Economic Analysis Of Greenhouse Lighting: Led Vs. Hid Fixtures

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jumpincactus

jumpincactus

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Here is a published study on a cost analysis of LED vs HID tech. The study uses many name brand fixtures and covers LED, CMH, LEC, HPS, Flouros etc.

Most excellent read.

Jacob A. Nelson and Bruce Bugbee
Crop Physiology Laboratory, Department of Plant Soils and Climate, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4820 USA
This paper is complemented by a five-year cost calculator for plant lighting: http://cpl.usu.edu/htm/publications/file=15575

Here is the link to the published work in PDF format. Download it for reading at your own pace.
 
View attachment pub__8264567.pdf
Seamaiden

Seamaiden

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I so need this right now! If I'm going to do a winter run in my father's GH, I believe I'm going to need supplemental light. It's a shed with translucent panels for the roof, so too much light is blocked IMO. I can't run up the power bill on him and 600s will do that. But, neither can I really afford to spend a lot of money on LEDs. Gots me some readin' to do!
 
NightsWatch

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Seamaiden said:
I so need this right now! If I'm going to do a winter run in my father's GH, I believe I'm going to need supplemental light. It's a shed with translucent panels for the roof, so too much light is blocked IMO. I can't run up the power bill on him and 600s will do that. But, neither can I really afford to spend a lot of money on LEDs. Gots me some readin' to do!
Click to expand...
I think its the temps you need to worry about more then anything else

For years we started up in Feb seed runs for up n coming were talking hundreds of thousand seeds Green house will use no lighting but covered green house in black screened canvas  to help with the heat. and of course oil burning furnaces

No matter which way you look at it power is coming out of the wall hid you get the best of both worlds heat and light LED you get light but not allot of heat

what a person would need to do is find a 6000 watt solar set up and run it lets say 4 k other then that
No matter what its going to cost money which ever way you look at it
 
Horto

Horto

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Seamaiden said:
I so need this right now! If I'm going to do a winter run in my father's GH, I believe I'm going to need supplemental light. It's a shed with translucent panels for the roof, so too much light is blocked IMO. I can't run up the power bill on him and 600s will do that. But, neither can I really afford to spend a lot of money on LEDs. Gots me some readin' to do!
Click to expand...

You have obviously caught on to supplemental lighting in greenhouses.
The bulbs they use for supplementary lighting are not really designed for indoor so much.
It is interesting that it takes little to manipulate natural light for growth of cannabis.
Many areas have suitable photo period for flowering, 12 hour days for over half the year.

If you have the right climate, or glass/plastic.
Very interesting subject.
 
Seamaiden

Seamaiden

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I believe that heat won't be too much of a problem as long as the area is kept closed up. That's my current belief, and that may change! I've only ever grown in NorCal so just shifting to the south means I've gotta get my head wrapped around that change.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

bobby g said:
is a good read but please understand that all the LED fixtures in that test are obsolete. there are no cobs and every single-diode LED fixture in the test is at least 1-2 generations out of date.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I did not know that.
NightsWatch said:
what a person would need to do is find a 6000 watt solar set up and run it lets say 4 k other then that
No matter what its going to cost money which ever way you look at it
Click to expand...
Absolutely, but for me I'm going to have to mitigate what is being paid out to the power company. We actually have 52 panels sitting on the roof of the house in NorCal that we're going to recover. Where I would like to start this winter crop already has a large... I'm not sure what to call it, but it's made of wood and was for solar panels. Now my folks use it for storage even though the north side is completely open.

I mean, if I could swing a whole GH of my own right now then I don't know that I'd need all that much supplemental lighting. But this shed-with-open-top thing my father already has that he's letting me use? I think it's going to need supplemental light. I'm looking at a couple of units, and it looks like overall the cost of LED fixtures has dropped dramatically.
 
Horto

Horto

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Seamaiden said:
I think it's going to need supplemental light. I'm looking at a couple of units, and it looks like overall the cost of LED fixtures has dropped dramatically.
Click to expand...

Philips specialize in supplementary light for flowers, not suggesting or recommending a Phillips Product, but their literature could be helpful for your design. You could use LED's or a specialized supplementary bulb.
 
yooper420

yooper420

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Trying not to put my foot in my mouth here, but here goes anyway. Newest LED technology involves using COB`s, chip on board. Light that I just built uses 4 cob`s (200 watt). Can be expanded to your specs, I think. Hell, I`m getting in over my knowledge now, better quit.
 
Horto

Horto

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Homesteader said:
http://www.cree.com/~/media/Files/C...rence-Designs/HorticultureReferenceDesign.pdf

Cree shows how to build a 553w LED module that performs at par with Gavita Pro with Phillips bulbs drawing 1064 watts.
Not cheap however!, Im thinking probably around $800 in parts.
Click to expand...

Interesting:
The design uses 2x HLG-320H-C1050B.
Could it be built in two stages, or would you lose the LED spectrum with just 1 driver.

LEDS
48 x
Cree XP-E Photo Red 660nm XPEPHR-L1-0000-00901
144 x
Cree XP-G3 4000K XPGDWT-01-0000-00LE5

-

I have downloaded data sheets for the LED's, how would you mount all these LED's.
If you have the knowledge of the LED's used to build this design I would like to know more.

Horto
 
Horto

Horto

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Homesteader said:
Cree shows how to build a 553w LED module that performs at par with Gavita Pro with Phillips bulbs drawing 1064 watts.
Not cheap however!, Im thinking probably around $800 in parts.
Click to expand...

Had a read of the document and design looks pretty straight forward.
Using PCB SinkPad Aluminum 1950 http://www.sinkpad.com/inner-product.php?id=46
slide1-starpad.jpg


I guess the LED's are soldered into PCB which is made for the job.
Here you can see the 48 LED's and the arrangement of 12 Red LED's
xq8cwrsu5

xq8cwrsu5

Grow_Light_130_W.jpg


•1 engine
–12x 660nm XP-E Photo Red* (Red/Grey)
–36x 4000K XP-G3* (Yellow)
•PPF/W (1.93)
•Wattage (130W)


•4 engines in total
•PPF/W (1.82)
•Wattage (553W)

I would be open to the idea of building a "2 engine system".

A couple of questions:
Any suggestions on the best place to buy components?
I am still looking for a wiring diagram for this design, just like to be sure?

What do you think about the color spectrum of LED's Cree has chosen in this design.
Perhaps we could we improve on the spectrum for efficiency, like to hear what alternative LED's could be used?
 
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Horto

Horto

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Homesteader said:
Cree shows how to build a 553w LED module that performs at par with Gavita Pro with Phillips bulbs drawing 1064 watts.
Not cheap however!, Im thinking probably around $800 in parts.
Click to expand...

Have not found a wiring diagram.
33_1627945164.png


Do you know if the 48 LED's on 4x "PCB SinkPad Aluminum 1950" are connected in series?
And are the 2x 4 "PCB SinkPad Aluminum 1950" per driver connected in series?

Some quick math would suggest they could be?
Each Printed Circuit Board "PCB SinkPad Aluminum 1950" has 12 LED's.
4x PCB per engine has 48 LED's.
2x Engine has 96 LED's.


•1 engine
–12x 660nm XP-E Photo Red* (Red/Grey)
–36x 4000K XP-G3* (Yellow)
•PPF/W (1.93)
•Wattage (130W)

The Meanwell HLG-320H-C1050B Driver has output of 152 to 305 Volt 1.05A 320 Watt
The Cree XP-G3 4000K Voltage - Forward (Vf) is (Typ) 2.73V

Driver volts 305 / Led Volts 2.7 = up to 112 LED's (Seems in the right ball park for the LED's to be in Series)
--

I am interested in setting up extra separated LED's for experimentation.
Any problem with connecting wires directly to the LED, and do you know if separate Optic lenses are available.

Or could I cut the "LEDiL Strada HB CS14130_HB-IP-2X6-W" down into separate lenses?
I would have a parabolic reflector behind the LED's which might render the Lens worthless because no light would be able to escape the targeted zone, nevertheless it could still focus the light in one direction. 50 of 1, half dozen of the other?

Welcome input from anyone who has knowledge or used these parts.
Thanks
 
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NightsWatch

NightsWatch

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I personally still think best bang for the buck would be these guys http://nanoluxtech.com/products/cmh-315w-fixture/

Remember there just suplimental lighting being either in early spring and possibly on cloudy days the Sun will be doing most of the work anyways

so even if someone went Cob for the price difference you would still have two CMH compared to one 400 watt COB unit or two 200 watt units covering even less space

Being suplimental lighting i would probably even run the 315's at 4 - 5 feet apart
 
NightsWatch

NightsWatch

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Homesteader said:
I believe they have two configurations. One in series unless I am reading that wrong.

http://www.sinkpad.com/inner-product.php?id=46
Click to expand...
i think the problem with using LED for greenhouse would be the weak par at such a height .
lets be realistic here having them lights 5 feet away from plants what are they really putting out .
Pretty much the same as a flashlight
i remember we used long time ago just plain 100 watt light bulbs hanging down near the plants
 
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