LED Grow Light Forum

First, My house is solar powered and I live Mint and Basil so in the daytime, I have excess electricity but heat is an issue always.
I live in the Arizona desert in the Phoenix area and the heat is bruta. The humidity gets it 50% rarely during the monsoons and is usually about 10% most of the year.
During the summer, most plants don't survive outdoors so I have several Mint and Basil plant in a window but they never gets direct light but the climate is more tolerable.
But i do have a huge laundry room to put the plants in and give them some grow lights, preferably LED or florescent as we need to keep the heat down.
Have thought about a 20/40 watt florescent or a single or double LED suspended from a cabinet.
This is really basic as my Mint and Basil do not do well in the window nor do they do well outside due to trying to figure out when then need water which is nearly everyday.

Any one have suggestions for a basic/start-up configuration to get started to see if it is not a waste of time to grow these in Arizona desert indoors?

Thanks for any suggestions.

I've lived in Phoenix and it *IS* brutal. Hot summers, cold winters...

Are you off of the grid? How much daytime solar surplus do you have? How much batter time/amp hours?

Mint and basil aren't large plants so you could get away with a smaller LED (100w or less) will which will produce less heat but it'll also cover less area. LED lights are better than fluorescent but depending on your needs/resources fluorescent might be a better fit.

If you have enough surplus you could look into an evaporative cooler to help raise the humidity and lower temps or you could use something like a chiller/ice-box combo in small areas. A smaller portable AC unit might even work for a few daytime hours if you have enough surplus solar energy or if you're grid connected but it can stay over 100F even at 3am (for weeks) in the summer there. I hope you're very well insulated.

My house was designed in the 70's during the first energy crisis by ASU Architects and one of a kind. It incorporated all the energy savings at that time. No sun shines in house except 6am on east side, all light in the house is ambient. All windows that are eye level have no sun coming in. No windows on south side, etc. Even the summer sun apex was considered. We need no artificial lighting in daytime. it is unreal how BAD Architects design houses as they do it for money, looks, the developer, and never for energy, they never consider the sun, winters, seasons, etc. Some of the things about mine is it is so simple and logical it is astounding and cost nothing extra to the cost of the house, just a brain when designing.
No, we are not off the grid but have solar electrical and solar water heaters. Our electrical build before solar averaged about $220/month for a 4800 sq ft house, less than half of the average Phoenix home for size.
Some summer months, we produce more than we use even for air condition and bill is minimum $15/mo
So if anyone considers a new home, do not buy a tract house. Then, after you get the electrical bill, you will starting replacing thing an energy Architect would have included in the first place.

Spend the extra on a good Architect and you will save his fee in the long run.

Batteries are my next project and get off the grid. We have removed all incandescent lighting.

Back to subject, the 100w, is that incandescent equivalent as most LEDs are 1-3w. I only need to cover about 5 sq feet and using daylight hours, have more than enough free electricity.

Thanks for you response.

I wouldn't say "none" or "never" since there is a whole group of architects that specialize in energy efficiency but I do understand your basic point and if *I* were building a new house I'd make sure that energy efficiency was considered.

Now, back to the grow...
For 5 sqft I'm not positive that a 100w LED would be enough but if we're talking mint and basil it certainly might be, for "other" crops that we discuss here it wouldn't be enough.

If you wanted to splurge on a 200w (165w actual draw) LED I'm sure you'd have enough for your mint and basil and you'd probably be able to throw in a couple of other small plants/herbs. Maybe cilantro or even some strawberries. If you wanted to stick with the 100w (85w actual draw) LED you *might* (maybe not) need to reduce your area a little bit. You'd have to try it to be sure since we have no journals for mint or basil. The 200w will add more to your heat load than the 100w but I couldn't say how much. It sounds like you've got that covered though.