LED Grow lights are taking the indoor gardening world by storm, and it isn’t a wonder why. With an increase in efficiency, optimized color spectrums, less heat, and longer life cycles it is a wonder why everyone hasn’t switched already. But just how much of a difference are they really in comparison?

Energy Efficiency: How Much Electricity Does it Really Save?

Conventional grow lights tend to be quite expensive to operate. Most people have a preconceived notion that it is just a light bulb, so how much energy could it actually use? If you are using a Metal Halide or a High Pressure Sodium lighting system, you grow area requires about 25W per square foot. Most indoor gardens will range in size from 25 to 50 square feet, so looking at the latter number, this would equate to approximately 1250 watts of power to maintain the garden. To put this size into perspective, this is a garden approximately 5 feet by 10 feet, or half of a medium bedroom. In the USA, the average electricity cost was around 12 cents per kilowatt hour. That means, running your indoor gardening lighting system would cost around $750 per year to have the light on an average of 14 hours per day. This obviously starts to add up quite significantly in a short period of time. LED grow lights on the other hand will save as much as 75% of the electricity cost, or $550 per year.

Less Heat

Heat can cause excessive evaporation in addition to leaf damage due to unwelcome heat. With operating temperature in excess of 750 degrees Fahrenheit, Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium grow lights typically require the addition of a cooling system to manage the heat. This is both inefficient and less effective for growing plants. Plants with a low heat tolerance will often need to be moved to an area much further from the lights which often will devoid them of the necessary light required. LED lights on the other hand operate a a lower 100 degrees Fahrenheit which allows many different plants to grow closer to each other. Cooling units which use high volumes of electricity are also not as necessary and a major cost savings can result.

How Long Do LED Lights Last?

Lamp life is often rated in the number of hours they operate on average to failure. LED lights have a period where they perform at a higher lumen output and the way they are rated is slightly different because of it. Conventional light bulbs will last between 12,000 and 20,000 hours on average before they require replacement. LED lights will operate at 90% lumen efficiency up till around 50,000 hours. This is how they have come to be rated on life cycle calculations, however it is important to note that they often will be able to remain at 80% lumen efficiency for as long as 100,000 hours. If you buy your LED lights over sized for your area, you may be able to save additional money in the long run by operating them for the entire 80% efficiency.

Light Frequency Optimization

Other lighting systems often contain more of the yellow and orange spectrum then a plant could utilize. During photosynthesis a plant is not able to use much of the visible light spectrum aside from reds and blues. LED grow lights cater to the plants needs which assists them in being so efficient. Manufacturers of the LED lighting systems will often offer the consumer the option of using their own red/blue ratio of light to customize their system for their specific needs. Standard lighting packages however have a suitable mix for both the vegetative and flowering phases of the plants cycle.

As time continues to increase the costs of energy and as more people begin to grow within their own homes to produce fresh organic produce, LED lights will certainly become much more widely used. If you are just starting an indoor garden and looking at which artificial lighting system to use, LED grow lights should certainly be examined for feasibility. They may be much more affordable when you look at the life cycle. Good Luck!

The Indoor Garden Centre is a blog dedicated to helping people build and maintain an Indoor Vegetable Garden. For more information on LED Grow Lights visit Vladmir Skillet’s post on grow lights.