When selecting lighting for its new grow room, Hifi Farms in Hillsboro opted for efficient, LED technology, cutting annual energy costs by an estimated $12,000.

“The quality of LEDs has gone up markedly and we’re no longer concerned about yield,” said Richard Vinal, chief operating officer. “We’ve flowered under LEDs before, and the quality is higher than with high pressure sodium or metal halide lighting.”

The 150 LED grow lights installed in the 1,000-square-foot grow room use half the wattage of high pressure sodium lights. With over $19,800 cash incentives from Energy Trust, Hifi’s investment should pay for itself in less than three years.

Because LEDs have a long-life span, Hifi also expects to save on labor costs. “Grow room lights are on 18 to 24 hours a day during the vegetative cycle and 12 hours a day during flowering,” said Vinal. “The LEDs should last a minimum of five years. That’s a huge savings for us.”

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