LED Grow Lights have been around for over half a decade, however wide market adoption has not yet graced this industry. Much like computers, pricing during the first decade of market-release prevented wide market adoption as the average consumer could not afford them. Over the years technology progressed and computers became cheaper and faster, eventually finding a place in nearly every home across America.
LEDs are a chip-based technology similar to computers that have been getting cheaper and more efficient with every decade; however pricing still keeps them out of the range of the average consumer. LED Grow Lights are no exception to this rule, as they use up to hundreds of LEDs per light with costs that have exceeded $2,000 per 500W fixture. Comparable technologies such as High Intensity Discharge (HID) cost only $300-$400 for a 600W fixture, making them far more attractive to the price-conscious consumer.
Hydro Grow has recognized the need for lowered costs on LED Grow Light fixtures to speed up the process of wide market adoption. Having the most buying power in their industry, company President Cammie Mckenzie negotiated strategic pricing decreases with key suppliers, enabling a substantial decrease on the cost of Hydro Grow LED Grow Lights taking effect June 1, 2012.
Upon interviewing Mrs. Mckenzie, she made the following comment about their negotiations: “Our suppliers recognize that when costs decrease sales volumes increase, creating more work for their employees and better margins for everyone. We leveraged the buying power of Hydro Grow for lowered margins from our suppliers to offer more affordable LED lighting solutions to our customers”.
While LED Grow Lights are still far more expensive than their HID counterparts, there are many long-term benefits to LED technology that create reasons to invest in LED fixtures. In the case of LED Grow Lights for example, they are able to create more PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) than HID while using 55% less energy and producing 400-600% less heat. In areas like Hawaii and California where electricity costs are over $0.30 per kWh, the savings on electricity alone over the first 2 years of use will pay for the cost of the LED fixture.
Other unique benefits to LED Grow Lights include reduced needs for air conditioning and heat extraction systems, as well as the elimination of costly bulb replacements. LEDs contain no mercury or harmful gases that require special disposal like HID bulbs, and are therefore 100% recyclable. In fact all parts within the LED Grow Light are recyclable, making them more environmentally friendly than alternative lighting technologies. Because LEDs have a long lifespan of 50,000+ hours, they also eliminate the need for bulb replacements, creating less waste in our landfills and putting more money back into the pockets of average consumers.
Despite their high price tag, LED Grow Lights are finding their way into gardens all over the world thanks to early market adopters and the promise of reduced operational expenses. As technology continues to improve and prices continue to lower through strategic partnerships and quantity ordering, LED Grow Lights are likely to take over the mult-billion dollar per year Horticultural lighting market.
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