LED grow lights seem to be the answer to all the problems HID lights have and are taking over the industry slowly but surely. LED lights are brilliant in terms of energy consumption, heat energy and light energy, they also do not require any ballast whatsoever. The fact that they produce much less heat also makes them virtually invisible for heat detection cameras, making them a bit more stealthy than HID lights. The main attraction however is their efficiency in terms of power consumption. Most grow lights emit many different wavelengths of light (radiation) and are not specifically tailored to a plant’s needs. LED grow lights are much more specific, and emit much more “PAR” light, or photosynthetically active radiation, per watt of energy used.

  The industry is still developing itself rapidly and there is no clear gold standard, this causes LED grow lights to be very different between companies. Features that are often different include the type of diode, the angle of the lens and which wavelengths are used. This in turn causes differences in PAR levels, light penetration and the color of the light. With so many different types to choose from and the drastic differences in heat and power draw compared to HID grow lights, LED lights are a pleasure to grow with.

  The only downside to these lights can be the overwhelming cost to invest, which can seem daunting to a grower who has only ever spent a few hundred euros on their lighting. The best LED grow lights can cost up to ten times that amount! They are however, well worth it and can make this money back in the long run through your electricity bill. The current top LED grow lights are able to give you over twice the yield of HID lights in terms of gram per watt of energy used.