Both hobby and commercial growers who use supplementary lighting to grow crops now have the option of choosing LED grow lights. Because of their lower power consumption and the extremely long life of the lights, they are now a viable option.

LED lights produce more actual light per watt of power consumed, and in the process they emit less damaging heat. For this reason alone, growers find them advantageous, since they can be located closer to the plants than either high density incandescent or fluorescent lights.

Another advantage of these lights is that each diode within the light panel can be constructed to emit a certain color or wavelength of light. Growers can either choose ones that emit white light, a combination of all three primary colors; or they can use certain colors to encourage different growth states in their plants.

The long lifespan of LED diodes is another reason growers are switching to them. Built with solid state construction, they are less fragile than either fluorescent tubes or incandescent light. With more than 40 times longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs and over three times that of fluorescent tubes, they have a useful life of 35000 to 50000 hours.

The LED light panels are made up of many diodes that are designed to focus their light in one direction. They need no space consuming reflectors as do other types of supplemental light systems currently available.

Because they are more complex to manufacture, LED grow lights are still more expensive to purchase than other kinds of lights. Their sensitivity to high temperatures requires them to include a heat sink, and they also need current regulators. Most manufacturers believe that the initial cost will be recovered in around two years, considering the lower power needs and their longer lifetime.

If you decide to buy LED grow lights, look for a reputable and local manufacturer and supplies. A reliable guarantee should always be offered. With a local supplier and a guarantee, any servicing will not only be simpler, but much less costly.