. Of course, they also have standard blue/red ratios that will provide a suitable mix for both but it is certainly a benefit to be able to customize the light spectrum if you so desire. The conventional lighting systems have many colors that are nearly unusable to the plant during photosynthesis like yellows and oranges. LED lights on the other hand emphasize the colors that are most effective for the plant producing better yields.

As time continues to increase the costs of energy and as more people begin to grow within their own homes to produce fresh organic produce, LED lights will certainly become much more widely used. If you are just starting an indoor garden and looking at which artificial lighting system to use, LED grow lights should certainly be examined for feasibility. They may be much more affordable when you look at the life cycle. Good Luck!

The Indoor Garden Centre is a website dedicated to helping people build and maintain Indoor Gardening projects. For more information on Using indoor LED Grow Lights visit Vladmir Skillet’s post on grow lights.

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