LED growlights: Difference between revisions
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{{Category=Controlled-environment growing}} | {{Category=Controlled-environment growing}} | ||
Researchers report approximately 40% yield win from using LED lights<sup>[http://www.greenhousecanada.com/content/view/1562/38/]</sup>. They | '''Advantages''': Researchers report approximately 40% yield win from using LED lights<sup>[http://www.greenhousecanada.com/content/view/1562/38/]</sup>. They use about a tenth the energy of high-pressure sodium lights. | ||
Plants | '''Life''': LEDs last about 50,000 hours. Plants grow best with 16 hours light a day - that's 16 hours total sunlight + LED light. The amount of sunlight obviously varies depending on climate and latitude, but if you lived in a cave, you'd be using the growlights 16 × 365 hours a year: 5840 hours a year so they'd last 8.5 years. Factoring in sunlight, they should last at least 20 years. | ||
[http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:y2J4wNlxck0J:www.lssc.nasa.gov/als/ncera/Session%2520D/Morrow%2520NCERA%2520101.pdf+nasa+red+and+blue+leds&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShaMXyXF87HRJiYvdLdMtTaHOJ1bL-PFM4R1jTvDDWKOcvfyslTvevjDS5NTJhFd5RRAJbfhjXNpQteyf9lLgXgzJEQfhJw9su3xLDUFTgFUY5DYYruExNxvD3RBLYhDOC6Sf2_&sig=AHIEtbSbFMSDmZur_wv3fOONSlyBFFrfYw | '''Color''': Plants need a mixture of blue (wavelength of 458nm) and red lights (wavelength of 640nm), with the red lights about six times brighter than the blue. | ||
'''Brightness''': Plants need about 30,000 lux (lumens per square meter) | |||
'''Commercial growlights vs DIY''': [http://www.google.com/products/catalog?&cid=1937589986051591870&ei=VQhZTeSED82WhQeQ1fDcDA&sa=X# This] is a commercial growpanel with 225 LEDs for $34 plus shipping. It may be cheaper to buy loose LEDs. | |||
# Here are [https://www.kingbrightusa.com/product.asp?catalog_name=LED&product_id=WP63SRD Red LEDs for 9c each] at a brightness of 0.3 lumens. [https://www.kingbrightusa.com/product.asp?catalog_name=LED&product_id=WP5603QBDL/SD/G Blue LEDs for 41c each] at a brightness of 1.5 lumens. | |||
# [http://www.aliexpress.com/item/5m-300-LED-3528-SMD-12V-flexible-light-60-led-m-LED-strip-Waterproof-IP45-white/1081661055.html] has 5m led strips for $7.88 | |||
Large High-Output LED Array for | |||
Plant Growth slidshow by orbitech | |||
[http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:y2J4wNlxck0J:www.lssc.nasa.gov/als/ncera/Session%2520D/Morrow%2520NCERA%2520101.pdf+nasa+red+and+blue+leds&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShaMXyXF87HRJiYvdLdMtTaHOJ1bL-PFM4R1jTvDDWKOcvfyslTvevjDS5NTJhFd5RRAJbfhjXNpQteyf9lLgXgzJEQfhJw9su3xLDUFTgFUY5DYYruExNxvD3RBLYhDOC6Sf2_&sig=AHIEtbSbFMSDmZur_wv3fOONSlyBFFrfYw] | |||
Latest revision as of 02:57, 24 August 2013
Main > Food and Agriculture > Controlled-environment growing
Advantages: Researchers report approximately 40% yield win from using LED lights[1]. They use about a tenth the energy of high-pressure sodium lights.
Life: LEDs last about 50,000 hours. Plants grow best with 16 hours light a day - that's 16 hours total sunlight + LED light. The amount of sunlight obviously varies depending on climate and latitude, but if you lived in a cave, you'd be using the growlights 16 × 365 hours a year: 5840 hours a year so they'd last 8.5 years. Factoring in sunlight, they should last at least 20 years.
Color: Plants need a mixture of blue (wavelength of 458nm) and red lights (wavelength of 640nm), with the red lights about six times brighter than the blue.
Brightness: Plants need about 30,000 lux (lumens per square meter)
Commercial growlights vs DIY: This is a commercial growpanel with 225 LEDs for $34 plus shipping. It may be cheaper to buy loose LEDs.
- Here are Red LEDs for 9c each at a brightness of 0.3 lumens. Blue LEDs for 41c each at a brightness of 1.5 lumens.
- [2] has 5m led strips for $7.88
Large High-Output LED Array for Plant Growth slidshow by orbitech [3]