LED Grow Light
The LED grow light is a revolution for the hydroponic gardening community. Until this light was introduced, the main source of internal lighting was the High Pressure Sodium lamp or the High-Intensity Discharge lamp. There were many problems with these two models. The first was the amount of electricity they required to operate and the second was the amount of heat they produced. LED grow lighting offers a solution to these disadvantages.
This is the reason why LED lighting has proven so popular with botanical enthusiasts, much more so than it has for standard domestic interior lighting. Whether you want to grow herbs for cooking, get a head start on next year's flower season or turn your hobby of growing fruits and vegetables into a hydroponic farm for profit, LED is the light technology you should be using.
Why the LED grow light is outshining the competition
There has been a large amount of overly enthusiastic press regarding the LED grow light. Some of it is making claims that are quite simply exaggerated. But there are certain facts regarding this technology that are undeniable.
A massive heat signature reduction
LED grow lights will still produce some heat. But compared to the HID and sodium lamp, the heat is practically undetectable. Look for LED grow light models that come with built-in fans, this keeps the internal chips cool and reduces the temperature even further. No more singed leaves, dry crops, dehydration or uncomfortable temperatures for you or your plants.
Say goodbye to expensive accessories
The excessive heat signature of older lighting models meant that you needed fans, reflectors and other heat removal systems. All of these accessories could break, need replacing and of course require more management from you. This greatly increased the cost of a project and reduced potential profit. The LED grow light needs none of these things, meaning you can spend more time actually attending to your plants and learning your craft.
Energy savings
Realistically, you can expect a reduction in electricity costs somewhere between 40-75% when you switch from HID to LED lighting. When you add this to the money you will be saving on accessories, even growing the most modest collection of herbs becomes a financially viable decision.
Life-span
The average High Powered Sodium lamp will need to be replaced after 5,000 hours. This sounds reasonable until you compare this figure to the LED grow light. You can expect anywhere between 50,000 to 100,000 hours of light before the system will need to be replaced. Up to 20 times longer than the older methods.
Efficiency
Heat not only damages your plants it also means that energy is being wasted. At best, the High-Intensity Discharge lamp is 35% efficient. So the remaining 65% is wasted heat or light that is not suitable for photosynthesis. LED lights that are designed specifically for hydroponic growing will emit light that stays within the spectrum of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). This is the required spectrum needed for plant growth, giving you 90% or greater efficiency.
