Does reflected light help plants to grow?
When it comes to grow lights, efficiency is everything. Reflective wall coverings do a great job of redirecting wasted light back towards the plants, but if you are not implementing a grow light reflector, you are missing out on an increase in light efficiency of 40%!
What is a grow light reflector?
A reflective grow light hood is responsible for increasing the efficiency of a grow light system. The reflective hood directs the light that would be illuminating the ceiling back down towards the plants, maximizing the efficiency of every dollar you spend on electricity.
How is the light from a reflector dispersed?
A grow light reflector will only be as efficient as the grow light you are using, and the distance between your light and your canopy. As you can see from the chart below, the effectiveness of your reflector diminishes as the distance increases.
It is important to ensure you are using a grow light mover, as redirecting this much light to one area of the plant can result in burns.
What are the different types of grow light hoods and reflectors?
- Air-cooled
- Non air-cooled
- Wing
- Parabolic
Air cooled reflectors are most grower’s choice, as redirecting light creates a lot of heat within the hood, directly above the plants. Non-air cooled reflectors work just as well, but create heat, and you will need to implement air conditioners or fans in the grow room to combat this.
Other common types are wing reflectors and parabolic reflectors, whose names indicate their respective shapes. These are also referred to as open air hoods. Open air hoods also generate a fair amount of heat, so be sure to monitor the temperature in your indoor garden with a thermometer.
Choosing the right grow light reflector
Reflective hoods need to be paired with the correct light type (HPS, MH, or CMH), and the bulb count needs to match the number of bulbs you will be utilizing. For example, if you have a CMH grow light, you will need to pair it with a CMH reflector. Likewise, HPS and MH reflectors are for use with HPS and MH grow lights.
Another important consideration is the flange size of the grow light hood. When connected to an inline fan, air cooled reflectors quickly exhaust heat from the reflective hood. The most popular flange sizes are 6 inches and 8 inches, but we also carry 10 inch sizes.
For a better understanding of these systems, check out our buying guide for grow light reflectors! If you still have questions, give one of our experienced growers a call at 888-815-9763.
