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1200 Watt LED Grow Light yield?
A good way to determine 1200w led grow light yield is to find out what the equivalent HPS or metal hydride lamp light output is. There is significant data on HPS lamp yields. A 1000 watt metal hydride lamp covers a four foot by four foot area up to five by five feet.
This results in an eighteen to thirty-six ounce yield for some popular herbs, depending on strain and other environmental conditions. And it means you’ll get that much or more from a 1200 watt LED grow light. For an LED grow light that is equivalent to a 600 watt HPS light, it will yield ten to twenty ounces of a popular herb while covering a one meter to 1.2 meter square area.
What Other Factors Affect LED Grow Light Yield?
One factor to consider is the light spectrum. The best 1200w led grow light will have a light spectrum that maximizes plant growth and health. This means twice as much red light as blue light with a modest amount of UV and broad spectrum light, but it isn’t generating light that the plant can’t absorb like green light. This is why you’ll get the best yield with purple-looking grow lights, though white broad spectrum lights are second best.
Another factor is light levels. We’ve already mentioned yield for a light based on both power output and coverage area. If the grow light is higher than the ideal height, your plants won’t get enough light. This will hurt yield. The only are exceptions are if you’re providing supplemental light for plants sitting in a window or generating extra light at night to further plant growth. Conversely, light arrays that are too low can burn plants. That certainly hurts yields.
Efficiency of the grow light array doesn’t matter unless you are having trouble eliminating waste heat. In that case, the temperatures in the grow tent are so high that it hurts yields. LED grow lights are much more efficient, but they still turn about 20 percent of the power they receive into heat, so your grow tent or greenhouse still needs ventilation.
Pay attention to the light arrays, because burned out COB chips or individual lights in an array reduce how much light your plants get. The obvious reduction in light output is when half the board burns out, so the plants get half the light they need.
The duration of light will impact plant yield. For example, leaving grow lights on 18 hours a day will up yields up to 50 percent for some plants. However, you don’t want to leave the lights on 24 hours a day. The plants need time to rest.
Why Is There So Many Questions on LED Grow Light Yield?
A 1200 watt LED grow light could replace anything from a 600 to 1000 Watt HPS or metal hydride lamp. This is why you have to compare LED grow lights by lumens produced, not the wattage that they use.
This is why you might get a higher yield from a 1000 watt LED grow light with a higher light output than a cheap 1500 watt LED grow light. Yet it is hard to determine plant yield from lumens, and matters are made worse from varying light output from LED systems.