8 Reasons Why LED Grow Lights Are the Best
Choice for Growing Indoors
LED grow lights have become very popular with indoor farming. They bring an advanced level of technology, much improved compared to any other type of horticultural lighting out there. Here are some of the reasons why LED grow lights are the best choice.
1. Use Less Power
By using LED grow lights, you can save a lot of money with your electricity bill according to energy.gov. They consume less watts, and not all the wattage is transformed into light. For instance, it might be used as heat while the rest is used for power cooling to blow any radiant heat away from the heat sinks.
2. Use Less Heat
Since LED grow lights use less power, it means there is less heat in the grow room. Note that, if a fixture draws more watts, it produces a lot of heat. LED grow lights transform more energy into light and very little into heat according to energystar.gov. They provide less watts per square foot than traditional horticultural lighting, so there’s less heat pushed into the environment.
3. Improved Efficiency
LED grow lights have at least 40 to 60% efficiency when it comes to converting energy to usable light compared to conventional lighting options. They operate at high efficiency levels allowing them to draw less energy and produce less heat. Therefore, you need less wattage to produce the same amount of light as the traditional lighting options.
4. Reduced HVAC Costs
When using LED grow lights, you need to use less watts to deliver the same level of lighting. As a result, there will be reduced capital and overall operating HVAC costs. With a larger grow room, you can rely on less air conditioning to reduce the temperature. By switching to LED grow lights, you can count on at least a 50% reduction in HVAC costs.
If you have a smaller grow room, you can also choose to operate it without HVAC systems in place. That’s because the temperatures are considerably lower when using LED grow lights. Of course, you need proper ventilation measures in place to make sure the area is cooled down properly as well as proper air exchange.
5. No Associated Damage With Close Proximity to Plants
You can place LED grow lights close to plants, unlike traditional horticultural lighting options. As mentioned, they produce very little heat so that you can place them as close as a few inches without any associated damaged. With such close proximity, you can ensure optimal light penetration into the plants.
Of course, you need to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation because any inches closer would result in light burns. The shape and the intensity of the lighting fixture will determine how close the unit can be placed to the plants. If you have box-shaped LED lighting fixtures, you can place them above the canopy, thus allowing the light to spread before reaching the plants according to this article https://www.canadagrowsindoors.ca/top-10-best-led-grow-lights-reviews/
6. Offer Complete Spectrums
Are you looking for a foolproof way to maximize your plant’s growth potential? You need to consider the spectrum provided by the lighting options in place. Photosynthesis is mostly determined by light intensity and duration. However, the light spectrum determines the shape of the plant and the flower density, potency, and quality.
LED grow lights provide a full and complete spectrum, thus boosting the overall growth of the plant from the seed to harvesting. For instance, the cool or blue spectrums are used to boost vegetative growth. On the other hand, warmer or red spectrums are used to boost flowering.
7. Controllable Spectrum, Dimming, and Schedules
Many manufacturers of LED grow lights have provided controllable dimming, spectrum, and scheduling into their brands. Here’s what you need to know about each.
- Spectrum Control – Here, you should be able to control each of the spectrums independently. Many LED grow lights have a spectrum of colors. They can be turned on or off depending on the growth stage of the plants.
- Dimming Control – You can dim the lights from 1 – 100% intensity. Here, you can control the wavelengths being introduced to the plants. It’s also a great way to save any additional energy when you don’t need full intensity.
- Scheduling Control – With LED grow lights you can enjoy the on-board timing/scheduling. Here, you can program the dimming and spectrum schedules into the unit. There’s no need for an external timer because it’s in-built.
- Wi-Fi And Remote Operation – Since you can operate the light fixtures remotely, it’s easy to schedule, dim, and change the spectrums at any time effortlessly.
8. Easy to Install
Whether you have a large or small indoor farm, LED grow lights are very easy to install. For the small farm, you simply need the LED fixtures and the ventilation, and you’re good to go. However, for large indoor farms, you need the lighting system, HVAC, and electrical systems, but they are also easy to install.
Try out LED grow lights for your indoor farm today to enjoy these and many more benefits.