The Lurker
New Member
re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W
I'd like to see you do a 3w test irish, don't think they'd be as efficient overall as 1W in the same profile and viewing angle, but it'd make for a good reference point.
Unless you're doing it just to maximize floorspace, I don't see a vertical LED grow producing much better than a horizontal grow in terms of g/watt-hr. You reclaim energy by taking a reflector off a HID lamp and putting plants all around it, but LEDs already direct all their energy downward, so there is no gain based on their orientation.
You may pick up maybe 5 to (at max) 10% by curving your growing area, if you're placing the LEDs close together in a fixture, like HID. But if you had a horizontal garden and simply spread the LEDs out equally over the area, then no benefit vs. vertical - and actually, your yields would improve in the flat garden, simply because you distributed your light more evenly. Gaining floorspace in a vertical will be harder with LEDs because of the penetration, also...
I do like the concept of a vertical LEDtron, however - I think it'd look pretty cool! Then again, PL-Ls in a highpod work just fine...
Hi Grassy, haven't seen you before - welcome to the forums!
Those are 5mm led's, the kind you find in indicator lights and low powered flashlights. You want the high powered 1W(+) ones instead. Also, the viewing angle on those is 20-30 deg, too narrow for good distribution at the distances you'd need to have any real effect on your plants. Not saying you can't grow with them, just that you probably wouldn't like the results. That's why they're so much cheaper...
I don't think we'll see efficiencies like that for another couple of quarters, at least. Once the 60-70 lumens/watt models start filtering into the market later this year, we'll get closer to that. Of course, they'll cost more initially until volume goes up and newer LEDs come out, putting negative price pressure on the existing line, like anything else in the electronics industry. Best cost-to-value ratio is usually in the midrange anyway.
A year ago, 1g/watt was about the ceiling with these; Mr. X and a few others are now doing ~2g/watt+ and close to it. That will go up over time.
I know the feeling.
I understand they're starting to do studies such as the ones by Fionia Lighting where they are connecting light meters for spectral analysis to experimental LED panels that actually monitor the plant's PAR response (through reflection of chlorophyll and infrared light), and will adjust the spectrum and intensity delivered by the light panel accordingly, so you can provide optimal lighting at all times based on the needs of the individual plants.
Eventually you'll be able to purchase a unit like that for home use, like today's ppm/EC and CO2 computers, to monitor all that for you.
Lots of fun, these Christmas tree lights!
Regards,
-TL
I'd like to see you do a 3w test irish, don't think they'd be as efficient overall as 1W in the same profile and viewing angle, but it'd make for a good reference point.
Unless you're doing it just to maximize floorspace, I don't see a vertical LED grow producing much better than a horizontal grow in terms of g/watt-hr. You reclaim energy by taking a reflector off a HID lamp and putting plants all around it, but LEDs already direct all their energy downward, so there is no gain based on their orientation.
You may pick up maybe 5 to (at max) 10% by curving your growing area, if you're placing the LEDs close together in a fixture, like HID. But if you had a horizontal garden and simply spread the LEDs out equally over the area, then no benefit vs. vertical - and actually, your yields would improve in the flat garden, simply because you distributed your light more evenly. Gaining floorspace in a vertical will be harder with LEDs because of the penetration, also...
I do like the concept of a vertical LEDtron, however - I think it'd look pretty cool! Then again, PL-Ls in a highpod work just fine...
Hi Grassy, haven't seen you before - welcome to the forums!
Those are 5mm led's, the kind you find in indicator lights and low powered flashlights. You want the high powered 1W(+) ones instead. Also, the viewing angle on those is 20-30 deg, too narrow for good distribution at the distances you'd need to have any real effect on your plants. Not saying you can't grow with them, just that you probably wouldn't like the results. That's why they're so much cheaper...
I don't think we'll see efficiencies like that for another couple of quarters, at least. Once the 60-70 lumens/watt models start filtering into the market later this year, we'll get closer to that. Of course, they'll cost more initially until volume goes up and newer LEDs come out, putting negative price pressure on the existing line, like anything else in the electronics industry. Best cost-to-value ratio is usually in the midrange anyway.
A year ago, 1g/watt was about the ceiling with these; Mr. X and a few others are now doing ~2g/watt+ and close to it. That will go up over time.
I know the feeling.
I understand they're starting to do studies such as the ones by Fionia Lighting where they are connecting light meters for spectral analysis to experimental LED panels that actually monitor the plant's PAR response (through reflection of chlorophyll and infrared light), and will adjust the spectrum and intensity delivered by the light panel accordingly, so you can provide optimal lighting at all times based on the needs of the individual plants.Eventually you'll be able to purchase a unit like that for home use, like today's ppm/EC and CO2 computers, to monitor all that for you.
Lots of fun, these Christmas tree lights!
Regards,
-TL
