Compact Flouroecent Lighting has been advancing very rapidly these days providing growers with efficient lighting for their plants at low rate of power consumption with a small heat impact. Watt for Watt - These lights are much more efficient than MV MH or HPS. Until only recently, CFLs have been overlooked because they have never provided enough light to provide for more that one plant. CFLs are also available in a wide varity of spectrums so pick and choose what you want. i would suggest 55-6500k. I bought a 65w cfl security flood light from home depot and put electrical tape over the motion sensor so it trips all the time and i have yet to find a better grow light. I have used a 400w cool tube hps in a 4x4 secret jardin tent covering a flood table and did nowhere near as good as a job growing my plants as my 8 x 6400k T5 lights did. At this point i am considering using several cfl flood lights for flowering. Will this work as well as it did for for me vegging? HPS and MH Do people still use them because they are proven?? Thank you
Not in terms of light output they aren't. Household replacement CFLs are only about half as efficient as HID in converting watts to lumen ouput. True that the higher wattage CFLs used for security lighting and such have better efficiency, but only to bring them up close to the conversion rate of HID, not more efficient. CFLs are a good choice for small grows and for supplemental lighting, no doubt. their low total lumen output does mean that their light intensity/penetration is much lower, and light intensity drops off not in a linear ratio but an exponential ratio, so having lower light intensity means you need to have CFLs near all parts of the plant.
I'm using 315 actual watts in a cfl hood, along with 3 100w equiv's for supllemental lighting. With what I paid, wish I just would have started out with an HPS. The CFL's are getting the job done, but I know I"m not getting any light penetration beyond a foot, foot and half. Probably paid the same price as a 400w HPS setup too. Love CFL's for vegging, switching to HPS for flowering.
My 6' sativa agrees! lol. Switching to HPS for flowering next grow. One CFL light bank for veg, donating the other to the GF for indoor tomatoes.
Has anyone used TCP Fresh2 Ti? It is supposed to remove musty air from closets and basements. Sound like a way to make more money if you ask me but if it works that might be nice for a small closet grow like i am setting up.