High Quality LED Lamp Pricing Finally Competitive, Without Sacrificing Quality

As recently as a couple of years ago, the average cannabis grower couldn’t be bothered with the idea of switching out an entire room or facility of high-intensity discharge (HID) lights with unproven light-emitting diode (LED) technology. For a long time, there was a steady flow of negative chatter about the mostly cheap, Asian-made product on the market that couldn’t hold a candle to traditional HID lighting. But as grow light technology has advanced, that mindset has become more and more a thing of the past. Marijuana growers, particularly in commercial sites, are trusting LED systems in both vegging and flowering rooms and are seeing some seriously positive outcomes. And now that the cost of LED grow lamps has finally come down to a price point that’s manageable for nearly everyone, LED options are becoming a viable choice for hobbyists and smaller grows alike.

Companies like Sweden-based light manufacturer Heliospectra are part of the reason why the industry is steadily moving toward quality, affordable LED grow lights. They’ve managed to convert established growers at cannabis cultivation sites like The Grove Nevada to the idea that LED can cut costs and still produce high yields and excellent product. Huge facilities have taken the plunge and renovated their spaces from HID to LED – and that means lighting companies are now offering reasonable pricing for the average Joe or Jane cultivator looking to make the change to LED.

“When we decided to go with LEDs, our natural choice was to go with Heliospectra.  On our very first harvest with the Heliospectra lights, we were getting a week less in our flowering time,” said Kevin Biernacki, Headgrower of The Grove Nevada.

Designed to replace a 1,000-watt HID light, Heliospectra’s E60 is a fixed spectrum, high-intensity LED light fixture for indoor growing. Their plug-and-play system is designed to replace a conventional HID ballast, hood and bulb package, encompassing all those parts in one device. As LEDs are proven to have a much longer lifespan than HID lamps (which require costly bulb replacements every few cycles) savings are quickly realized. Heliospectra’s LEDs are also meant to be run in warmer rooms – meaning less energy use to keep rooms cooled – and the fixtures also have an energy output on par with a 630-watt HID system, meaning further energy efficiency.

Aaron Tippetts, a grow-room design specialist who’s worked with The Grove in Las Vegas, says he’s seen operating costs lowered significantly due to more efficient HVAC while using LEDs. “By using Heliospectra LED grow lights we were able to cut the HVAC demanded in half, saving the owner over $1.4 mil USD in upfront expenses,” said Tippetts.

Heliospectra’s cost-saving E60 series allows you to select your optimal LED grow light with the choice of the E601C, an indoor, sole-source with far-red diodes (for flowering); and the E602G, a greenhouse supplemental without the far-red option (for vegging). These options do not feature built-in software for “adjusting light recipes.” Heliospectra has developed the optimal light spectrum for this lamp based on it’s customer’s feedback from the adjustable version.

Suggested retail for individual fixtures is $999, and volume pricing per fixture for 1,000 units or more is $799.

Will you make the change from HID to LED lights in your grow room?

 This article is sponsored by Heliospectra.