I'm in the midst of a first time cfl grow myself, and I find myself constantly wanting more light. As for vertical versus horizontal placement, you will find supporters of both methods. After witnessing the weakness of cfl's - the lack of penetrating power, the cogs are now turning, so perhaps there will be an HPS system in my not so distant future. Check out the link in my sig, its a small cab cfl grow with about 176 actual watts per plant