I live in Canada, so the winter is pretty harsh and cold. As for setup, I've got nothing for this one I have in mind so far, still planning it out. But right now I have a 2x400W setup in a closet of 3x2ft with 6 plants sitting inside. Good idea with venting it outside and giving it a chance to cool down but this is actually going to be an apartment complex so I can't do that even if I wanted to.