When It Comes To Energy, Indoor Marijuana Isn’t Green

Discussion in 'Marijuana News' started by growth_industry, Mar 19, 2015.

  1. #1 growth_industry, Mar 19, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 19, 2015
  2.  
    pretty interesting.
     
    do you think it would make a difference if people could grow mj safely outdoors like they do tomatoes? energy consumption might drop by a reasonable % if certain operations that remain indoors because of safety issues could move outdoors.
     
    but it goes without saying that we need more efficient (and cleaner) technologies both for energy production and consumption.  
     
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  3. Yeah LED lighting and fluorescent lights do save money that's what I use and don't need no cooling exhaust fans which means even less energy
     
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  4. with bio fuel from hemp farming we can power/heat/cool a building/greenhouse etc... to grow medical cannabis. have a field out back to get hemp pulp fiber and have an indoor greenhouse to grow the good stuff. energy efficient as they come and totally reliant on hemp based products entirely. plus the hemp grown will offset greenhouse gasses by just sprouting up like
     
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  5.  
    For commercial applications LED's and fluorescent's are pretty much out of the question. 
     
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  6. what a day that will be
     
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  8. Well the technology of LEDs are becoming more advance with some LEDs putting out equivalent light and specs that plants love as a 1000 watt hps with a fraction of energy consumption but the prices of the higher power LEDs cost 10 times the price of hps lights for a good brad but for the energy consumption and the time that a good brand led panel can last many years so just energy savings will be worth it in the long run
     
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  9.  
    Unfortunately, LEDs are never going to have the light penetration that HIDs do. That's why they are inferior for commercial applications.
     
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  10. #11 snoopdog6502, Mar 24, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 24, 2015
     
    LED's are better, you just have to buy the $1,500.00 + ones. A $300 LED is not so great. I have been doing a test grow on the Advanced LED XML 650 Diamond series with 10w Cree diodes that's way bad ass. For the price it better kick the shit out of a HID.
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bUNw0hIEoQ
     
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  11.  
    I'm not saying they are garbage, but in my experiences they have never had the light penetration that HID offers. It's not a problem of power, it's a problem of coverage as well. Obviously if you have a strong enough LED system parked right above a plant, it's going to have a penetration factor (into the canopy) of about the same as a comparable HID.
     
    But penetration is more than just how far the light can enter the canopy. HID bulbs produce light in a 360 degree span, so with a proper hood you are able to utilize almost all of it, and redirect it to different parts of the plants. On top of that you can also utilize your grow room/tent walls to redirect even more of the light to the lower areas of the plant.
     
    Watching your video I notice exactly that...the left side of your grow area is completely illuminated, and the right hand side (the one with the LED) is pitch black on the side.
     
    That's why they will never be efficient for a commercial grow. The total coverage area of HIDs is far superior.
     
    I really don't have anything against LEDs. For small, and especially confined grow areas they are awesome. And they make for great bud shots to boot :D.
     
  12. There are several commercial grow video's on YouTube as they get better and cheaper more people will use them but there are hundreds of arguments about this topic on many websites so no need to continue this I started with fluorescent lights t8 bulbs then mixed with CFLs then moved up to hid lights and then after a couple years and several replaced bulbs and 2 new ballasts plus needing to cool and the energy consumption I sold all my hid lights and now grow quality cannabis for a fraction of the price and I use expensive LEDs but the investment was worth it had one panel burn up almost a year after getting it and they replaced it free love the 2 year warranty
     
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  13.  
    And? Being on youtube doesn't magically make you legitimate.
     
    I understand LED technology has come a long, long way. But no matter how far it goes it's never going to be able to match HIDs in total coverage. That's why they will never be as efficient for large scale operations.
     
    It's not some kind of beef I have with LEDs, it is what it is.
     
    Oh and btw, you are supposed to replace your bulbs every 2-3 cycles, and most ballasts come with a 4-5 year manufacturers warranty.
     
  14. Here's a guy killing it on here commercial led grow. Don't knock it, it work!


    Chef.
     
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  15.  
    I'm not saying it won't work. Never said that once.
     
    Commercial growing is all about efficiency. Efficiency is key. You show me any commercial growing operation with LEDs, and I can guarantee you, 100%, that you will see an increase in overall efficiency switching to HIDs.
     
  16. Your knowledge is old. Newer Hi-Intensity panels, like Amare Technologies sells, penetrate just fine down some 30" below the panel
     
    Several GCers have them. My current grow is within 5 days of harvest, or at least going dark Come by my thread to see how capable quality panels are
     
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  17. #18 KushyKonundrum, Mar 24, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 24, 2015
     
    Read my other posts...I've already addressed that.
     
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  18. Actually with solar energy,thermal heating and cooling and dozens of other ways to obtain enegery it can verify well be "green" and is in many cases already...
     
  19. was looking at a new LED system a local shop JUST got, me n the owner were going over the spec sheets together, matching light production to a 1000w HPS system with a mere 660w ACTUAL, so in a system where the recommendation is... lemme do the math real quick on my dream setup...around 14Kw... 250 sq feet for flowering. so, 14 HID's decorating my walls and ceilings, the cooling costs would be astronomical... or I could literally buy 14 of those LED units and have an actual power savings from the lights alone of almost 5Kw, meaning you could literally have another 7 LED panels for supplemental lighting, driving the light production to equivalent of over 20Kw of HPS lighting... granted! each of those panels is 1500 bucks, but thats only 2-3 times the cost of a full 1Kw HPS system, lasts a tick longer and saves on cooling the room. not to mention 340w @ 12h/day and $0.12 usage cost... each unit saves $0.50 per day
     
    its about application, and the more advanced tech is still too young to have garnered much in the way of commercial experimentation...
     
    commercial is about making money, and sometimes you make money taking risks, but with this industry people really just focus on what is ESTABLISHED, what has worked incredibly well for decades. With the family business experience I've had, people tend to resist major change in their established practices without GOOD reason.
     
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