MJBiz Buyers Guide: Lighting 23 - 9

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including greenhouse lighting, indoor single-tier or indoor multi-tier, growers are moving away from
traditional HID and HPS lighting due to inefficiency of those products and the heat they generate. "
A key tech specification within the lighting system is the fixture's ability to produce the highest
number of photons per watt of electricity, a term known as photon efficacy (PE).
" PE takes into consideration all the photons that affect plant growth, " says Sloper of Global Garden
Co. " It can also be further broken down into the photons that drive photosynthesis. This is called
PAR photon efficacy (PPE). When selecting a light, keep in mind that PE will always be greater than
PPE, as it considers a wider portion of the electromagnetic spectrum from the same electrical draw.
According to Sloper, other key performance specifications to look for include the system's total light
output, where the photons land and how uniformly the photons hit the canopy.
" The term photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) is used to
describe the total output of the fixture, and the term
photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) describes the
intensity of the light landing on the canopy, " Sloper says.
" Although most manufacturers typically don't advertise
much about uniformity, ask for a light map. Any quality
manufacturer can provide this. "
Having the ability to adjust the output levels to cover
the full range of the light spectrum also will benefit the
cultivation team at various stages of the grow process.
" Variable-spectrum fixtures are extremely beneficial for
vegging in place, as cultivators can tune the spectrum to
accommodate their plants' needs without transporting
plants from room to room, " says Domangue of Fohse.
" The ability to adjust between spectrums can help
mitigate stretching in early flower, properly bulk during
mid-flower and promote the maturation and preservation
of resin in late flower. "
" Variable-spectrum
fixtures are extremely
beneficial for vegging
in place, as cultivators
can tune the spectrum
to accommodate their
plants' needs without
transporting plants from
room to room. "
-Anthony Domangue, Fohse
Domangue also recommends purchasing lighting
components that have received industry standard certification and come with a multi-year
warranty.
" Fixtures should be DLC-listed (meaning they are certified by the DesignLights Consortium), have
at least a five-year warranty and have a high IP rating to show resilience against water and foreign
objects, " he adds. " Lengthy L90 and L70 certifications are also desirable, providing legitimacy to
claims on the lifespan of your fixture. "
VETTING SUPPLIERS TO FIND THE RIGHT SOLUTION
Knowing which of the many lighting brands to buy from can be overwhelming if you don't know what
questions to ask.
" It's important to first know what kind of supplier you're talking to, " says Reich of Prospiant.
" Sometimes, companies are rebranding a lesser-quality light. "

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MJBiz Buyers Guide: Lighting 23

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBiz Buyers Guide: Lighting 23