I need more info' on this: How many led's for say 40 plants? Or, rather, what wattage for 40 plants?
Think of all the different colours of the spectrum you could introduce to the plants. Plants also benefit from green, white, orange light.
I know i'm trying to run before I can walk, but like you said, this is the future of growing. Maybe that's why it's easier for me to want to try something like this because I'm new to it all. It would be much harder for someone like yourself with your thoroughly tried and tested methods to want to try a different method.
if your buying the LEDs from the right company then yes leds can be just as good as HPS just kinda pricey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh9oGroryoc
In this video you can see that the 90w LED (1) did far better then the HPS and the 90w LED(2) because the (2) LEDs had crap bulbs.
The LED makes darker greener danker plants.
Im not gonna say HPS isnt good but for cost effectiveness LED is defiantly the better choice.
HPS does seem to have a better coverage but watt for watt LED has more umph.
1000watt LED vs 1000watt HID System the LED would destroy it but most of the time people compare the 300w LED vs 1000k HPS/MH.
when in reality a good spectrum 90w LED grow light is equivalent to a 240-300w HID light.So a 360w LED may be just as good as 960-1200w of HID. Tho i think a 90w LED will cover about 3x3 or 4x4 so 3 or 4 plants if you grow 1 footers then trigger.
in reality it makes just as good buds but the coverage isnt as good as the 400w HPS/MH but then again the LED throws out more usable light no heat there for can be moved closer so they both have cons and pros.
with HID you have less expenses in the first purchase but then you have to get bulbs and a cooling system so your electric bill will be crazy high as well so in the long run HID costs more then the high price of the first purchase with the LED but those things can last upwards of 10 years so you get your investment back pretty easy.
Sorry for my horrible run on Paragraph sentence thingy? lol Hope it helped yah guys
this is basically what ive compiled in my researching of LED i have links to back up all of this info.
http://www.sunlightsheds.com/led_systems.htm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Very good LED light company.
Proper spectrum's and good quality bulbs.
One Love
Skunk