Lighting cost

I have two sets of "shop lights" which hold two fluorescent tubes each. I currently have a set (each set would be 2, the stats are seperate, not combined) of "daylight" which put out approx 3,100 lumnes (sp?), and (I assume) provide a wider more "sunlight/daylight" type spectrum than the other set, which is "residential lighting" (didin't have daylight in stock first time I got lights, found them when I bought the second light fixture) which put out a bit more, at approx. 3,300 lm. apiece. So, approx. 12000 lm for a 3 x 1.5 x 2 grow box I made. Now, I've been talking to my physics teacher from last year, who showed us how to do some electrical problems; one being how to find out the cost for appliences. The formula is $=pt, p=power, or kilowatts. T= time, or hours, and $ is obviously cost. My setup uses 4 40 wt bulbs, a total of 160wt, or .16 of a kilowatt. .16 x (24h x 30d) = 115.2 (kilowatt hours, the unit power companies charge for.) To get the price, you multiply this times the price per kilowatt hour (which is usually about .10 cents each), so, 115.2 x .10 (its one tenth of a dollar. This part kept throwing me off, since I would mulitply by 10, giving me 1152, which is the cost in cents. To get a dollar amount,multiply by .10, or simply divide by 10). My price to run the lights 24h a day, 30 days a month is approx $11.52. I heard people doing calculations earlier, getting phenomanally high numbers, in the hundreds and thousands. Basically, my question is, am I safe if my bill only flucuates $10-$20 a month?


Also, has anyone had fluorescet lights, in their experience, produce enough heat to cause problems? (i.e., melt plastic, ignite cloth or paper, any heat concerns not related to plants).

Thanks alot, I appreciate it.

 

The electric company laughs at your $10-$20 increase. You need to really wail up the usage and illegally tap into the power lines to get their attention. Its winter and the usage can increase from anything from a new tv, computer or just heating the house more.

Never heard of a flo igniting anything, though the top can get warm from the ballast.

 

T-5's can give a little burn if too close.

A freezer will kick yer bill up $30-$50 bucks a month, a new welder could be astranomical if used allot.

My 1KW HPS costs about $50 a month @ 12/12.

U should have no prob with flo's:>)

 

So, I understand fluorescents are the prime choice for light, but could you have possibly one or two HPS or MH (probably one of each, and this is for possible plans in the furture) and supplement them with tons and tons (or vice versa, supplement the FL with the HPS and MH) and grow a MUCH larger amount for a fraction of the price if all lights were HID (FL's not HID is it?). I'm just spit-balling here, so let me know how sound these hypothetical situations seem. Thanks.

 

Before I set up a veg room, I used 1KW HPS from start to harvest!

This might stir up some debate;>\ but Flos don't impress me for growing!>O

here's a graph on light coverage, my room is 5x5' check my gallery for how it produces.

 

Naturalhi ... i agree.

On paper it would seem that HPS lighting may not be so great for vegging ... however in practice they seem to do the job just fine.

I've seen some great little seedling and cutting cabinets using T8s though ... they do seem to give some real lush and stocky growth.