Tips for Saving Money with LED Grow Lights
LED grow lights–energy efficient = save money
Adjust Water Consumption
As a grower you need to make sure your plants are getting just the right amount of water. Sometimes when there is a switch from one light solution to another, growers continue water treating the crops the way they did initially. Be aware that LED light fixtures do not generate as much heat as HID lights, for example. LEDs also do not emit IR light, so be careful not to overwater your plants. You can save a lot money from water conservation.
Turn up the Heat
Traditional lights like HID emit a lot of heat and often additional heating for the plants is not required. On the other hand, LED grow lights hardly generate any heat.
When growers install their LED fixture, they should be aware that they might need to turn up the heater to increase the temperature in the facility. Even though this does not sound like a proper way of how to save money on electric bill, it is. The total energy savings will be positive, due to LEDs energy efficiency.
Efficient Light Spectrum
The inferior light recipe of an HID lighting system gets far less attention in the discussion about energy efficiency, perhaps because HID lights do have a strong record for cultivating healthy crops. And if the crops look good, plants are clearly getting the right light spectrum, right?
Well, yes, but it’s complicated.
You see, some growers are inclined to trust HPS lights over LED lights because the bulbs themselves appear much brighter. The assumption, then, is that HPS lighting offers greater intensity to ensure high yields during flowering. This could not be farther from the truth.
The truth is that HPS bulbs appear brighter because they have a higher percentage of green and yellow light—the wavelengths that are most easily perceived by the human eye. The problem is that plants use very little green and yellow light for photosynthesis and other biological functions.
LED grow lights are different in that they are either spectrum variable—meaning the grower has the option to adjust intensity levels for each color of the spectrum—or they are specifically engineered to radiate a more usable spectrum. In other words, while LED lights may contain a bit of the yellow and green light spectrum, they don’t waste valuable energy blasting your plants with more yellow and green than they’ll actually use.
Define Light Cycles
Light cycles are the hours of light and darkness a plant needs, stimulating photoperiod when needed. Growers can fully manage the light cycles, affecting the rhythm of the crop’s life. Whenever you are applying the lighting cycle strategies, you should consider the plants daily light requirement. The most common light cycle is 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness, suitable for flowers in vegetative state. Another example of a popular light cycle is the 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness, that triggers flowering.
Save on Ventilation and Cooling Costs
Speaking of unusable energy, HID grow lights have a pesky habit of turning a significant portion of their consumed energy into heat radiation, also known as infrared radiation . . . also known as photons your plants will not use for photosynthesis. (However, they can use far red light.
Not only does heat radiation represent wasted energy, but it also warms up a room really fast and can burn the leaves of your plant if your lights aren’t hung high enough. In order to keep your plants from overheating, you then have to maintain a carefully designed system of ventilation and cooling. And you know what that means . . . an even higher power bill.
LEDs do not emit heat radiation at all. That doesn’t mean they’re completely cool to the touch. But their operating temperatures are much lower than the traditional HID system, and you need very little supplemental cooling to keep your plants happy when you choose LED grow lights. In fact, you may not have to mess with your room temperature at all.
Recommendation: Best LED Grow Lights For Your Money
ECO Farm 250W/500W Dimmable LED Grow Light for Greenhouse
Full spectrum led grow lights provide perfect color hue blending, matching sunlight spectrum for all stages of growth. Perfect for indoor live plant gardening, shelves, and tent growing. High efficiently heat dissipation, small and lightweight, bright, quiet during using, no fan, no noise. Thickening aluminum heat sinks ensure efficient heat dissipation, keep cooling after 24 hours using. Ideal for seedling, vegetation & flowering –ECO Farm led grow light is perfect for raising plants from seedling to budding without swapping lights. ECO Farm LED grow light covers you all stage growing needs and it’s the best add on for high yields.
Viparspectra Pro Series P4000
This light is the perfect fit for 5 ft. x 5 ft. vegetative coverage at 28 in. and 4 ft. x 4 ft. flowering coverage at 24 in. Remember to adjust the height and brightness for optimum growth properly. The unique dimmer switch makes it quick and easy to manipulate the brightness level from 5% – 100%. This light can replace a 1000W HPS/MH lamp while consuming only 400W. Consists of 730nm IR, 660nm red light, 3500K and 6500K of the white light spectrum, which is fully capable for all plant stages. Viparspectra is a professional manufacturer that has specialized in LED grow lights for many years.
Yearld Pro 330W LED Grow Light
Yearld Pro 330W LED Grow Light is dimmable and extremely efficient Meanwell driver High-efficiency Samsung LM301B White + Osram Red LEDs 4000K white true full spectrum enhanced with 660nm deep red for optimal canopy penetration Industry-top efficacy. 2.6 μmol/j Reliable passive-cooled design no cooling fans required. ECO Farm LED grow light covers you all stage growing needs and it’s the best add on for high yields.
In Short
If you’re looking to reduce energy costs for your grow operation—or if you’re concerned about limiting energy consumption for the sake of the environment—switching to LED lighting is a great option.
Upgrades can be expensive, but so is power! Running old inefficient gear is COSTING you extra money on your bill each month! Spending the money to buy efficient gear means you get to save money on your bill each month. The up front costs can be painful, but over the long run you will end up spending a lot less money. The sooner you upgrade the sooner you start saving!
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