Uploaded November 2016 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago
With grow lights, there is no “one size fits all” solution. Before you commit to a grow light, know your problems. (Read article here: university.upstartfarmers.com/blog/how-to-choose-lighting-id-your-problems)
Your problems aren’t necessarily obvious. You might think, “my problem is I need to light my crop.” A lot of growers miss the fact that providing light isn't the only way that lighting interacts with their farm. Lighting often has to solve problems like:
I have too much heat
I have a tight budget
I have too little heat
I have a bigger budget next year than this year
I have a low capital expense budget
Of these, the most common problem is going to be heat.
Other than heat, the two most important factors are whether you want to optimize for CapEx or for OpEx.
Capital expenses (CapEx) are the one-time initial costs such as purchasing equipment, down payments, permit fees, etc.
Operating expenses (OpEx) are recurring costs or payment plants such as utilities, labor, and replacement costs.
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Timestamps/What's Covered:
00:18 Getting started
00:41 Identify your problems
03:11 Expenses
04:13 HID vs LED
05:07 How much light do you need?
06:13 Light evaluation metrics
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Connect with us:
Website: zipgrow.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ZipGrowTM
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/zipgrow-inc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zipgrowinc
Instagram: instagram.com/zipgrowinc
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Music by: Scott Gratton
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Sco...
With grow lights, there is no “one size fits all” solution. Before you commit to a grow light, know your problems. (Read article here: university.upstartfarmers.com/blog/how-to-choose-lighting-id-your-problems)
Your problems aren’t necessarily obvious. You might think, “my problem is I need to light my crop.” A lot of growers miss the fact that providing light isn't the only way that lighting interacts with their farm. Lighting often has to solve problems like:
I have too much heat
I have a tight budget
I have too little heat
I have a bigger budget next year than this year
I have a low capital expense budget
Of these, the most common problem is going to be heat.
Other than heat, the two most important factors are whether you want to optimize for CapEx or for OpEx.
Capital expenses (CapEx) are the one-time initial costs such as purchasing equipment, down payments, permit fees, etc.
Operating expenses (OpEx) are recurring costs or payment plants such as utilities, labor, and replacement costs.
-----------------
Timestamps/What's Covered:
00:18 Getting started
00:41 Identify your problems
03:11 Expenses
04:13 HID vs LED
05:07 How much light do you need?
06:13 Light evaluation metrics
-----------------
Connect with us:
Website: zipgrow.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ZipGrowTM
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/zipgrow-inc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zipgrowinc
Instagram: instagram.com/zipgrowinc
-----------------
Music by: Scott Gratton
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Sco...
