Do you Really Need Dimmable Grow Lights

Indoor growing increases the resistance to extreme weathers and climate changes. With the advanced technology and multiple sensors, grows can monitor and control the growing environment including temperature, humidity, CO2, lighting, and ventilation more precisely. Artificial light is one of the most important factors for the controlled growing environment, which also is critical for robust growth of crops. The artificial light supplements light for crops during dark or bad weather periods. But for some indoor growing applications like vertical farms and grow tents, the over long working time can cause high energy cost. Growers want to know if they can provide effective supplemental light for crops, as well as saving energy consumption. Especially the energy prices are higher than ever. The dimmable grow light seems to be an ideal solution to reach their goal. However, many growers doubt the effectiveness of dimmable grow lights and worry about the negative effects on crops. It is a common and frequent problem for growers that whether they really need dimmable grow lights. In this post, let us take a look at the dimmable grow lights. This post will show you the concept and effects of dimming grow lights, and the reason for selecting dimmable LED grow lights. 

What is dimmable grow lights?

Dimmable grow lights enable growers regulate the light intensity given to crops freely. You can increase or decrease the light intensity dependent on your needs. Most dimmable grow lights work with a low voltage dimming system, 0-10V dimming system. Tradition grow lights are equipped with ballast while LED grow lights are operated with Drivers. Both drivers and ballasts are the device adjusting the power required for lighting fixtures. Generally, drivers and ballasts are connected to 0-10V dimmer by a cable. When you adjust the dimmer, you are actually controlling the amount of current flowing through lighting fixtures. When there is more current flowing inside the lighting fixture, the brightness is increased. In contrast, light output will decline with the decrease of the amount of current. But what we should keep in mind that long term exposure to powerful light may kill your crops. With the dimmer and dimmable grow lights, you can provide the crops with right amount of light at any point of time even for a long term. For example, you can cut down the flow of current of a dimmable grow light from 1000W to 600W or 300W by simply switching the dimmer. Then the light intensity of the grow light is reduced.

What happens when you dim grow lights

Of course dimming grow lights decreases the light output and canopy areas. But the effects of dimming grow lights is more than reducing brightness. Furthermore, effects of dimming vary from light source of grow lights. Dimming traditional grow lights makes worse efficiency while there is no significant negative effect on LED grow lights but helps save energy. Dimming traditional MH and HPS grow light decreases efficacy and changes the light spectrum. Efficacy of grow light is measured by µmol per watt. Each grow light is designed with specific efficacy to meet various needs. When you dim the traditional grow lights, the efficacy is decreased. The light spectrum is changed as well. Grow lights are designed with custom light spectrum to shape the crops in desired growth. Blue light is beneficial for growth while red light promotes flowering and fruiting. But dimming shrinks the custom light spectrum of grow lights, which means grow lights cannot provide effective light for crop growth anymore. Decreased efficacy and changed light spectrum makes a 1000 watt dimmed traditional grow light perform poorer than 600 watt full power one. For LED grow lights, dimming does not affect the CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) and pack wavelength. Although there is a small impact on the light spectrum, it can be ignored in practical applications. Since less current flowing through LED grow lights, energy consumption is reduced.

Why you should choose dimmable LED grow lights

• Help you save energy without compromising light quality

Firstly, LED grow lights are energy saving. They can save up to 80% energy consumption than traditional grow light. Additionally, LED grow lights are of long lifespan. They can last up to 100, 000 hours, which is much longer than other light sources. Next, unlike MH and HPS grow lights, dimming LED grow lights does not decrease the efficiency or change the light spectrum. Dimmable LED grow lights help you save energy because the current consumption is reduced when you dim the lights. But there is no significant change on the light spectrum when you dim LED grow lights, which means LED grow lights are still beneficial for crop growth. Lastly, dimming works better than turning off some grow lights, as it remains uniformity. Turning off some grow lights is a common practice for growers to adjust light intensity and save energy. But this affects the light uniformity, resulting uneven crop growth. Some crops absorb adequate light and grow robuster while others may be lack of light and grow shorter. Dimmable LED grow lights, however, can provide light of lower level to crops without affecting light uniformity.

• Match different lighting requirements

Different crops have different light requirements. The same as the same crops in different growing stages. Some crops are high light plants. Thus, they require light in higher levels and longer duration. But some crops have lower tolerance to high light levels. Obviously crops require more light for flowering and fruiting stage than seedling stage. Non-dimmable grow lights are designed with single light level. Growers have to purchase new grow lights if they plan to grow other crops. Dimmable LED grow lights are helpful as they allow growers to use same grow lights to grow different crops and crops in different growing stages. This also saves costs and makes growers reap more profits. The light output of most dimmable LED grow lights can be adjusted by 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. With dimmable LED grow lights, growers can provide right level light for crops. Regulating the light levels precisely for crops contributes to higher yields.  

• Achieve full flexibility and control

Dimmable LED grow lights can be connected to other management systems or controlled through app, achieving full flexibility and control. Growing environments are controlled more precisely than ever to provide optimal environment for crop. The optimal growing environment enables year-round production, better quality, and higher yields. Integrating dimmable LED grow lights to other management systems simplifies the operation. Growers can dim grow lights and control other growing factors through one system. Since all data is showed clearly, growers have better awareness of current condition, and they can take further efforts to optimize crop growth. Dimmable LED grow lights can also be added to wireless mesh, which allow growers control grow lights via a mobile app. This app enables grower to dim all the grow lights at the same time without affecting light uniformity. Moreover, growers can also add grow lights or increase a new lighting control areas, and vice versa. Growers can control the lighting coverage area through increase or reduce grow lights controlling areas, focusing only on crops’ need.

Conclusion

In conclusion, dimmable grow lights are unnecessary for you, except dimmable LED grow lights. Most dimmable grow lights work with 0-10V dimming system. 0-10V dimming system controls the amount of current flowing through grow lights, and then controls the light levels. Growers dim the grow lights through their dimmer. Dimming traditional grow lights such as MH and HPS grow lights decreases lighting efficacy and affects light spectrum, compromising the supplemental effects for plants. In contrast, dimming LED grow light helps reduce energy consumption without compromising light quality. The dimmable LED grow lights match the lighting requirements for different crops and growing stages, making them grow robust. Besides, dimmable LED grow lights can be integrated with climate control systems and other growing environment control system. They can be also connected to wireless mesh, which enables growers control lighting via mobile phones. These smart controls achieve full flexibility, provide year-round production, better quality, and higher yields.

As a professional LED grow light manufacturer, Atop provides Horti-Eco LED grow light for a dimmable lighting solution. Horti-Eco is a high performance indoor horticulture LED grow light using quantum board technology. Growers can control the light intensity through dimming function of Horti-Eco. Horti-Eco also match up with Trolmaster system, offering flexible and smart control. Doubt for what is Trolmaster system? Here is a video about it.