Cost of running T5 set ups?

[Happypaphy7]

I do not have light set ups, yet, but I was just curious in case I would get some.

So, let's say, I would want to have two shelving racks, each with three layers, and each of these layers would have either 2 or 4 T5 bulbs.

For those of you with light set ups, can you give me an estimate of how much your electricity bills come out to be per month?

I just looked up price of light bulbs and they are not cheap. I read that they need to be replaced every year.

How often do you change the light bulbs?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ehanes7612]

it depends on your billing rates which varies from region to region..but here is a calculation you can do..

say you have 20 t bulbs at 50 watts a piece running for 12 hours and your rate is 9.5 cents (.095 dollars) per KW hr

so 20 bulbs x 50 watts =1000 watts per hour or a KW per hour
12 hours per day x 1 Kw= 12 KW hrs per day

12 Kw hrs x .095 dollars =1.14 dollars per day of use

then add ten percent for inefficiency

1.14 plus .114 =1.254 dollars per day

your monthly bill would be 1.254 x 30 days =37.62

 

[Happypaphy7]

Thanks.
That sounds like I don't need to worry about it, then.

 

[consettbay2003]

The bulbs do not need to be replaced every year. After one year the light output from the bulbs changes very little.

 

[bullsie]

I'm hearing about the LED setups. I understand they are cheaper to run, but are they as efficient or adequate for the plants? They seem to be so new, anyone getting experience with them?

 

[Happypaphy7]

The bulbs do not need to be replaced every year. After one year the light output from the bulbs changes very little.

Thanks. That's good to know.
How often is recommended, then?

 

[Happypaphy7]

I'm hearing about the LED setups. I understand they are cheaper to run, but are they as efficient or adequate for the plants? They seem to be so new, anyone getting experience with them?

I have a small LED set up in my kitchen that have had for five years.
I have flowered phals, oncidium twinkle, and different kind if Paphs.
The main problem with LED is that the light is creepy.
Blue/red and plants look very different under that light set up if you know what I mean. Google up some images.

I wonder if "white light" LED is still not good enough to be used for growing plants.
That will revolutionize the growing under light.
Nearly no heat, very cheap ( cost nearly nothing),info lasting bulbs.
The initial cost is a bit high.

 

[Chicago Chad]

I have a few more lights running than that and the cost is affordable. I barely notice. I now mostly use the LEDs from Firstrays.com
I have never had to change one at 25$ or so but I change T5s at least twice a year at, at least 10$ each. That is the frustrating part. Plus they fade at 9 months if they dont go out. There are also ballasts and heat to consider.
A rough estimate, 35$ a month for that many lights on all T5 and close to half that on LED.

Go LED from Ray. You won't be disappointed.

 

[terryros]

Natural white LEDs work well, as has been documented in various other posts and in my use for 5 years.

The cost issue (bulbs versus electricity costs) has been covered well enough here.

For me, the biggest reasons for the shift to LEDs were the electricity drain on the circuit in the house (not the cost, but turning anything else on would trip the circuit breaker), the excess heat generated by the fluorescents in the basement plant room, and the wish for greater head room over the plant for growing and spiking.

If the longer term cost is a wash, we know white LEDs are successful so you can decide whether you actually want more heat and whether headroom over the plants is an issue for you.


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[junglejim]

I have heat tolerant masdevallias, five of them. They are blooming under the 13 watt LED's I got from First Rays. They are also reblooming.They are watered almost daily with rainwater and the leaves have better color than when I received the masdies. I'm thrilled. I've replace the furnace and central AC and have kept the house shut up all summer and so the temps do not go above 76. I'm sure that has helped too. We've not had a hot summer again in IN. I grow my AV's and streps under the LEDs. The AV's seem to like them. The streps do not get the bouquet of flowers like they should , but get a couple and rebloom. I'm not into showing them anyway. It's nice to walk into the room and feel no extra heat from other lighting systems. This is "white" light and you don't get the UFO effect like the other LEDs have . . ..

 

[consettbay2003]

Using a Voltcraft Lx-1108 light meter with a fluorescent light setting there has been no light deterioration after 18 months use at 14 hrs./day on my T5
tubes.

 

[Justin]

i recently put a single shopight with two 4' T-8 tubes over a shelf of seedlings. it is about 10" above the plants. incremental cost to what I was already spending with existing lights was negligible and i am happy with the setup.

 

[Lanmark]

I've been using white LEDs with great success since May 2011. I've bloomed several Neos, Phals, a Laeliocattleya, Holcodirea (Vandirea) Newberrry Jasmine, and Trichoglottis pusilla using various white LEDs. Some were those vivarium LEDs from Ray's. Some were Par38 25° narrow floodlights used from a greater distance overhead. All of them have worked well. I like 4100K color best, but I've had success with kelvins as low as 3000K and as high as 6700K.

 

[terryros]

With good LEDs with focused lensing from 60 degrees down to the 25 degrees Lanmark mentions you get very good photon flux with the lights much higher over the plants. This lets you accommodate much taller spiking plants. For example, a 40 degree beam angle bulb will cover an 18 inch diameter circle from about 25 inches. Thus, you can have the bulbs at least 25 inches above the middle of the leaf zone which accommodates standard Phal and Phrag spikes. It is also much easier to move plants in and out of your growing area. I was unwilling to limit my collection to low spiking plants. Raising fluorescents as spikes grow simply reduces the photon flux at a time the plant needs it.

The increased head room and the reduced heat are the two big advantages I have found with the LEDs. I could have rewired my plant room to accommodate the higher current demand of the fluorescents. Growth and blooming is certainly at least equivalent with LEDs to what ever I got with fluorescents. I am very glad the natural white bulbs work because I want to see the plants and blooms as natural as possible.

 

[bullsie]

I know Hillsview is using LED Trail lights for their seedlings with good results. I have this link:

http://ledtrail.com/documents/EZ-Mount LED Tube Lights.pdf

Any idea if these could be used for higher light demanding plants? I'd like to supplement my Catts over winter. I too have to watch electric use (overloads).

 

[Lanmark]

I know Hillsview is using LED Trail lights for their seedlings with good results. I have this link:

http://ledtrail.com/documents/EZ-Mount LED Tube Lights.pdf

Any idea if these could be used for higher light demanding plants? I'd like to supplement my Catts over winter. I too have to watch electric use (overloads).

I don't think these lamps would provide sufficient lighting unless they were practically on top of your Catts. The fixtures would then block some of the natural light which you are trying to supplement. These are meant to be a substitute for fluorescent tubes and have the same limitations. In my opinion you would need to get Par30 or Par38 LED lamps in the range of 17 to 23 watts equipped with lenses which focus the output into more narrow angles and provide more intense patches of light.

 

[terryros]

I am getting the job done with enough photon flux for Catts, etc using either 15 watt PAR 30 60 degree bulbs (about 14 inches above growth zone) or 30 watt PAR 38 100 degree bulbs at 9 inches over the growth zone. The geometry of the plants decides what I put under what lights. Again, each of the lights listed gives about an 18 inch diameter circle of light in the growth zone.


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[paphs999]

Amazon has LED lights

Hi everyone,
I thought I would mention that there are some great led lights at amazon, starting with 150 watts up.
I am growing orchids with the 300w model, and only paying about $6 a month to run it for 15 hours a day (until August, when I now have it on for 14).
I LOVE this light. Also very easy to handle because it is compact and lightweight.
I am not a shill for the company, and I thought it might be against the rules to mention the company, but just look for the one with all the rave reviews.
The only drawback is that you should wear ultra-violet protective glasses.
It is a little pricey at first, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
I'm running out of space under the light I have.
In addition to compact, mini cattleyas and a couple paphs, I'm growing several standard cattleyas which have already bloomed under it or are setting sheathes right now!

 

[Paphluvr]

Cheaper than heating a greenhouse!

 

[Happypaphy7]

Thank you all for the input.

I'm particular interested in LED since it does not generate heat and takes little power to run.
I was surprised to see how much heat comes off of T5 even!

Anyways, for those who mentioned that LED with "white light", can you please mention the product name so I can look up?
I thought only those creepy blue and red LED were suitable for growing orchids?

Also, regarding K, I was told that it has to be 5000K or above to successfully grow orchids.

Last, the distance between the light bulbs (say, LED and T5, but I guess the number of the bulbs of course matter a lot) and the plants.
I don't want them to be too short for the flower spikes development.
How do you deal with that?

I main grow paphs whose spike averages around 16in and above. Some are short of course, and these can grow with minis like neos and such.
Then I have some cattleyas and dendrobiums, but I can (and hope) that I will have window space for those so I don't have to worry about the plant height.

So in short, just paphs ( maudiae type hybrids, parvies, brachys and some other mix) for the light set up.

Sorry I am all over the place.

More inputs are welcome!

Thanks!