Side Lighting Question

I am getting ready to start my first grow. I am going to be using a tall cabinet for my grow room and CFL only lighting. I understand that one of the issues with CFL is the light penetration.

I am thinking about mounting some vertical lights on the sides. I am just not sure how much light should be from the top and how much from the top. I am guessing that I need about 12000 lumens. Any thoughts on distribution on side vs top??

thanks

RockLobster4040

I meant how much from the top and how much from the sides....typo sorry

Light penetration will depend on the wattage of the bulbs, but you'll need to position them a few inches from the plants. Light fades really fast with CFLs. Have you thought about doing LST or ScrOG? Your lighting will be more effective that way..... hope that helped