Do plant growing lights usually consume more energy?
CFLs and Fluros consume less energy than incandescent bulbs but many more are required for optimum growth. For indoors plants need HID lights. Either MH or HPS or maybe both, to really thrive. If you are just moving your house plants inside for the winter I would not recommend investing in a HID system but if you are growing prized orchids or an indoor vegetable garden you will need to. And yes HID's use more energy than incandescents, CFLs or fluros.
It depends on the kind of light bulb. Flouescent grow lights are very efficient. They are very bright, but only around 24-40 watts or so. However, if you are referring to high-intesity discharge lighting (HIDs), then yes, they are 250-1000 watts and require a specific ballast. They do consume more energy than your regular home lights.
It is the extra energy, as well as the type of energy consumed by grow lights that has led to arrests of some of our local hydroponic pot growers. I guess the energy company notes the increased use and then alerts law enforcement. I wonder though - Could you hook your grow lights up to a solar panel somehow? Sure would suck to have your hard work destroyed when the authorities decide to raid your house and trample all your tomato plants.
Depends on the plant, the explanations here are very good. A simple way to tell, is to go down to a store, buy two or three of the types outlined in the other answers. Grow the same plant under each type of light. One will grow better than the others, use that kind of light. Google should be able to help more.
No, the are about the same as comparable regular light bulbs. (comparing halogen, florescent, incandescent, to their respective grow-light conterparts). The thing is - plants need MUCH more light than people do to read by, or even have a reasonably bright room. They need a LOT of light. So generally, you're going to be paying more in electricity for a set of grow lights for your plants, than for lights you would need for your own use in the same room.
