Lighting for commercial grows

Commercial Grow Lights

Q: How does ceiling height change which commercial grow lights to buy?

It's the first thing to check. Below about 12 ft, multi-bar LED fixtures work best because they hang close to the canopy and spread light evenly. At 12 ft and up, compact high-bay LED fixtures (or HPS, if you want the lowest upfront cost and the extra heat) can mount higher and cover more floor per fixture.

Q: Do I need DLC-listed lights to get a rebate?

Usually, yes. Most US utility programs pay only on fixtures listed on the DesignLights Consortium horticultural list, and HPS doesn't qualify. Rules and amounts vary by utility, so check yours and get pre-approval before you buy, since many programs won't pay after the fact. See LED grow light rebates or ask our team to check your project.

Q: What are the best LED grow lights for vertical farming?

Thin, low-heat LED bars that mount inside each shelf. The US DOE found commercial vertical farms run almost entirely on LED, because only LEDs can sit a few inches above the crop without scorching it. Look for linear bars sized to your rack length, a spectrum suited to greens and herbs, and dimming so you can match light to each tier.

Commercial LED grow lights are high-output fixtures built to light a whole facility for years, not a single tent. They run on 208-480V, connect to central controls and are judged by photons per watt (µmol/J). DLC-listed LEDs must reach at least 2.5 µmol/J and the best top 3.5, against about 1.7 for a 1000W double-ended HPS. Shop commercial grow lights from Matrix, Iluminar, Gavita, Growers Choice and DimLux, and get help sizing, wiring and funding your build-out.

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Austin Melead, Sales Rep

Expert lighting support and layout help
Commercial and volume pricing
Help with DLC-based LED rebates

Shop best sellers Get a lighting quote

Growers Choice Growers Choice ROI-E720 LED Grow Light

$750.89

6 reviews

Matrix M6 645 Watt LED Grow Light, 120 Volt.

Matrix Matrix M6 645 Watt Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

$602.86

Iluminar 1000 Watt Double Ended Grow Light with HPS Bulb, 277 Volt

Iluminar Iluminar 1000 Watt Double Ended Grow Light

$319.40

1 review

Gavita Gavita Pro RS 2400e 750 Watt LED Grow Light

$1,205.94

Which commercial grow lighting fits your facility?

Start with your ceiling height, then your facility and budget. Each card jumps to the type that fits.

Expert tip

Ceiling height is the main factor when picking lights for a commercial grow. Below 12 ft, you want a multi-bar LED; above 12 ft, we can look at high-bay LEDs or HPS.

Austin Melead, Sales Rep

Best pick: LED bar fixtures

Ceilings under 12 ft

Multi-bar LED fixtures hang close to the canopy and spread light evenly, so they suit lower ceilings where a big single-point fixture would be too close to the plants.

See LED bar fixtures →

Best pick: high-bay LED or HPS

Ceilings 12 ft and up

With more height to work with, compact high-bay fixtures mount higher and cover a wide area. High-bay LED saves power; HPS costs less up front and adds heat.

See high-bay LED →

Best pick: LED bar fixtures

Single-tier flower rooms

You'll get the most light per watt, and every watt you save is heat your HVAC doesn't have to remove.

See LED bar fixtures →

Best pick: multi-tier LED bars

Vertical farms and multi-tier racks

Thin bars sit just above the crop on each shelf. The US DOE found commercial vertical farms run almost entirely on LED.

See multi-tier LED →

Best pick: LED, sized by output

Swapping out HPS

Compare fixtures by output in µmol/s, not watts. An LED at 2.5 µmol/J makes the same light as a 1000W double-ended HPS on about 690W.

See LED bar fixtures →

Best pick: high µmol/J plus controls

High power-cost regions

The US DOE puts LED savings at 31-35% of lighting electricity per square foot. Dimming to your light target saves more on top of that.

See lighting controllers →

Best pick: tunable LED

Several crops or research trials

Separate white, red, blue and far-red channels let you change the light recipe by crop or stage without buying new fixtures.

See tunable LED →

Best pick: double-ended HPS

Lowest upfront cost

HPS fixtures cost far less to buy than LED, but more to run. Check utility rebates first, since they can close much of the LED price gap.

See double-ended HPS →

Shop commercial grow lights by type

Some fixtures are built for commercial rooms: high efficiency, high voltage and central control. Others cost less up front and still work well in the right space. Here's what each type does best, when to choose something else, and our top picks.

Built for commercial rooms
Also works commercially

Built for commercial rooms

High-output LED bar fixtures

Best forSingle-tier flower rooms and greenhouse toplighting

Several LED bars share one frame with a remote or onboard driver. You get even coverage and a cooler canopy than HID, and most models dim with 0-10V or a central controller.

Efficiency: 2.5-3.7 µmol/J
DLC minimum: 2.5 µmol/J
Lifespan: L70 ~50,000 hrs

Choose it when

Power or cooling is your biggest cost
You want utility rebates (most require a DLC listing)
You plan to dim to a set light level

Pick something else if

Upfront cash is the hard limit (see double-ended HPS)

Shop High-output LED bar fixtures

Shop all LED grow lights →

Matrix Matrix M6 645 Watt Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

$602.86

Iluminar Iluminar iLogic MS Plus 700 Watt LED Grow Light

$1,035.32

Growers Choice Growers Choice ROI-E720 LED Grow Light

$750.89

6 reviews

Gavita Gavita Pro RS 2400e 750 Watt LED Grow Light

$1,205.94

Built for high ceilings

High-bay LED

Best forWarehouses, greenhouses and rooms with ceilings 12 ft and up

A compact LED fixture made to hang high, often in the same spot and power class as an old HPS or high-bay fixture. One fixture covers a wide area, so you need fewer drops on tall ceilings.

Ceiling: 12 ft and up
Efficiency: ~2.7-2.8 µmol/J
Swap: 1:1 for HPS fixtures

Choose it when

Your ceiling is 12 ft or higher
You're replacing HPS or high-bay fixtures in the same layout
You want LED savings without adding racks or bars

Pick something else if

Your ceiling is under 12 ft (see LED bar fixtures)
You grow on multi-tier racks

Shop High-bay LED

Shop all LED grow lights →

Grow Pros Solutions Grow Pros Solutions AK-HB 1:1 High Bay 1100 Watt LED Grow Light

$775.75

Mammoth Lighting Mammoth Lighting Greenhouse Highbay 680 Watt LED Grow Light

$970.15

Built for commercial rooms

Tunable multi-channel LED

Best forGrowers who change the spectrum by crop or stage

An LED fixture with separate channels (white, red, blue, far-red) you can dim one at a time, so you can shift the spectrum without swapping fixtures.

DLC minimum: 2.5 µmol/J
DLC output life: Q90 36,000+ hrs
DLC warranty: 5 years

Choose it when

You run trials or several crops
You want spectrum recipes in a controller

Pick something else if

You grow one crop one way. A fixed-spectrum bar costs less

Shop Tunable multi-channel LED

Shop all LED grow lights →

Matrix M6 Dyna Spectrum Tunable 760 Watt LED Grow Light, 4 Channel, No Power Cord.

Matrix Matrix M6 Dyna Spectrum Tunable 760 Watt LED Grow Light, 4 Channel

$730.00

Matrix M8 Dyna Spectrum Tunable 1000 Watt LED Grow Light, 4 Channel, No Power Cord.

Matrix Matrix M8 Dyna Spectrum Tunable 1000 Watt LED Grow Light, 4 Channel

$882.86

Matrix Vega Dyna 1,000 Watt LED Grow Light, 120 Volt.

Matrix Matrix Vega Dyna 1,000 Watt LED Grow Light

$855.71

Growers Choice Growers Choice ROI-E720 LED Grow Light with Bloom Boost UV-R Light Bars

$910.89

Built for commercial rooms

Vertical and multi-tier LED bars

Best forRacks, leafy greens, propagation and vertical farms

On racks, light has to fit between shelves. These thin, low-heat bars mount inside each tier, so you can stack growing area on one footprint and hang the light close to short crops.

Typical load: ~15 W/sq ft
LED share: ~100% of farms
Mounting: Inside each shelf

Choose it when

Floor space is your limit
Crops are short: greens, herbs, young plants

Pick something else if

Plants grow tall. Use single-tier bar fixtures

Shop Vertical and multi-tier LED bars

Read the vertical growing guide →

Iluminar iLW 60 Watt LED Grow Light Bar, 240 Volt Cord

Iluminar Iluminar iLW 60 Watt LED Grow Light Bar

$156.72

Matrix LTL R8W 200 Watt LED Grow Light Bar

Matrix Matrix LTL 200 Watt LED Grow Light Bar

$226.29

Growers Choice Growers Choice PFS Series LED Grow Light, Pack of 4 Light Bars

$266.67

Growers Choice Growers Choice Pro Pod Clone & Propagation Lighting System

$1,065.34

Also works commercially

Double-ended HPS

Best forTight budgets and cold greenhouses

A 1000W lamp is held at both ends and run on an electronic ballast. It's cheap to buy and well proven, but lamps lose output as they age and need replacing.

Efficiency: ~1.7 µmol/J
Upfront cost: Lowest
Relamp: ~12,000 hrs

Choose it when

You need the lowest cost per fixture
Your crop or greenhouse benefits from radiant heat

Pick something else if

Power is expensive or cooling is maxed out
You want utility rebates (HPS doesn't qualify)

Shop Double-ended HPS

Shop all double-ended HPS →

Matrix 1,000 Watt Double Ended HPS Grow Light Fixture With HPS Lamp, 277 Volt.

Matrix Matrix 1,000 Watt Double Ended HPS Grow Light Fixture With HPS Lamp

$225.71

Iluminar Iluminar 1000 Watt Double Ended Grow Light

$319.40

1 review

DimLux DimLux Expert Series MKII 1000 Watt Double Ended HPS/MH Grow Light Fixture with 2,000K Bulb

$395.52

NanoLux Summit Series 1000 Watt DE HPS Grow Light with HPS Bulb, 480 Volt.

NanoLux Summit Series 1000 Watt DE HPS Grow Light with HPS Bulb, 277 Volt - 15 ft Cord.

NanoLux NanoLux Summit Series 1000 Watt DE HPS Grow Light with HPS Bulb

$255.05

Also works commercially

CMH / LEC

Best forSmall rooms, vegetative growth and budget full spectrum

Ceramic metal halide lamps, often 315W, give a broad, sun-like spectrum. They're simple and inexpensive, though less efficient than double-ended HPS or LED.

Efficiency: ~1.5 µmol/J
Heat: High
Lamps: Replaceable

Choose it when

You want full spectrum on a small budget

Pick something else if

You're lighting more than a few rooms

Shop CMH / LEC

Shop all CMH fixtures →

Iluminar 315 Watt CMH Grow Light with No Bulb, 347 Volt

Iluminar 315 Watt CMH Grow Light with No Bulb, 277 Volt

Iluminar Iluminar 315 Watt CMH Grow Light

$206.67

1 review

Iluminar Iluminar 630 Watt Double Ended CMH Grow Light

$305.98

1 review

Growers Choice Growers Choice 315 Watt CMH Grow Light with Bulb

$132.00

2 reviews

DimLux DimLux Expert Series 630 Watt CMH Grow Light with Dual 3,100K CMH Bulbs

$382.86

Built for commercial rooms

Lighting controllers

Best forAny facility with more than one room of fixtures

One controller that dims, schedules and syncs many fixtures, often with sunrise and sunset ramps. Most are brand-specific, so match the controller to your fixtures.

Light target: DLI ÷ hours
Example: 12 mol, 18 h ≈ 185
Fit: Brand-specific

Choose it when

You want to dim to a target instead of running at 100%
You run several rooms on one schedule

Pick something else if

Your fixtures aren't dimmable

Shop Lighting controllers

Shop all lighting controllers →

Matrix Matrix MC2 Grow Light Controller

$179.00

Matrix Matrix MC5 Grow Light Controller

$169.00

Iluminar Iluminar iLogic PLUS RS-485 Controller

$440.30

Gavita Gavita Master Controller EL3 Grow Light Controller

$863.62

1 review

Commercial grow lights compared: LED, HPS, CMH

Comparison of commercial grow light types by efficiency, heat, lifespan, cost, controls and best use
Type	Efficiency	Heat	Lifespan	Upfront cost	Controls	Best for
High-output LED bar fixtures	2.5-3.7 µmol/J	Low at canopy	L70 ~50,000 hrs	Higher	Yes, most	Flower rooms, greenhouses
High-bay LED	~2.7-2.8 µmol/J	Low at canopy	L70 ~50,000 hrs	Mid	Some models	Ceilings 12 ft+, HPS swaps
Tunable multi-channel LED	2.5+ µmol/J if DLC	Low at canopy	Q90 36,000+ hrs (DLC)	Highest	Per channel	Trials, several crops
Vertical and multi-tier LED bars	2.5+ µmol/J if DLC	Very low	Q90 36,000+ hrs (DLC)	High	Yes	Racks, vertical farms
Double-ended HPS	~1.7 µmol/J	High, radiant	Relamp ~12,000 hrs	Lowest	Some ballasts	Budgets, cold greenhouses
CMH / LEC	~1.5 µmol/J	High	Replace lamps	Low	Limited	Small rooms, veg
Lighting controllers	n/a	n/a	n/a	Low per fixture	Central	Multi-room sites

Typical ranges from university research, the US DOE and the DesignLights Consortium. Check each fixture's spec sheet for exact output.

How much LED replaces a 1000W double-ended HPS?

Match photons, not watts. A 1000W double-ended HPS at about 1.72 µmol/J makes roughly 1,720 µmol/s. An LED at the DLC minimum of 2.5 µmol/J makes the same light on about 690W. A 2.8 µmol/J fixture needs about 615W, and a 3.5 µmol/J fixture only about 490W.

Fixture efficiency	Watts for 1,720 µmol/s	Power saved vs HPS
1.72 µmol/J (DE HPS)	1,000W	Baseline
2.5 µmol/J (DLC minimum)	~690W	~31%
2.8 µmol/J	~615W	~39%
3.5 µmol/J (high-efficiency LED)	~490W	~51%

Efficiency: Kusuma et al. 2020, Runkle's 2022 review of the DLC list (Michigan State University) and DLC Hort V4.0. Savings: US DOE 2020. Watts are our math: µmol/s ÷ µmol/J.

1.72 µmol/J1000W double-ended HPS
2.5 µmol/JDLC minimum for LED
31-35%Less lighting power per sq ft with LED (DOE)

Size your room

Calculators & guides

Commercial grow lights: common questions

How does ceiling height change which commercial grow lights to buy?

It's the first thing to check. Below about 12 ft, multi-bar LED fixtures work best because they hang close to the canopy and spread light evenly. At 12 ft and up, compact high-bay LED fixtures (or HPS, if you want the lowest upfront cost and the extra heat) can mount higher and cover more floor per fixture.

What are the best commercial LED grow lights?

DLC-listed LED fixtures with high µmol/J, even coverage and central dimming. The DesignLights Consortium now requires at least 2.5 µmol/J to list a fixture, and the most efficient models top 3.5. After that, match the fixture to the room: bar fixtures for single-tier flower rooms, thin bars for racks and tunable LED if you grow several crops.

How many grow lights do I need per square foot?

Divide your target light level by what one fixture delivers over its footprint. Pick a daily light target (DLI) for your crop, divide it by your light hours to get PPFD, then check the maker's PPFD map for coverage. A University of Kentucky guide walks through the math, and our PPFD calculator does it for you in a minute.

Do I need DLC-listed lights to get a rebate?

Usually, yes. Most US utility programs pay only on fixtures listed on the DesignLights Consortium horticultural list, and HPS doesn't qualify. Rules and amounts vary by utility, so check yours and get pre-approval before you buy, since many programs won't pay after the fact. See LED grow light rebates or ask our team to check your project.

Should I wire my grow lights at 277V or 480V?

Higher voltage means fewer amps for the same light, so you need smaller wire and fewer circuits. Amps equal watts divided by volts: a 780W fixture draws about 6.5A at 120V but only about 2.8A at 277V. Order the voltage that matches your panel, and have a licensed electrician confirm the circuit plan before install.

How long do commercial LED grow lights last?

DLC-listed LEDs must keep 90% of their light output for at least 36,000 hours. That's the DesignLights Consortium's Q90 rule, and many fixtures are rated well beyond it. HPS lamps, by contrast, are usually replaced around every 12,000 hours according to Michigan State University, which adds lamp and labor costs over a fixture's life.

What are the best LED grow lights for vertical farming?

Thin, low-heat LED bars that mount inside each shelf. The US DOE found commercial vertical farms run almost entirely on LED, because only LEDs can sit a few inches above the crop without scorching it. Look for linear bars sized to your rack length, a spectrum suited to greens and herbs, and dimming so you can match light to each tier.

Planning a commercial build-out?

Send us your floor plan, crop and power specs. Our lighting team will suggest a fixture layout, quote it and check rebate options.

Request a quote LED rebates

Sources

Commercial Grow Lights

Best commercial LED grow lights our growers buy

Which commercial grow lighting fits your facility?

Ceilings under 12 ft

Ceilings 12 ft and up

Single-tier flower rooms

Vertical farms and multi-tier racks

Swapping out HPS

High power-cost regions

Several crops or research trials

Lowest upfront cost

Shop commercial grow lights by type

High-output LED bar fixtures

High-bay LED

Tunable multi-channel LED

Vertical and multi-tier LED bars

Double-ended HPS

CMH / LEC

Lighting controllers

Commercial grow lights compared: LED, HPS, CMH

How much LED replaces a 1000W double-ended HPS?

Calculators & guides

Commercial grow lights: common questions

Planning a commercial build-out?

Let customers speak for us