Is it true that LED light is less effective for cannabis growing? 2019 Updated
For the last 50+ years, indoor cannabis cultivators have used High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights to illuminate their flowering crops. This technology was developed for, and is still used, as street lighting and there really hasn’t been a fundamental change to the output in the last half century. LED technology showed great promise to solve some of the primary drawbacks to the use of HPS technology for indoor cannabis cultivation.
We are often asked why this technology was used to grow cannabis, and the answers are simple: 1) due to strict legislation and even stricter penalties for growing cannabis, growers wished to move their crops indoors, and, 2) there really hasn’t been another technology that would allow us to cheaply place 400, 600, or even 1000W of light on a crop. In addition, HPS technology is rich in certain frequencies of red light, which is so important to flowering crops. Unfortunately, HPS grow lights have their drawbacks, such as high heat output and lack of other “colors,” along the lighting spectrum. In fact, up to 95% of light produced by an HPS lamp is emitted in the infrared range, which we perceive as heat.
LED Grow Lights — What is a Watt?
A watt is a unit of measure that describes the power used by an electrical circuit. Historically, consumers have used watts as a way to measure the amount of light produced by a light bulb. A 100 watt light bulb is much brighter than a 60 watt light bulb and two different brands of 100 watt incandescent bulbs have about the same brightness, because they use mostly the same technology.
A watt is a unit of measure that describes the power used by an electrical circuit. Historically, consumers have used watts as a way to measure the amount of light produced by a light bulb. A 100 watt light bulb is much brighter than a 60 watt light bulb and two different brands of 100 watt incandescent bulbs have about the same brightness, because they use mostly the same technology.
If watts are an indication of brightness, then we should be able to use it as a way of comparing different types of LED grow lights and some manufacturers agree. They will try to sell you on the watts. Brand “A” at 20 watts is better than brand “B” at only 15 watts.
Unfortunately, it does not work that way for LED. A 100 watt light might actually have less useful light for plants than a 50 watt light.
Advantages of LED Grow Lights
Quick Harvest Cycle
LED grow lights can be used for 24 hours a day with little effect on temperature. When growing plants indoors, lack of environmental feedback means the plants rely on you to tell them what season it is and with it, how they should behave.
LED grow lights can be used for 24 hours a day with little effect on temperature. When growing plants indoors, lack of environmental feedback means the plants rely on you to tell them what season it is and with it, how they should behave.
The use of LED lights enables you to change the daylight hours and the amount of red wavelength light at the exact right time to maximize the plant growth rate.
When LED light is used to grow auto flowering plants, multiple harvests are possible in one season. You is able to alter flowering times in plants and increase production.
Less Heat
By definition, one Watt of electricity produces 3.41 Btu of heat when consumed by any light-emitting source. LED, high-pressure sodium, metal-halide, florescent, induction and plasma lights all abide by this principle.
The basic reason LED lights produce less heat is less Watts are being consumed. Also, LEDs do not instantly convert more than half of the watts consumed into infrared heat, as their HPS/MH counterparts do.Here are some reasons why.
Energy efficient
This is the most outstanding feature of LED grow lights. They consume as little as half of the energy HPS or CFL lamps take up. A 10W LED can easily replace a 60W incandescent light bulb.
This is the most outstanding feature of LED grow lights. They consume as little as half of the energy HPS or CFL lamps take up. A 10W LED can easily replace a 60W incandescent light bulb.
The energy amount depends on the stage of your cannabis plant. Usually, grow lights need to stay switched on for 9 to 18 hours so that the plant can photosynthesize and grow healthily.
Having LED grow lights will markedly reduce your electricity bill, so they are light on the pocket in the long run.
THEY RUN COOL
LEDs produce a lot less heat compared to HID grow lights, which can be a big advantage as you won’t require extra cooling systems in your grow room or tent to keep temperatures optimal. This is especially advantageous if you grow in summer or happen to live in a warmer climate. The downside to this is that if you live somewhere cold, you may now need to consider a heater in the colder months. But as LEDs save you money over time, this can make up for the potential costs of running a heater.
LEDs produce a lot less heat compared to HID grow lights, which can be a big advantage as you won’t require extra cooling systems in your grow room or tent to keep temperatures optimal. This is especially advantageous if you grow in summer or happen to live in a warmer climate. The downside to this is that if you live somewhere cold, you may now need to consider a heater in the colder months. But as LEDs save you money over time, this can make up for the potential costs of running a heater.
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