I need to pick some brains about light spectrum, reflectivity (if thats a word?), and cooling; and how the balance of these principles can take my newest growroom design to the next level.
A little background:
I'm a dirt farmer (soil) and I grow large plants (for indoor) 3 to 5 feet tall in 15 to 20 gal fabric pots (firm believer in root space) and I scrog the plants over a lower trellis and support my yield with an upper trellis. My canopies fill rooms.
I've been running 1000W Hortilux bulbs in Magnum XXXL 8" air cooled hoods with great success for 5 years in 3 different rooms. Each space is slightly smaller than a two-car garage (17'X17') utilizing 12 lights (1000W over each 4'X4' of plant canopy).
All three rooms are passive intake and direct exhaust systems and rely on relatively inefficient 24k btu window unit ac to maintain the temps. Depending on the season, my internal temps can max out as high as 88F to 90F in the summer months to a nice 76F to 80F in cooler months.
From these rooms, I average around .85 grams per watt of trimmed top shelf quality. I can't seem to consistently get over the 1g/W threshold and with my level of horticultural and growing experience (over 20 years), I'm ready to break this hurdle...
So, I've shut down one of the 12 light rooms and I've acquired a new location that will allow me to build 2 smaller rooms, 12' long X 8.5' wide X 8" ceiling height.
I'm splitting up the space into 2 separate rooms in order to run different flowering cycles.
My concept is to have 2 rows of lights running the length (12') of the room. The planted dimensions for each row is 3'wide X 10'8" long. The rows will be divided by a 10" aisle for access with 10" aisle space all around the perimeter of the room. (I'm skinny, aisle space is wasted space). Ideally, the entire room will be filled by canopy, wall to wall, by the time my final pruning is completed at the end of the transition phase.
The rooms will also be sealed and have supplemented CO2 and mini split ac.
I'm considering running eight 600W lights (4 lights in each row) vs. six 1000W lights (3 in ea row)
I'm considering wing reflectors vs. parabolic vs. my tried and beloved Magnums.
I'm considering maximum usable light spectrum (PAR) not just lumens.
I'm considering heat radiation and accumulation.
I'm considering maximizing multiple points of light and spread while minimizing hot spots.
I know these are age old questions. But, balancing details of lighting beyond lumens and wattage can take many growers like myself to the next level.
Your thoughts, please, can help me break free and move beyond.
Thanks
A little background:
I'm a dirt farmer (soil) and I grow large plants (for indoor) 3 to 5 feet tall in 15 to 20 gal fabric pots (firm believer in root space) and I scrog the plants over a lower trellis and support my yield with an upper trellis. My canopies fill rooms.
I've been running 1000W Hortilux bulbs in Magnum XXXL 8" air cooled hoods with great success for 5 years in 3 different rooms. Each space is slightly smaller than a two-car garage (17'X17') utilizing 12 lights (1000W over each 4'X4' of plant canopy).
All three rooms are passive intake and direct exhaust systems and rely on relatively inefficient 24k btu window unit ac to maintain the temps. Depending on the season, my internal temps can max out as high as 88F to 90F in the summer months to a nice 76F to 80F in cooler months.
From these rooms, I average around .85 grams per watt of trimmed top shelf quality. I can't seem to consistently get over the 1g/W threshold and with my level of horticultural and growing experience (over 20 years), I'm ready to break this hurdle...
So, I've shut down one of the 12 light rooms and I've acquired a new location that will allow me to build 2 smaller rooms, 12' long X 8.5' wide X 8" ceiling height.
I'm splitting up the space into 2 separate rooms in order to run different flowering cycles.
My concept is to have 2 rows of lights running the length (12') of the room. The planted dimensions for each row is 3'wide X 10'8" long. The rows will be divided by a 10" aisle for access with 10" aisle space all around the perimeter of the room. (I'm skinny, aisle space is wasted space). Ideally, the entire room will be filled by canopy, wall to wall, by the time my final pruning is completed at the end of the transition phase.
The rooms will also be sealed and have supplemented CO2 and mini split ac.
I'm considering running eight 600W lights (4 lights in each row) vs. six 1000W lights (3 in ea row)
I'm considering wing reflectors vs. parabolic vs. my tried and beloved Magnums.
I'm considering maximum usable light spectrum (PAR) not just lumens.
I'm considering heat radiation and accumulation.
I'm considering maximizing multiple points of light and spread while minimizing hot spots.
I know these are age old questions. But, balancing details of lighting beyond lumens and wattage can take many growers like myself to the next level.
Your thoughts, please, can help me break free and move beyond.
Thanks