Hours of Supplemental Light?

[Heather]

Thanks Lance, that was helpful. I will consider running them for a shorter time in the middle of the day. As Leo mentioned, it does indeed look as though my electric company does not offer an off-peak discount.

 

[Sandy O]

Hi, Heather---

Your plants look great in your photos! I wish my areas were that neat.
I have off-peak electric out here in Rolling Prairie, Indiana. Regular electric costs in my area are about 7 cents per kwh. My off-peak rates are 1.8 cents per kwh---off-peak hours are 9 PM to 7 AM, M-F, and all weekend. On-peak hours are 11.5 cents per kwh---on-peak hours are 7 AM to 9 PM, M-F. But you can't have it both ways---either you choose the low off-peak and higher on-peak rates, or you choose the regular rates. This means that I must be very careful to use as little electric as possible during the day, and use most of my electric during off-peak hours. For me, that's easy since I'm a night owl.
I've saved at least $100 a month on my electric since I started the off-peak electric quite a few years ago. But I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who must use the dryer, etc., during the day... My heat is geothermal, water to air in the house, and geothermal radiant heat in the greenhouse. But most of my heat needs are at night, too. So I have my 7,000 watts on only during off-peak hours, which is really only 10 hours a day during the week. But it works well for me and I do have the luxury of a greenhouse for my high light vandas and others.

---Sandy

 

[Rick]

Heather.

Some strategically placed alluminum foil might help too (although it may look stupid).

From running around with the light meter I was impressed as to how many lumens are just plain old lost to light scatter, and reflectors can increase lighting efficiency for cheap.

My sense of light requirements for paphs is that lumens/unit time are like $ for plant energetic requirements, and there do seem to be species specific requirements and seasons for many paphs when the want the $ and when they don't.

There are also upper (sunburn) and lower thresholds that need to be met. From some basic agri work done on lighting for windowsill crop plants and some lowlight requiring orchids the minimum seems to be about 600 fc for 14 hours (i.e. 8,400 fc-hours). But even if you extended the light cycle to 16 hours you would get substandard or very problematic growth at 525 fc. However, if you boosted the intensity to 700 fc but cut down the hours to 12 (still 8,400 fc-hrs) you would still get similar growth to the 600/14 scenario.

But I don't think many of you multis will let you get away with only 8400 fc days for very long.

 

[Heather]

Heather.

Some strategically placed alluminum foil might help too (although it may look stupid).

Oh, I don't care if it looks stupid, lol, it's only me there. My sister came to visit and said she felt like she was under the eye of Sauron! Funny, it doesn't seem that bright to me....

If it would just WARM UP a little so I could turn down/off the heat, I wouldn't mind spending what I am on electricity.

Sandy, thanks very much for the information on running off peak. That was very helpful.