Hey there bennybob.
Here's some help when it comes to lighting.
1. MH = Metal Halide - Extremely well for vegatation
2. HPS = High Pressure Sodium - Extremely well for flowering
3. Fluoroecents/CFL - Depending on the wattage, can be good for both veg and flower.
You said the only thing you understood was wattage, now you have no problem, 1000w HPS/MH, 450w HPS/MH, as you can see they're based on W as is most.
With Fluoros I think the strongest you might be able to get is 80-100watt /light.