Back in 2007 Hydro Grow was a hydroponics retail store, and the exclusive manufacturer of AeroMAX Hydroponics Systems. Many of our customers expressed interest in LED Grow Lights, but complained of their poor performance. We began researching existing LED grow lights, and quickly realized that while LED companies made big claims about their products, the performance of their LED grow lights failed to meet any of their claims. It was at this time Hydro Grow decided to create our own LED Grow Lights, with the goal of eliminating all of the inefficiencies affecting the performance of other LED Grow Lights on the market. After much deliberation, we chose 1W High Power LED's for our products, as they are the most efficient of any LED light source in relation to lumens (or micromoles) per watt. We then chose the highest quality and highest output LED's we could find for each nm we would use, and started our first design.

When we began our design process, the most popular LED Grow Light was the 90W UFO, of which many companies claimed could replace a 400W HPS. Our first product was centered around this design in mid 2008, when we developed the world's first 5-band LED Grow Light. Our 90W UFO consisted of 2 blues, 2 reds, and 1 orange, and implemented a 120 degree wide angle lens for light dispersion (much like 90% of the LED grow lights currently on the market). Our testing with this product was dismal. A major flaw with this product was that a sizable portion of the light emitted was being wasted due to the wide dispersion, 120 degree lenses. We also observed stunting to clones and seedlings, although this effect only lasted the first two weeks. Needless to say we were very disappointed that our first LED Grow Light was unable to compete with a 150W HPS in side-by-side testing, so we went back to the drawing board.

For the next 6 months we devoted our time to research, focusing in-depth on photosynthesis, light intensity, and light/dark photo-cycles. During our research, we discovered that orange was very inefficient for photosynthesis, causing stunting of plants and curling of leaves, so we discontinued its use. Additionally, we learned that plants absorb small portions of light between their photosynthesis peaks, so we added white to our spectral configuration to fill in these gaps. We also added far-red light to extend photoperiods into the night cycle, speed up photosynthesis, and provide other benefits to plants such as cell regeneration and repair. After much deliberation, our spectral ratios were set to 70% red, 10% blue, and 20% white. Another major change we made was the use of custom 60 degree lenses, to ensure all light was aimed downwards towards the plants instead of dispersing it on the walls like wide angle lenses. Only eight months after our 90W UFO tanked, the 120W "beta" light was finished and ready for testing. Unlike the 90W UFO, the test results with our 120W LED Grow Light blew us away! During our side-by-side testing against a 150W HPS, our 120W LED Grow Light grew lettuce and tomatoes at over 3x the rate! While the use of 60 degree lenses drastically intensified our light and improved performance, it also reduced our coverage area, which told us our design work was not yet complete.

The 126W Penetrator was the first LED Grow Light we made available to the public, as we had finally eliminated all of the inefficiencies from our design, and developed a LED Grow Light capable of destroying the mighty HID . Initial side-by-side testing showed that our 126W LED Grow Light outperformed a 400W metal halide, producing healthier plants and higher yields. Many companies have since challenged our 126W light, but none were able to surpass its performance via independent, side-by-side grow tests, like this one performed against Haight Solid State

 

Our 126W LED Grow Light was the first LED Grow Light in the world to use 60 degree lenses. This advancement was so valuable to us, that we filed Patent #61366861 to protect our technology. Our 60 degree lens intensifies light by more than 4x compared to 120 degree wide-angle lenses, and 3x compared to 90 degree lenses. This increase in intensity enables full penetration of light from top to bottom of plants, ensuring the highest light absorption rate. This is how we came up with the name "Penetrator" for our LED Grow Light series.

To solve the problem of reduced coverage area from the 60 degree lens, we developed our Patent Pending (#61366861) Light Engines, clusters of 21 LEDs with a perfectly balanced spectrum for robust growth and top quality yields. We then spread the Light Engines out on a panel our competitors would normally use for a 300W - 600W LED grow light. The 60 degree lenses matched with our Light Engines gave way to large areas of intense light, which our competitors have yet to outshine. Another benefit to this design is that multiple panels can be used in close proximity for an even spread of light intensity throughout the canopy. This design also dissipates heat from the LEDs much quicker, allowing Penetrator LED Grow Lights to operate longer and brighter compared to our competitors' packed, and over-heated panels.

 

Our customers were so impressed with the performance and functionality of our 126W LED Grow Light, by popular demand, we created the 63W and 318W versions for retail.

Our 2nd Generation LED Grow Lights were developed to accomplish three primary goals: denser internodal spacing, faster bloom onset, and shorter flowering periods. We accomplished these goals by changing our spectral ratios to include more red for enhanced flowering (85% red), less white for dense nodes (5% white) and kept blue at 10%, as that is near the maximum amount plants can absorb at a given time. Independent grow tests have proven that our 2nd Generation LED Grow Lights can easily match or outperform HID grow lights, while using 65% less energy! With the release of our 2nd Generation LED Grow Lights, we discontinued our 318W model, replacing it with the world's first high-powered Square LED Grow Lights: the 205W and 345W Penetrator. These revolutionary new LED Grow Lights are available exclusively from Hydro Grow LED

 

When we measured the light output from our 345W LED Grow Light using a Li-Cor 250A photosynthetic light measurement device, the micromole output at 6" matched the SUN's output on Earth's surface! The only difference is that our 345W LED Grow Light delivers 2000 micromoles of targeted, photosynthetic light, whereas the sun provides 2000 micromoles of full-spectrum light (much of which is not absorbed by plants). Finally, Hydro Grow, the leader of LED grow light development was able to match the full power of the sun for your indoor garden, with a spectrum developed specifically for your plants!

In June 2010, Hydro Grow debuted the world's first and only Vertical LED Grow Light. Just like our square 205W/345W lights, the vertical led grow light is designed and sold exclusively by Hydro Grow LED. Our Vertical LED Grow Light was developed based on the requests of gardeners who wanted a versatile LED grow light for vertical systems such as the OmegaGarden. It is also ideal for those gardeners wanting to supply their plants with side to side, top to bottom light. Our Vertical LED Grow Lights feature a 360 degree, hexagonal tower of LEDs, emitting light in all directions. Each light features upgraded power supplies, and large heat sinks to ensure optimal thermal management. Needless to say we thought of everything with this light so you can operate it worry free in your grow room for years to come. Now the efficiency and high yields of vertical gardening are finally available with LED! Needless to say, as with all of our priceless inventions and technological advancements, the Vertical LED Grow Light is also Patent Pending: #61366861

Our original goal for the Penetrator PRO LED Grow Light series was to create a cost-effective LED Grow Light, that produced substantially more light output, by using brand-name LED's at the same power draw as our present LED's. Our testing however, showed that this is not possible to do, as the marginal output differences from brand-name LED's in no way make up for the difference in cost. For example the top-performing 625nm LED from our test group came from Luxeon and produced 59 lumens at 350mA. The top-performing 625nm from our Taiwan LED's produced 52 lumens at 350mA. Our testing showed that while the Luxeon LED produced approximately 12% more lumens, the cost was more than double the Taiwan chip. Cree on the other hand produced only 56 lumens, for a 7% output difference vs the Taiwan chip. For this reason we decided against our original plan and sought out a new way to efficiently create more light output.

We flew to China to test a wide assortment of High Power LED's on the market, to see which could deliver the most light at the highest efficiency. To ensure accuracy of results, we performed all tests on the same machine, in the same location, one after another. Multiple LED's were tested from each group, and the outputs averaged into the numbers shown on the graph above. The efficiency of each LED was then compared to a 1W LED, as they remain the most efficient of any. Aside from testing 1W and 3W LED's from Cree, Luxeon, and Osram (as discussed above), we also tested our own 1W, 2W-2Chip, 3W-3Chip, and 3W LED's.

The testing showed us that while many of our competitors have chosen to use 2W-2Chip and 3W-3Chip LED's, the most efficient high-wattage chip is the 3W. Our platform is to create LED Grow lights with the highest efficiency, so we chose 3W LED's to use for our Penetrator PRO LED Grow Lights. Our testing also concluded that at 500mA our 3W LED's were within 4% of the efficiency of 1W LED's, and at 600mA within 7% efficiency. The decision was then made to drive our 3W LED's at 550mA, to keep output within 5% of the efficiency of 1W LED's. Driving our 3W's below the rated 700mA also reduces heat, while also increasing lifespan. With the addition of 3W LED's, our new Penetrator PRO line-up could deliver 37% more light output vs our 1W Penetrator models, with a cost increase of only 25%! The result is higher light intensity, more light penetration, and higher light absorption levels for your hungry plants! Needless to say these lights give anyone the ability to grow like a PRO from their very first harvest.

Hydro Grow's 3rd Generation Spectrum was developed with the help of the University of Washington who taught our company about the importance of Quantum Efficiency. The study of Quantum Efficiency relates to plant growth and isolates the number of photons required for the formation of one oxygen molecule in photosynthesis. While many scientists have long believed that green plays no role in photosynthesis, quantum efficiency shows that green produces the most oxygen compared to photons delivered. Since oxygen is formed during photosynthesis by the combination of water, CO2, and light, there is much evidence to support that green is actually very efficient and valuable for photosynthesis in terms of Quantum Efficiency, as shown in this study from Oxford: Green Light Drives Leaf Photosynthesis More Efficiently than Red Light. Green light has also been proven to have an effect on the overall growth time and yield of plants, and can speed up the entire growth process for all plant varieties with the proper ratios

In order to create the Quantum Effect with our LED Grow Lights, we had to completely re-develop our lights on the Quantum (micromole) level. Our new light ratios are based on the exact light output of each individual LED wavelength we use, rather than basing our ratios on the # of LED's contained in our products. We find this to be a much more accurate approach to producing the exact ratios plants require to thrive. Likewise in order to create the Quantum effect in plants, you must balance all 3 regions of PAR, including the 500-600nm green region. Our 3rd Generation spectrum therefore uses 525nm green instead of white with our 6-band design. The ratios have been modified to 75% red, 10% blue, and 15% green, as these ratios showed the most promise in our own testing, as well as testing performed by Russian scientists and NASA. We tested 3 different variations of our 3rd Generation light for 9+ months before releasing the best performing model to the public. The independent testing performed with our 3rd Generation spectrum showed that plants grown under our lights flowered a full week faster than HPS, saving you valuable time on your harvests! Likewise end yields have been enhanced from prior generations up to 15%! Click here for even more research on green light combined with red and blue.

The Next Generation of LED Grow Lights is very near, brought to you exclusively by Hydro Grow. Bringing you the best of nearly 4 years of ongoing development, we give you our new Penetrator EXTREME Lens technology, dubbed the X-LensTM. As with all advancements we make, patent protection of our new X-lens has been filed under our pre-existing Patent Application #61366861.

The X-Lens is a specialty light-amplifying optic, custom developed for our 21-LED Light Engine configuration. Without using any additional power, our prototype models with far less sophisticated optics delivered 1.6x more light output at 12" from the glass vs our previous 60 degree lens, but this is only the tip of the iceberg with this new technology. As distance increased from the source the difference became even more pronounced, giving the X-Lens Prototype 3.6X the output of our previous 60 degree lens at 48" away! Our production models by comparison are approximately 2-3x more intense than our prototypes, meaning even higher performance!

There will be 7 new models in total utilizing the new X-Lens technology, with the possibility for more in the future. These models are scheduled for release August 2011, however pre-ordering will begin on June 1st, 2011. Those who purchase during pre-ordering will in return get our promotional price on these new lights, whereas anyone ordering after production will be paying several hundred more. So if you want to be the first to get the latest in LED Grow Light technology, make sure you jump on our pre-order list in June. The X-Lens will be the single largest advancement Hydro Grow has ever made, and once released there will be nothing else on the market that comes even remotely close to the intensity and output of our exclusive new technology. The best just keeps getting better at Hydro Grow with our new models: 21X, 84X, 126X, 168X, 189X, 336X, and the 336X-SMD using low power LED's. All models but the 336X-SMD will come in both standard (1W) and PRO (3W) configurations.

Released with our new X-Lens technology will be the new Hydro Grow Aquarium Lighting Series. These lights will be equipped with a custom light controller which allows the end user to control the spectrum for their tanks to simulate daylight or moonlight as they see fit. Our new Aquarium lights will be the highest quality, highest output models in the world. They will utilize 410nm, 440nm, 470nm, and 4500k white LED's, and come in 84X, 126X, and 168X configurations. Now the power of Hydro Grow technology will finally be available for your precious corals!

The Hydro Grow Aquarium series will be 100% upgradable and serviceable by the consumer. We've taken the manufacturing process to a whole new level with our new X-Lens products, so the end user can upgrade their lights as time progresses and LED technology continues to advance. This is possible with our exclusive new "modular" design. Each light engine is essentially it's very own light source in our new products, with it's own heatsink, PCB, and Lens. Each one is installed into our lights using 2 screws and plug-in electrical connectors, so that if 1 module fails you can simply replace it in about 10 minutes without any need for down time or sending your equipment back! Growing anything just became a whole lot easier with Hydro Grow's new X-Series LED lights.

While Hydro Grow works hard to remain the worldwide authority on LED Grow Lights, we cannot do the work that needs to be done single-handedly. Our LED Grow Lights were designed primarily for tomatoes and medical plants, however each species of plant has varied spectral output and ratio requirements in order to grow optimally. During our testing with the University of Washington where we focused solely on the effect spectrum made on plant growth, it was very evident that lettuce thrived under our spectrum while basil grew the same regardless of what spectrum it was given. In order to develop plant, and even species-specific LED Grow Lights we decided to create the Omni Spectrum LED Grow Light.

The Omni Spectrum LED Grow Light is patent pending, and was developed specifically for Universities or private researchers. The Omni Spectrum will be available on our 336X models after production release in August, and will be offered in two different configurations: 8-band and 11-band. The user will be able to pre-select which wavelengths they want included in their light, as well as the placement of those wavelengths inside of our patent-pending light engines. Each individual wavelength will be independently controllable from 0-100% brightness by the end user. This allows for literally endless configurations of LED wavelengths and ratios that can be tested all with 1 light! Researchers using our new Omni Spectrum lights will also share their development results with Hydro Grow, allowing for the first ever plant-specific omni spectrum light to be available in several years. This is just another way Hydro Grow is leading the LED Grow Light industry.