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Got Heat?
The System is the solution
The Fifth Element Light Delivery System
Our lighting system is designed to:
• Produce less heat
• Conserve Energy
• Improve Light Spectrum
• Provide better quality Light
• Deliver more Light
• Increase bulb life
• Use Less Nutrients
• Increase coverage area per watt (over non moving lights)
Why move the bulbs?
Moving the bulbs quickly in a circle (over 30rpms) greatly reduces radiant heat. No amount of air passing over a stationary bulb can reduce radiant heat. Moving the bulbs also spreads out the heat from bulbs evenly throughout the room. The air movement created by spinning also helps to keep humidity levels in check.
Using multiple lower wattage bulbs still produces the same amount of watts and light energy as a single bulb but smaller bulbs tend to run at lower voltages and produce less heat.
Conserve energy
The System uses digital e-ballasts. The efficiency of solid state saves on average 20% power consumption over magnetic ballasts. Dealing with less heat means less money spent on cooling devices and the electricity to run them. The System has the capacity to dim down the lights.
Dimming can also be used for energy saving. For example if you want to just save more energy the ballast can be set to run in dimming mode. Dimming is available by Thermostat, photo eye, or computer control. The System can dim down the lights to varying percentages as the room temperature increases beyond a set point. The system will also return the lights to full output when temperatures return to acceptable levels.
Improved Spectrum – Why?
Plants have evolved with full spectrum light. A plant will take what it needs from the light. Full spectrum light will produce a robust and healthy plant. Generally speaking full spectrum light will help to provide an environment more suitable for maximum productivity.
The System uses 2 methods to improving spectrum.
1) Full Spectrum Bulbs (with spectral curves closer to the sun)
2) Mechanically mixing Halide and Sodium bulbs.
The light delivery system uses multiple smaller wattage full spectrum bulbs OR the System can mix standard sodium and pulse start metal halides or HPS Halide conversion bulbs for full spectrum. Spinning the bulbs quickly over the garden allows for the light energy from different spectrum bulbs to be delivered in phase. Much more like how light is delivered from the Sun.
Better quality of light
The System delivers light in Spectrum closer to the sun by using full spectrum bulbs or mechanically mixing bulbs. The System also delivers light in frequencies closer to the sun. Magnetic ballasts deliver light with the same frequency as the wall voltage. The System using solid state technology is able to increase the frequency that artificial light is delivered to frequencies closer to natural sunlight. So now we have light in frequency and in spectrum similar to the Sun.
More Light
Why does one buy a 1000 watt light instead of a 600 watt?
More light. When we use larger bulbs we also use higher voltages. Higher voltages mean More heat per watt. So in a non moving system a larger bulb must be positioned at a greater distance from the plants than a smaller bulb.
For EACH foot that you draw a bulb away from the surface you are trying to light you lose 75% of the energy incident on that surface. The only true way to measure how much light we are getting incident on our garden is with a Light Meter. It matters little how much energy the bulb is able to produce, what matters is how much energy are we are able to deliver to our garden.
Get a light meter and check every square foot of your light grid at the upper surface area of foliage. Then check down at the bottom of your foliage. Keep in mind that the maximum amount of light that most C3 and C4 (equatorial and sub- equatorial) plants can absorb passively is 5500 foot-candles. Anything above 5500 foot-candles, the stomata close and any excess energy is converted to heat.
The System is able to provide maximum light intensity evenly distributed over the complete footprint of the light. Using a light meter we can determine the correct height for light placement to achieve our target of 5500 ft-candles in every grid of the garden. With the System producing less heat, no longer is the heat from the bulb the limiting factor in how close you can hang the light to your gardens. With the ability to achieve the maximum light that plants can passively absorb at the upper surface of foliage we find even the lower levels of foliage are delivered higher levels of light as well. Now all the light energy you are paying for can be delivered to your plants and not going out the vent fan.
The System also reduces shadows. Because the light is being delivered to the garden from all directions all the time the leaves are now scrubbed with light all the time. More light!
Increased Bulb Life
The System gives longer life because of cool running from the spinning. The Digital E-Ballasts delivering light at higher frequencies so the bulb gasses burn more evenly. As well the constant power output from the ballasts gives the bulbs less output loss. The System will run bulbs right to the end of their life so no more guessing when to change the bulb. The System can double the life of some bulbs.
Use less Nutrients
Plants get energy to grow from 2 sources, Light and Nutrients.
Plants convert electrical energy from the light source to chemical energy for growth.
Plants get more chemical energy from Nutrient sources. In the past we compensated for not maximizing light by using elements from the earth. With the System we are now able to maximize light so you use less supplemental nutrients.
More Coverage per Watt
We mount the bulbs at the outer edges of the hood.
Using the “array effect” the System delivers the same amount of light to the outer edges of the garden as it does in the middle. Thermal dynamics no longer dictate where we position bulbs. The size and shape of the System now determines the footprint of the light. In old school thinking a 1000 watt light in a non moving reflector would cover a 4 by 4 (16 Square Ft) area with anywhere from 3000 ft candles to about 1000 ft candles.
The Fifth Element System 1000 watt 4 arm Rotating Array covers a 6 by 6 area (36 Square Ft) with up to 5500 ft candles in most areas of the grid.
Same number of watts
More coverage area
More ft candles
More even distribution of light energy
More coverage per watt
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