Cost-Breakdown of COB-Based Fixtures

[AquariusPanta]

Hello fellow members and whisps; today I have a few calculations I'd much enjoy sharing with you all!

Now that we've collectively witnessed a few new COB-based fixture crafting companies enter and leave the market, I think it's about time for us to breakdown and analyze the costs associated with those companies that remain! Enjoy!








*All numbers from above associated with mentioned fixtures were determined with the use of - the data publicly given by their respective companies, the umol/J chart provided by @alesh, and the collective thread of efficiency spreadsheets started by @nogod (link). Additionally, besides Pacific Light Concept's CX300 (3500K/80CRI), all other fixtures were calculated as 3000K/80CRI.

From my personal observations, Pacific Light Concept offered the most honest, transparent data and yet used the least amount of wordage between the other companies. I would have included Optic's fixtures in this analysis but figured not to, as they don't have a live website anymore and I don't recommend anyone to buy something from any company over the internet without them having a live website, especially in 2015! If the new owners decide to relaunch a website for their products, I'll be more than happy to calculate the costs for their products.

Obviously there are many other factors to take into consideration when buying any given lighting fixture but these are some of the more important ones to take into account when buying something that, to quite a few, is an investment. On a upbeat side note, I once danced in the opaque, purple-LED market and luckily bounced out of it in time to make it to the COB-LED movement and I can positively say that things are looking brighter than ever for growers and plants alike!

If there are any other companies that I didn't include that you'd like me to list, just let me know!

 

[dandyrandy]

I still roll my own.

 

[Yodaweed]

PLC seems pretty legit , price wise they seem to be the most honest and competitive. Not a huge fan of the new area 51 lights don't like the small size, modular build, and no cree option. Good topic , thanks for the data ! Does anyone know when a company will offer the CXB3590s?

 

[jewbag]

great post. i still don't really understand the availability of the PLC lights, it seems they are always sold out. and i personally really like the modular aspect to the w90's.

 

[BM9AGS]

I know PLC offers a discount to members of RIU just as GOGREENLEDS

Can that be calculated in too before you can't repost?

Havenbrite too.

Anyone know the discounts? GGL is 15%

Would you also add a DIY Cree cob light just for perspective?

 

[littlejacob]

Bonjour
Todogrowled.com in Spain for EU growers!
They use cxb 3070 and Meanwell driver for a fair price!
But now I prefer to make mine!
Would you say I am addict!?
DIY virus...
Have a great day ★

 

[puffenuff]

I was never good at math but I'm getting different values for $/dissipated watts. Can someone double check?

 

[BM9AGS]

I was never good at math but I'm getting different values for $/dissipated watts. Can someone double check?

It's not adding up for me either.
Plc cx300 and GGL 300 watt lights are both
300 watts of power to cobs and both CXB3070. I know Plc has the latest stepping cobs so they'd be slightly more efficient but not That much.

GGL 300 watt is $680.00 with discount
PLC 300 is 749.00
They're both 50watts per CXB 3070 @300w

PLC is dimable so what are his calculations based off of? Because the higher wattage pushed the less efficient the light becomes.

I'd buy the Plc because of its dimming feature.

 

[AquariusPanta]

I know PLC offers a discount to members of RIU just as GOGREENLEDS

Can that be calculated in too before you can't repost?

Havenbrite too.

Anyone know the discounts? GGL is 15%

Would you also add a DIY Cree cob light just for perspective?

I wouldn't want to include a possible discount, as if I were a customer who found GoGreenLED online, say on Ebay or Amazon, I may not know about that discount. In other words, this calculation doesn't exclude potential buyers outside of RIU and keeps matters black and white.

Additionally, the GGL 300W dissipates ~282W (1.33A per COB), pulls around 300W from the wall, and uses AB bin Cree chips. The CX300 from Pacific Lighting Concepts dissipates around 300W, pulls around 340W from wall, and uses top-bin Cree chips.

 

[BM9AGS]

I wouldn't want to include a possible discount, as if I were a customer who found GoGreenLED online, say on Ebay or Amazon, I may not know about that discount. In other words, this calculation doesn't exclude potential buyers outside of RIU and keeps matters black and white.

Additionally, the GGL 300W dissipates ~282W (1.33A per COB), pulls around 300W from the wall, and uses AB bin Cree chips. The CX300 from Pacific Lighting Concepts dissipates around 300W, pulls around 340W from wall, and uses top-bin Cree chips.

Hmm. Ok
My Ggl 200 pulls 220 from wall so likely their 300 is 330 if all things are equal. Your graph is on RIU so it applies to us users who are entitled to that discount being members and reading your post through RIU. Seems favored because the audience, RIU members don't care what non RIU members pay when reading on RIU the calculations.

 

[Stephenj37826]

Not included but discount codes should be included. Maybe a separate bar for with discount.

 

[AquariusPanta]

Hmm. Ok
My Ggl 200 pulls 220 from wall so likely their 300 is 330 if all things are equal. Your graph is on RIU so it applies to us users who are entitled to that discount being members and reading your post through RIU. Seems favored because the audience, RIU members don't care what non RIU members pay when reading on RIU the calculations.

It's possible that your 200W does pull more than the stated consumption that GGL states on their page, as it's likely their driver(s) aren't as efficient in real life as they may have been charted down on paper. The fact of the matter is that if you can't apply a multimeter to an individual COB, you can get a close approximation by determining dissipated watts by multiplying average voltage with current by the number of COBs, which in this case is ~35.25 * 1.33 * 4 = ~187.5W dissipated. Now if they screwed up something on their page, which I've already taken note of in one case, then we can always come back to this and add the change.

I think GGL should just include the discount on the homepage and be done with it. Why would I, as a potential customer, want to support a company who charges people outside a select group significantly more for the same thing? Is that really pious marketing?

 

[BM9AGS]

It's possible that your 200W does pull more than the stated consumption that GGL states on their page, as it's likely their driver(s) aren't as efficient in real life as they may have been on paper. The fact of the matter is that if you apply a multimeter to an individual COB, you can get a close approximation by determining dissipated watts by multiplying average voltage with current, which in this case is ~35.25 * 1.33 * 4 = ~187.5W dissipated. Now if they screwed up something on their page, which I've already taken note of in one incident, then we can always come back to this and add the change.

I think GGL should just include the discount on the homepage and be done with it. Why would I, as a potential customer, want to support a company who charges people outside a select group significantly more for the same thing? Is that really pious marketing?

I've placed my 200w light on a meter and it shows 224watts. So with the 300 series being only $50 apart the numbers should be much closer from what I've looked at. I think 3070 ab to latest stepping is ~4% more efficient at 50w

Also the price is called favoritism. Just like you're showing by not including the discounted price. Justify it how you like but you propigated information to a group of people with out applying that groups price. If a non member read your post with applicable prices then it would drive them to gain membership. More people the better. More competition the better.

 

[Stephenj37826]

Well with my marketing strategy I can't slap my retailers in the face but still want to hook up people with a good product at a good price.

 

[AquariusPanta]

I've placed my 200w light on a meter and it shows 224watts. So with the 300 series being only $50 apart the numbers should be much closer from what I've looked at. I think 3070 ab to latest stepping is ~4% more efficient at 50w

Also the price is called favoritism. Just like you're showing by not including the discounted price. Justify it how you like but you propigated information to a group of people with out applying that groups price. If a pep on member read your post with applicable prices then it would drive them to gain membership. More people the better. More competition the better.

Yeah a 15% discount brings the prices closer to one another between the CX300 and the GGL 300, with the CX300 remaining cheaper. If you and others here would like to see that discounted breakdown, I'll throw something up before the end of the night.

Does anyone know if Area 51 or Pacific Light Concepts is offering any kind of discount code?

 

[BM9AGS]

Yeah a 15% discount brings the prices closer to one another between the CX300 and the GGL 300, with the CX300 remaining cheaper. If you and others here would like to see that discounted breakdown, I'll throw something up before the end of the night.

Does anyone know if Area 51 or Pacific Light Concepts is offering any kind of discount code?

I thought I remember there is one.
Why isn't your company on here? HB
If you have the time I'd say this forum being so diy friendly should have a diy cost too. For say a 2 or 4 cob light.
2 CXB 3590 84$
Driver 40$
Heatsinks 30$
2 Stella optics 40$
Tho A51 doesn't use optics

 

[AquariusPanta]

I thought I remember there is one.
Why isn't your company on here? HB
If you have the time I'd say this forum being so diy friendly should have a diy cost too. For say a 2 or 4 cob light.
2 CXB 3590 84$
Driver 40$
Heatsinks 30$
2 Stella optics 40$
Tho A51 doesn't use optics

Easier said then done when it comes to establishing costs for a DIY project. Parts can easily be added up but it's the labor and tools needed to bring together a fixture that varies between one person to another. I'm not declining the request but am going to need more input from you guys before I can go any further with that one.

If you'd like, I'll throw up a break down of Heaven Bright's products at a later time.

 

[BM9AGS]

Easier said then done when it comes to establishing costs for a DIY project. Parts can easily be added up but it's the labor and tools needed to bring together a fixture that varies between one person to another. I'm not declining the request but am going to need more input from you guys before I can go any further with that one.

If you'd like, I'll throw up a break down of Heaven Bright's products at a later time.

Yes! As I was trying to compare your V10 vs the BML that will be released In a month or so. Do you make them dimable and also Cree not vero?

 

[AquariusPanta]

Here's the updated version, including discounted prices. I'll go ahead and detail things a little more later on with future versions for not only financial navigational purposes but for everyone to see what these products are mathematically suppose to be dishing out. Enjoy!

 

[BM9AGS]

Lol sigh....
CXB 3070 AD bin 3500k (PLC) is roughly 5% more efficient than CXB 3070 AB 3000k (GGL) including the lumen jump for higher temp
Both @ 300 watts to 6 cobs not including drivers.
They are dissipating same wattage.

At RIU price GGL is roughly 10% less expensive than PLC

That leaves GGL still 5% lower on $/dissipated watt
How are you working your numbers out?

Your math is still showing PLC roughly 10% higher at $/par w

How is this logical?


Now we all know PLC is best because of better name brand MW drivers for the extra money. And you can dial their drivers down to even more efficency and for cloning/germinating.

I'm just wanting to see the "long hand" that you used to make your conclusions. I know on the thread you linked a lot of the COBs were not shown as rated exactly at the wattage these lights are running. GGL should be 5% better but you're showing still 10% worse. So there's fudging involved but by math in my head you're 15% off. But it wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong.

*what date will your C10 xl be available?