Judge your commitment before you invest in LED grow lights

When you decide to make the commitment to indoor growing, to what level will you commit? If you are planning to grow indoors for more than a season or two, the initial costs of LED grow lights and LED growing systems may be worth the investment. Because they operate more efficiently and don’t have to be replaced for years, LED can cost less over the long term than a continual use of fluorescent lights.

Keep in mind that LED lights last 10 times longer than HPS lighting systems. Most fluorescent lights need to be replaced continually every season or two, depending on how often you run them. Even after a year of use, a traditional HPS light only has 90 percent of its original power. LED lights perform optimally for up to 20 years, which make that initial investment worthwhile as you’ll only have to do it once.

There are also considerable savings in electricity with LED lights. LED is 85 more efficient than traditional fluorescent lights, and all it takes is as little as 14-watts to sufficiently light a 1.5 square foot area. The lights take as much energy as a small household appliance and are virtually undetectable.

As gardeners, we need to be as sustainable as possible. LEDs hardly use any fossil fuels, so we get the most food possible for the electricity we use.

Since LEDs contain no mercury, they don’t release poisons into the environment. Traditional HPS lights can poison water supplies if not disposed of properly. LED technology poses no such risk.

The lack of heat is another advantage of LED systems. Since the lights contain no heating filament, they produce virtually no heat and won’ damage your plants or dry out the soil. You can place the lights close to your plants without any worries.

Installation with LED technology is a breeze. There’s no complicated wiring involved and you don’t have to be an electrician. Simply plugging the light into any household socket will suffice. There’s no risk of fire, which can help you sleep better at night knowing your plants and your household are safe.

Which light you choose depends on investment. If you are committed for more than a season or two, the investment of LED lights will pay back over time, both in energy savings and the fact that you won’t have to replace them. For more modest indoor growing ambitions, HPS lights may be cheaper if they adequately fit your needs. How committed are you to growing indoors, and what are you willing to invest?