i'd REALLY like to have two identical chambers, put a 1k hps in one, and an led that actually draws 1k in the other and see what happens. the laws of thermodynamics are immutable, it sure seems like if you're putting 1k in, its gonna come out somewhere....doesn't matter what it comes out as, energy in has to come out...somewhere.
i've always thought the advantage was that you can get the same effects from a smaller amount of electricity, so it runs cooler because it has less power going through it to begin with....?