Comparison of LED Grow Lights
LED stands for "light-emitting diode," a specific type of resistor that is made with special materials that allow it to act as a light, emitting photons as an electrical current is run through it. These lights have many advantages and are one of the newest technologies used for hydroponic growing and other indoor gardening scenarios. Does this Spark an idea?
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Grow Lights
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Grow lights are use to help plants grow indoors. Plants need a certain amount of light to continue their photosynthesis processes that allow them to manufacture energy and grow. Their systems are attuned to the light the sun produces, and absent that light they need to absorb some type of energy that can take its place. Certain types of lights function as better replacements for the sun that others. LED lights can be used as grow lights in the right combination.
Useful Light
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Useful light is a measurement of how much of the light a bulb produces that a plant can actually use. Plants only absorb a certain section of the light spectrum, so grow lights need to fall in that section as much as possible. LED lights have narrow bands of spectrum wavelengths they produce, so in the right conditions they have a high percentage of useful light. Depending on the color, some may be more useful than others.
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Service Life
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LED lights have a much longer life span than other grow lights, such as metal halide or sodium gas. High-intensity discharge lights have an average life span of around 20,000 hours, while all LED lights last 50,000 hours or longer. This applies to all LED grow lights.
Costs
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LED grow light costs can vary based on the manufacturer. Flexible or multiposition lights will cost more than stationary LED versions. Brightness is also an important factor. The brighter the light, the more it will tend to cost. LED lights with extra features, such as color management, are the most expensive.
Colors
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LED grow lights generally have two different color choices. The first choice is a blue LED that mimics the spectrum produced by metal halide bulbs and is useful for leafy, full growth. The second choice is a full-spectrum LED light that produces colors across the light spectrum with different types of LEDs used together in one unit. Systems that are not blue or full spectrum should not be used as grow lights.
Shape
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LED grow lights also vary according to shape. Some LED lights are available in bulb shapes that can be positioned along racks and then directed at specific plants. Others come in long bars that can give light to multiple plants at the same time.
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References
- Photo Credit lights image by Mats Tooming from Fotolia.com
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