Perhaps a promising advancement in LED lighting?

[PrisonerInGlass]

Theoreme Innovation Inc. / TI SmartLamp

I just read about these through some other hydroponics website. These LEDs (there are 2 types specifically for growing) claim to be equivalent to a 600w HPS (the Smartlamp) and another claims that two of the SmartBars are equivalent to a 1000 w HPS. Very high prices, around 2k for the Smartlamp alone, but could it be worth it? There are other products on the site as well.

Discuss.

PrisonerInGlass Reviewed by PrisonerInGlass on 10-28-2007. Perhaps a promising advancement in LED lighting? Theoreme Innovation Inc. / TI SmartLamp I just read about these through some other hydroponics website. These LEDs (there are 2 types specifically for growing) claim to be equivalent to a 600w HPS (the Smartlamp) and another claims that two of the SmartBars are equivalent to a 1000 w HPS. Very high prices, around 2k for the Smartlamp alone, but could it be worth it? There are other products on the site as well. Discuss. Rating: 5

[hyperman]

I know that product, I saw it on display 6 months ago at an hydroponics store not far from my home. But they removed it from their display recently because they were not receiving good feedback from growers who tried it.

This lamp is targeting the "supplemental" light market for greenhouse and it's focusing on a limited spectrum of blue (455-470nm) and red / far red (660nm and 730nm, not the usual 630nm orange-red that doesn't activate the phytochromes required for flowering). That's the main problem with most LED lamps when used as the main source of light: they only target the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll in the blue and red spectrum. While it's an important one, it's only ONE of the many pigments that need light with various wavelength (color) in a plant in order to be healthy. Leaves don't "change" color in the fall, they only loose their chlorophyll pigment first (it's unstable) and the "underlying" yellow / orange and red pigment are revealed. Lettuce might only require red light to grow, but most complex plants will require a more complete spectrum in order to be healthy. So in a greenhouse where a plant receive natural sunlight for part of the day, the narrow spectrum of a supplemental light is not a big problem.

For photosynthesis alone, their product is really the equivalent of a 600W HPS with far less power consumption and heat generation. In lumen, since it's targeting part of the red and blue spectrum our eyes don't perceived as bright, it will seem "dim" to the human eye compared to the output of a HPS 600W , but in term of PAR, it will be the same for the plant with only 200W. So you'll save a lot on electricity and when comparing price, keep in mind the LEDs will only start to fade a little after about 50,000 hours (that's 11 years at 12h a day).

Because of its narrow spectrum, I would not recommend using this lamp as the only source of light, I would "supplement" it with complete spectrum fluorescent tubes or CFL in order to make sure your plants receive all the light wavelength they require to be healthy. If you want to go "all led", another approach would be to add a mix of warm and cold white LEDs in the mix (there's a lot of them available in many formats that you can "plug" into a 120v "normal" light bulb fixture.

There's another less expensive (but less powerful, with 90W) new LED lamp out there from HIDhut. However, I don't think they have LEDs that reach the 660nm far red spectrum required for triggering the flowering phytochromes (from what I understand, they use 630nm orange red with some blue led). Here again, you would have the same narrow spectrum that could be a problem for a lot of plants without sunlight or another lamp with a complete spectrum.

[PrisonerInGlass]

They do have a white light lamp also, would that help in filling in the areas of the spectrum that the Smartlamp lacks?

[Comatose]

TI SmartLamp

I would love to see a really good beginning to end LED grow with one of these. They are ridiculously expensive though. Maybe in the future, they will become more affordable, and more people can experiment with them.

[hyperman]

their white lamp is a bit too powerfull for this. the white light doesn't need to be as powerful as the LED lamp, think of it as a "supplement". There's a lot of white led bulb replacement products out there. I would add 25% in white light of the RED+BLUE you're using. So, if you have have a 200W smartlamp, I would add about 50W of a mix of warm and cold white LED to supplement it. But it would be even cheaper to use fluorescent for this.

[PrisonerInGlass]

their white lamp is a bit too powerfull for this. the white light doesn't need to be as powerful as the LED lamp, think of it as a "supplement". There's a lot of white led bulb replacement products out there. I would add 25% in white light of the RED+BLUE you're using. So, if you have have a 200W smartlamp, I would add about 50W of a mix of warm and cold white LED to supplement it. But it would be even cheaper to use fluorescent for this.

They only make Smart Lamps in 300 w and the smartbars are 500w. But yes, it would be way cheaper to use fluorescents for this project. I too would like to see a veg to harvest (or seed to harvest) cycle using these alone. The problem is, who really has money to afford these if they already have HID lighting?

[hyperman]

The problem is, who really has money to afford these if they already have HID lighting?

They are not targetting indoor grower with this product, but commercial greenhouses who have thousands of HPS lamps. For these people, the price difference will easily be absorbed by the economy in electricity consumption and not having to change the bulbs every 1-2 years. And since they are only using the lamps as a supplement, they don't need a full spectrum, but instead target the most "efficient" wavelength (deep 660nm red with a little bit of "royal blue" 450nm) for photosynthesis.

[guapogrower]

Now they are sold with a different series of spectrum called the Probloom which includes UV and IR. From what I've seen the flowering issue is no longer a problem.

[Revanche21]

Big LED Breakthrough at Purdue University Could Change the World : TreeHugger

[Dogznova]

Here is a place that is testing a few different LED light on fruits and veges. Just don't mention your favorite plant in the message form thou (canna). Experiments with Hydroponics, Aeroponics, and LED Grow Lighting

I seen the T1 probloom in a local hydro store also... LOL what a joke... I have a Procyon 100 and for $600 this light is brighter and better. Don't waste your money also you could get 2 of the procyon's for the price of one of the T1 smart lamps.