you can do 9 plants comfortably in a 7.5x4.5ft area with 1200 watts of CFL's. Not to mention, the plants can easily be 3-4ft tall before flower and your results will blow your mind. I love CFL's because they work very well (when spaced and used properly) and there's hardly ever a heat issue. Many people will disagree with me but trust me when I say, CFL's work great.