Lighting led's and watts???

[pop22]

The 180 watt ( 135 watt actual ) then I'm a good guy and I give a 40% efficiency so you have 54W real watt, the rest is just heat.
Sun power is around 50w square ft top

Actually, LEDs are very efficient, more on the order of 80%+. A MH or HPS would be more inline with the 40% as they put out massive amounts of heat. LEDs in any light are driven to about 65-70% of there max as this is the point where they produce the most light with the least heat. Driving them to 90% + only gets you maybe a 10% increase in output, but doubles the heat, and also shortens their life.

 

[rufus01]

Actually giving a 40% efficiency was very generous, only Cree products reach that level, chinese LED are far below

 

[turtle360]

Lots of little lights have lots of cords and need lots of outlets. Makes the grow space messy. Just get a light big enough to grow the 4 plants.

 

[jackmc]

I use a Mars II (300W draw) with 5W Cree bulbs and it's doing a great job on 6 plants in a meter square tent. I do also have a 60W cfl to fill in the light spectrum. Good luck!

 

[happily]

a 90w(135) won't grow much of anything. I've had one going on 2 years. I got a quarter/o per plant. look into the mars II

 

[Trapper]

a 90w(135) won't grow much of anything. I've had one going on 2 years. I got a quarter/o per plant. look into the mars II

I've done "okay" with one large plant and a 135W UFO (90W actual) but it's a pain getting light to everything and a bigger light would be making bigger flowers in bloom.

I think the Mars II is a great suggestion, even the 400W (270-280W actual, I think)

 

[Dr Who]

I would say go for it.

I'm in a similar situation to you in that there is a limit to how much I'm prepared to spend on electricity. I've been growing with a 180 W rated (120 W draw) LED (MS004), and usually have between 2 and 6 smallish plants under it. Obviously they are smaller if there are 6 of them than if there are only 2 of them. They are a long way from being the biggest plants with the fattest, most potent and pungent buds, but they do me nicely.

I'm certainly not saying that with more light better results would be possible, but with limited lighting a good grow can still be had. One just needs to be realistic about what is achievable with the means available.

My only experience of other indoor lighting is with fluorescents a very long time ago, but it is my feeling that the LEDs I am using now are probably giving better results for a similar power consumption.

 

[rufus01]

Well, fluorescents have a great spectrum and an efficiency close to some cheap LED.
But still, LED are so directional, they don't waste light 360 degrees