HID VS CFL

This battle has been in debate ever since their existence, just like the 9mm vs the .45acp, or classic Vinyl Turntables vs Digital CD/DVD Turntables. Really it all falls down to what works best for you in your own experience. Here I will share my opinion on the matter so keep in mind this is only my own personal opinion from my own personal experience. This is what works best for me; in terms of space, reliability, electricity consumption, yield ratio, and heat generation.

So let's look at the 3 main things we use a light for; First we need to produce a high amount of lumens to help the plant grow properly. Second, we need to obtain the right color spectrum according to the plant's current stage in it's life process. Third, we need to minimize the amount of heat generated and provide proper air circulation while keeping the light as close to the plant as possible.

===HID vs CFL===
Winner Lumens: HID
Winner Spectrum: HID(flowering) & CFL (vegetative)
Winner Heat: CFL

When it comes to lumens HID wins hands down no contest. Typically, a 400W HID will generate as many lumens as almost 800W of CFLs. However, the HID will produce twice the amount of heat and cannot be placed as close to the plant as the CFL. This means you will need additional air circulation, and in most cases the implementation of a intake and exhaust fan system. Regarding color spectrum, it is my personal opinion that CFLs win in the Vegetative state, and HIDs win in the Flowering stage. CFLs can reach a color spectrum of as high as 6500 kelvins, but can only reach as low as 2700 kelvins for the flowering stage. HIDs, more specifically Metal Halide, only produce bulbs for the vegetative stage as high as 5400 kelvins while most are usually under 5000 kelvins. High Pressure Sodium bulbs are usually 2200 kelvins or less making them perfect for the flowering stage, and making them more efficient than CFLs during flowering.

Where the Spectrums begin:
Blue Spectrum: 4500 kelvins and up
Red Spectrum: 2800 kelvins and lower
Nuetral/UV: 3000-4000 kelvins (Yellow/Green/White)

Q.) What kind of CFLs should I buy for Vegetative Stage?
A.) Most beginners make the common mistake of purchasing multiple low-wattage CFLs in the wrong spectrum for each plant. For example, they would purchase 2-4 bulbs per plant at only 13-18W per CFL, and they would be in the wrong spectrum or "soft white". Scientifically speaking, 13-18W is just not enough power to penetrate plants effectively once they've completed the seedling stage resulting in slow & stunted growth. Using four 13W bulbs will not produce the same amount of lumens as a 52W bulb, however you will still pay for 53W of electricity consumption. Furthermore, it's important to check how many lumens each bulb is producing. Some energy savings bulbs produce less lumens than other bulbs of the same wattage. I've personally seen 23W CFLs which only produce 1200 lumens or less, while other 23W CFLs I've seen produce 1500-2000 lumens. Below are two examples of a proper Vegetative setup using CFLs.

Setup A:
Purchase one high wattage CFL (80-105W) in the 5000k-6500k temperature (spectrum) per plant. Place light as close as possible to plant. Use a basic 2 foot (or 4') fluorescent which can be purchased at Wal-mart/Lowes for under $20 as supplemental lighting. I recommend at least 2 of these florescent per every four plants. Make sure you purchase fluorescent bulbs in the correct spectrum (5000-6500k), however the wattage isn't necessarily relevant as these will serve as supplemental lighting only.

Setup B:
Purchase two lower wattage CFLs (30-40W) in the 6500k temperature per plant. Place both lights as close to the plant as possible. Purchase one more medium wattage (50-65W) CFL in the 5000k temperature as supplemental lighting if you have multiple plants. Place this light in the center of all your plants, and suspend it higher up than your lower wattage CFLs. Use a proper light reflector to avoid wasting light, however you want a reflector that will disperse the light evenly throught your garden as this will be supplemental lighting. **If you have to buy 23W CFLs, make sure they are at least producing 1500 lumens or higher per bulb.

Q.) Where do I buy the Y splitters and plugs for my CFLs?
A.) Home Depot or Lowes are the best place and the cheapest. Ask an employee to guide you, and let him/her know that you are looking for a medium socket converter (to 120V power plug) for light bulbs, and a medium socket 2-way or Y splitter as well. Make sure you are not purchasing a mogul converter (unless you purchased mogul base bulbs) as this wont work for your medium base CFL bulbs.

Y-Splitter: Home Depot - Medium Twin Socket Lamp Adapter 660W Max

Connector: Lowes - Medium Light Socket Adapter 660W Max

Q.) Should I buy "cool white" or "halogen white" 3000-4000k bulbs?
A.) Personally I would advise to stay away from these bulbs. This spectrum is absolutely worthless to plants in my own personal experience. Stay away from Flood lights(Halogen) which are usually in this spectrum also.

===Conclusion===

Vegetative Winner: CFL (5000-6500k Full Spectrum/Daylight Blue)
Flowering Winner: HID (HPS 2000-2200k Red)