December 30, 2024
One of the most common questions our customers at JumpLights ask is about the relative benefits of HPS lights vs. LED lights. Choosing your lights is a big decision. Lighting is often the most significant factor in determining your yield and growing efficiency, which has a direct impact on your revenue and profit.
Here at JumpLights, we have a strong point of view on this question: for a modern grow, LED lights are much more efficient overall, enabling more dollars of revenue per dollar of electricity cost, which is ultimately what’s going to enable you to build a better business. That’s why all JumpLights are LED—they enable you to provide more light and grow your plants faster for the same energy compared to HPS lights.
In this article, I’ll cover the basics about HPS lights and LED lights and why we think LED lights will provide the best results for your grow.
What are HPS lights?
High-pressure sodium (HPS) lights are a type of high-intensity discharge light, also called HID lights. They’re known for their characteristic orange light color, historically common in street lights. They were the industry standard for a long time and are still used by many grow facilities here in the United States and in Canada. HPS lights have a lifespan of around 10,000-20,000 hours and can be double-ended or single-ended.
HPS lights offer a decent spectrum for plant growth, have a high photon output, and—up until about 10 years ago—were more effective than LED lights. However, advancements in LED technology have led to LED fixtures now having nearly twice the efficacy of HPS lights. That’s why you see many energy companies offering rebates enticing people to switch their HPS lights over to LEDs.
HPS lights produce more thermal (infrared) energy than LEDs and, unlike LEDs, which dissipate this heat away from the plants, HPS lights emit this thermal energy towards the canopy, increasing canopy temperature.
Benefits of HPS lights
Though we believe LED lights are a better option for most grows, HPS lights do have some advantages. HPS lights only have one spectrum, which makes buying simple. They’re also fairly easy to install and are relatively easy to find online and in stores. Finally, in most cases, they’re cheaper per fixture than LEDs for over-canopy lighting. However, while they may be cost-effective up front, in the long-term they aren’t a good investment because of their lower power, lower efficiency, and shorter lifespan.
What are LED lights?
LED stands for “light emitting diode.”At their core, LEDs are simply diodes that emit light. In the physical world, an LED is a small device made from a material called a semiconductor.
How do LED lights work?
Let’s go deeper into how LED lights create light. When I first learned about this process, I found it pretty incredible because it provides tons of light and uses significantly less energy than an HPS light. Here’s how it works.
Inside an LED, there are two main areas—the n-type and the p-type.
- The n-type side has extra electrons floating around.
- The p-type side has extra holes (kind of like missing electrons).
When we connect the LED to a source of power, the current begins to flow. The electrons from the n-type side move over toward the p-type side and the holes on the p-type side then get pushed toward the n-type side. When the electrons hit the holes in the p-type side then—boom —they recombine. When this happens, we get energy, which appears as light. This somewhat complex process is one that has revolutionized agricultural lighting and lighting more generally.
LED lights get their color from the materials used to make the diode. Blue LEDs are usually made from gallium nitride and red use gallium arsenide.
LEDs don’t burn out like incandescent lightbulbs you could find in your house. Instead, they undergo lumen depreciation, in which the LEDs dim somewhat over a period of time. A high quality, well-designed light, like a JumpLight, doesn’t see much depreciation. A JumpLight could run more than 10 years without seeing much of a change in intensity or spectrum.
Advantages of LED lights vs. HPS lights for indoor agriculture
In our experience, LED lights usually result in improved yield and quantity. Here are the primary benefits we’ve seen:
- Greater efficiency
As mentioned above, you can get much more light per dollar with LED lights.
- Rebates
Energy companies and government agencies offer rebates to companies that switch to LED lights from other less efficient forms of lighting. You can often pay for a big chunk of your new lights by obtaining rebates. JumpLights can help with this!
- Better form factor
Better geometry options allow you to get closer to the canopy while still maintaining an even light distribution, which helps avoid burning or photobleaching plants.
- Better lightfall pattern at a closer proximity
You can put LED lights closer to the plant, which helps with efficiency and space usage. You can even make under canopy lighting with LEDs.
- Ability to optimize the spectrum
With LED lights, you can optimize your spectrum for particular plant types. With HPS, you only get one spectrum.
- Improved longevity
Well-made lights, like JumpLights, can last for more than 10 years without significant degradation.
- LED lights run cooler
HPS lights generate a lot of heat. LED lights, because of their efficient design, do not.
Disadvantages of LED lights vs. HPS lights
Though we strongly recommend LED lights over HPS, there are some disadvantages to consider:
- Upfront costs: LED lights are generally more expensive than HPS lights when you first purchase them. Looking only at purchase price, however, is short-sighted. Over the lifetime of the light, LEDs are a much better financial decision because of their higher efficacy and longer lifespan. You may also be able to save energy or get rebates. If you want to drive efficiency in your grow, LEDs are the only way to go.
Tips on Switching
If it’s time to switch your lights, here are a few helpful tips
- Find an LED vendor that can use your existing infrastructure. It’s always easier to change from HPS to LED if you can use what you already have.
- Look for incentives: Rebates, grants, and other funding may be available from energy companies, the government, and other organizations. Check to see what’s available in your area, or reach out to a company that specializes in securing lighting rebates.
- Ask about financing: JumpLights offers financing options through a partner. These options can make it easier to make your purchase.
Put in under canopy lights when you make your transition from HPS to LED.
