OlgaStruthio
- 9
- 3
Hi all, thanks for blazing the trail in LED technology. For years I've been running dozens of old-school S52 ballasts and Hortilux Super HPS bulbs. I've bought hundreds of those bulbs, and I'm getting a bit tired of heat, bulb replacement, and inconsistent light output.
I'm also designing a new grow facility, build-out starting in 2 months. I'm planning rooms about 16 x 25 feet in size, 400 ft^2 per room, 15 foot ceilings. I had initially planned for Gavita Double-Ended 1000 Watt HPS, but new LED technology looks just about ready to take over and outperform. LED cost is an issue, but less of an issue after factoring in sealed room cooling requirements.
So the question: What is an appropriate light density to plan on? I really like my current setup of 3 x 3 foot spacing of 1000W lights. Bright light makes everything easier.
I've read recommendations in the range of 35 - 45 watts / ft^2. That doesn't pay off easily if using top-shelf lights, at least way up north where cooling is cheaper. The cheap light kits using good components (CXB3590 or Vero29 COBs) are well priced, though. Suppliers like rapidled, Timber, and Pacific Light Concepts suggest similar spacings around 35 watts / ft^2. Cost seems just over double that of a Gavita setup, ignoring A/C differences.
If I space LED lights out at that density, it looks like I would light a 16x25 foot room with about 14,000 watts, about 24 600 watt fixtures.
Now I start second-guessing the whole thing -- 14000 watts of LED? That sounds like a lot, especially when compared to the 18000 watts Gavita lights would use at a 4 x 6 foot spacing.
Also, I see lots of great examples here and elsewhere of LED grows in small spaces, but what about the big rooms? The larger grows I've seen on Youtube sure appear to have even less than 35 watts / ft^2. How much advantage do larger rooms get from side lighting of large arrays of light?
I'm also designing a new grow facility, build-out starting in 2 months. I'm planning rooms about 16 x 25 feet in size, 400 ft^2 per room, 15 foot ceilings. I had initially planned for Gavita Double-Ended 1000 Watt HPS, but new LED technology looks just about ready to take over and outperform. LED cost is an issue, but less of an issue after factoring in sealed room cooling requirements.
So the question: What is an appropriate light density to plan on? I really like my current setup of 3 x 3 foot spacing of 1000W lights. Bright light makes everything easier.
I've read recommendations in the range of 35 - 45 watts / ft^2. That doesn't pay off easily if using top-shelf lights, at least way up north where cooling is cheaper. The cheap light kits using good components (CXB3590 or Vero29 COBs) are well priced, though. Suppliers like rapidled, Timber, and Pacific Light Concepts suggest similar spacings around 35 watts / ft^2. Cost seems just over double that of a Gavita setup, ignoring A/C differences.
If I space LED lights out at that density, it looks like I would light a 16x25 foot room with about 14,000 watts, about 24 600 watt fixtures.
Now I start second-guessing the whole thing -- 14000 watts of LED? That sounds like a lot, especially when compared to the 18000 watts Gavita lights would use at a 4 x 6 foot spacing.
Also, I see lots of great examples here and elsewhere of LED grows in small spaces, but what about the big rooms? The larger grows I've seen on Youtube sure appear to have even less than 35 watts / ft^2. How much advantage do larger rooms get from side lighting of large arrays of light?