Power Savings from COB switch...REAL Numbers

MediheaLed

Well-Known Member
CAM02127.jpg Hello everyone, I have been waiting patiently for a couple months to see if the COB switch over had any other benefits other than the biggest, frostiest buds I've grown (Check my grow journal, in my sig) or no heat in the grow room and I wanted to contribute by showing an example of the amount of electricity SAVED by switching to COBs, attesting to what many know, Lower wattages for more yield. I went for 430W in COB to replace 600W HID, and I feel the COBs far surpass ANY 600W non-led system.
High.jpg High Month
ave.jpg Average month
2017-04-02-10-51-00.jpg New COB numbers

So, what do you think? How has COB affected your ACTUAL usage? Show and Tell is encouraged. I hope to convince those that are teetering (still) whether COB is all it seems!

P.s.
CAM02005.jpg GB 2 days short of 4 weeks.jpg CAM02079.jpg CAM02127.jpg CAM02128.jpg CAM02139.jpg CAM02141.jpg My first ALL COB flower plant. One plant here.
 
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HydoDan

Well-Known Member
I went from a 400 watt hps with a 150 watt hps for coverage... Dumped it for 300 watt cob light...
No more heat issues!! I'm on my second run and plant growth is amazing... My wife takes care of the bills so I don't have the numbers but she is very happy with my new light.. Saving about 20$ a month!! I not gonna do another hps run just to see the numbers!
 

doz

Well-Known Member
View attachment 3917917 Hello everyone, I have been waiting patiently for a couple months to see if the COB switch over had any other benefits other than the biggest, frostiest buds I've grown (Check my grow journal, in my sig) or no heat in the grow room and I wanted to contribute by showing an example of the amount of electricity SAVED by switching to COBs, attesting to what many know, Lower wattages for more yield. I went for 430W in COB to replace 600W HID, and I feel the COBs far surpass ANY 600W non-led system.
View attachment 3917899 High Month
View attachment 3917900 Average month
View attachment 3917921 New COB numbers

So, what do you think? How has COB affected your ACTUAL usage? Show and Tell is encouraged. I hope to convince those that are teetering (still) whether COB is all it seems!

P.s.
View attachment 3917908 View attachment 3917914 View attachment 3917909 View attachment 3917917 View attachment 3917911 View attachment 3917903 View attachment 3917904 My first ALL COB flower plant. One plant here.
What do you need actual usage for?

If you use 600w of high efficiency COB lighting to replace a 1000w in a 4x4 area, you save 4.8 Kwh per day. There is literally nothing more to it than that. If you replaced your 1000w HPS with 1000w COB lighting @ 30% efficiency, you have the same thing. If you replace your 1000w HPS with 600w 30% eff. COB lighting, you save 4.8 Kwh per day all while losing a huge amount of PPF.

There is really NO reason to show any power bill of savings.
 

MediheaLed

Well-Known Member
:clap: I don't have a 1000w hps, or 600w of COB. 30% efficient COBs? Who does this?
I was just showing how changes only in my lighting caused major positive changes in my overall setup. The one I have had for over a decade with a 600w hps. and having flowered every strain i currently run but now under only 430 w of cree 3590. And am getting way, way better results. You can quote me on that!
 

sixstring2112

Well-Known Member
:clap: I don't have a 1000w hps, or 600w of COB. 30% efficient COBs? Who does this?
I was just showing how changes only in my lighting caused major positive changes in my overall setup. The one I have had for over a decade with a 600w hps. and having flowered every strain i currently run but now under only 430 w of cree 3590. And am getting way, way better results. You can quote me on that!
Thanks for posting the numbers.its showing less use of everything including less ac less fan extraction probably, very nice.all that and you did it with the worst possible eff setup at 30% lmfao,im kinding. :)
 

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
What do you need actual usage for?

If you use 600w of high efficiency COB lighting to replace a 1000w in a 4x4 area, you save 4.8 Kwh per day. There is literally nothing more to it than that. If you replaced your 1000w HPS with 1000w COB lighting @ 30% efficiency, you have the same thing. If you replace your 1000w HPS with 600w 30% eff. COB lighting, you save 4.8 Kwh per day all while losing a huge amount of PPF.

There is really NO reason to show any power bill of savings.
you are contradicting yourself with that last sentence
 

nogod_

Well-Known Member
What a completely worthless post.

Of course its worth showing your power bill! It's the easiest way to account for system efficiency and present a fudge-free argument for how much you can expect to save after the switch.

As has been mentioned before, efficiency doesnt end at the emitter...especially if youre no longer running AC, running less fans, or whatever. The best way to measure savings is by taking a look at your bill...and seeing how much you saved! No calculating necessary!

What do you need actual usage for?

If you use 600w of high efficiency COB lighting to replace a 1000w in a 4x4 area, you save 4.8 Kwh per day. There is literally nothing more to it than that. If you replaced your 1000w HPS with 1000w COB lighting @ 30% efficiency, you have the same thing. If you replace your 1000w HPS with 600w 30% eff. COB lighting, you save 4.8 Kwh per day all while losing a huge amount of PPF.

There is really NO reason to show any power bill of savings.
 

doz

Well-Known Member
:clap: I don't have a 1000w hps, or 600w of COB. 30% efficient COBs? Who does this?
I was just showing how changes only in my lighting caused major positive changes in my overall setup. The one I have had for over a decade with a 600w hps. and having flowered every strain i currently run but now under only 430 w of cree 3590. And am getting way, way better results. You can quote me on that!
No one does it, I was just proving a point.

How much wall draw do you have with your COBS? How much did you have with your HPS? There is your savings...... And yes, 430w of 3590 will tear apart a 600w HPS. You are saving roughly 130w/hour. If you figure on 12/12 for the month (call it 30 days) with 600w of HPS, you will have 216 KWh for the light only (yes, you may have some savings with cooling, it all depends upon setup but it wont be that much difference (~200w as the 430w is wall draw? Or maybe less if thats your actual wattage to cob total).

So, not including driver/loss:
600w HPS = 216 KWh
400w COB (maybe more?) = 144 KWh

Savings of 72 KWh per month. Even with a reduced cooling need, your numbers do not add up. You are including your entire powerbill which does not account for other variables in which you utilize power (lights left on, electronics, extra usage in garage, ect). Look at your bill, the "new cob bill" is less than half of the average. Does not add up. So again, this is a worthless metric to base savings from. But go ahead and bash because its reality :) People do not like reality these days. I blame the fucking millennials.]

** And technically, efficiency does not matter for power usage. BUT, the product matters. You can save energy all day long, but saving energy while being more efficient is the whole point of cobs. We run them because they are more efficient which allows us to utilize less energy. Does efficiency effect your power bill? Not directly, but the more efficient an electrical device is, the less your bill will be with better results.
 

Jeeyah

Well-Known Member
No one does it, I was just proving a point.

How much wall draw do you have with your COBS? How much did you have with your HPS? There is your savings...... And yes, 430w of 3590 will tear apart a 600w HPS. You are saving roughly 130w/hour. If you figure on 12/12 for the month (call it 30 days) with 600w of HPS, you will have 216 KWh for the light only (yes, you may have some savings with cooling, it all depends upon setup but it wont be that much difference (~200w as the 430w is wall draw? Or maybe less if thats your actual wattage to cob total).

So, not including driver/loss:
600w HPS = 216 KWh
400w COB (maybe more?) = 144 KWh

Savings of 72 KWh per month. Even with a reduced cooling need, your numbers do not add up. You are including your entire powerbill which does not account for other variables in which you utilize power (lights left on, electronics, extra usage in garage, ect). Look at your bill, the "new cob bill" is less than half of the average. Does not add up. So again, this is a worthless metric to base savings from. But go ahead and bash because its reality :) People do not like reality these days. I blame the fucking millennials.]

** And technically, efficiency does not matter for power usage. BUT, the product matters. You can save energy all day long, but saving energy while being more efficient is the whole point of cobs. We run them because they are more efficient which allows us to utilize less energy. Does efficiency effect your power bill? Not directly, but the more efficient an electrical device is, the less your bill will be with better results.
I still get a very high bill. My bill bounces around all over the place. I sort of agree. In the big picture it hasn't been a huge savings. It depends on if you're trying to save money or increase yield. A lot of factors. You can use 5-600 watts to replace 1k of HPS. Or, you can do what I like to do and replace with about 800 watts or so.

However, when you double yields and vastly improve quality you do not worry about a little electric bill.

HPS averaged .65 grams/watt averaged 1.5 per 1000 watts

COB consistent 1.3 grams/watt consistent 3 per 1000 watts.

I love love love COBs. Thank You SupraSPL!
 

Jeeyah

Well-Known Member
I went from a 400w mh to 160watts of qb's using only 8hrs of lights on. Able to remove the jet fighter sounding inline fan too.
No idea how much I'm saving total but I'm happy with the return.

Qb's are considered cobs right
No. Quantum Boards are PCB. Printed Circuit Boards. Supposed to be good stuff though.
 

Fevs

Well-Known Member
For me the power bill is a big thing! I have been using about £3600 a year. Way too much!

I have just got rid of 3500w of various lights and replaced it with 1500w of Osram cobs. My bill should be less than half.

The real bonus for me is quieter extraction fans.
 

doz

Well-Known Member
It depends how much your electricity costs and weather you're looking for G's per watt or
G's per □² foot, And in most cases 600w COB's vs 600w HPS , The increased harvest will dwarf the electricity saving's. Not to mention bulb and reflector replacement.
You have not grown with cobs if you think 600w of COB = same yield as 600w HPS. Unless you are completely spaced limited and providing way too much light, 600w of COB even at 45% will tear apart a 600w HPS (even beat out DE, let alone getting above 50% where it will tear up DE).
 

doz

Well-Known Member
I still get a very high bill. My bill bounces around all over the place. I sort of agree. In the big picture it hasn't been a huge savings. It depends on if you're trying to save money or increase yield. A lot of factors. You can use 5-600 watts to replace 1k of HPS. Or, you can do what I like to do and replace with about 800 watts or so.

However, when you double yields and vastly improve quality you do not worry about a little electric bill.

HPS averaged .65 grams/watt averaged 1.5 per 1000 watts

COB consistent 1.3 grams/watt consistent 3 per 1000 watts.

I love love love COBs. Thank You SupraSPL!
Yes, I understand that, but that is why you save the money. You do not have to run as much COB lighting to match HPS, which is where the savings is at. Either way you look at it, you are saving. Although, at 1000w in a 4x4, you are pretty much spinning your wheels and wasting energy with COB. The yield of 1000w in 4x4 compared to 600w in 4x4 is small. I have never yielded less than 1.2gpw in a 4x4 with my COBS @ 600w. Very few people can even achieve 1gpw with HPS (flame suit on for all the turds out there who claim 1gpw every grow with HPS when in reality, its uncommon... Stop measuring your plants on the vine!). I know that I can yield a bit better if I added 200w, but I am pretty content with yielding what I do.

You are now getting into space limitations. If you dont have limitations, of course 1000w of cob will blow away 1000w hps and what you are saying is 100% true. I am just using a common 4x4 setup as example.
 

Jeeyah

Well-Known Member
Yes, I understand that, but that is why you save the money. You do not have to run as much COB lighting to match HPS, which is where the savings is at. Either way you look at it, you are saving. Although, at 1000w in a 4x4, you are pretty much spinning your wheels and wasting energy with COB. The yield of 1000w in 4x4 compared to 600w in 4x4 is small. I have never yielded less than 1.2gpw in a 4x4 with my COBS @ 600w. Very few people can even achieve 1gpw with HPS (flame suit on for all the turds out there who claim 1gpw every grow with HPS when in reality, its uncommon... Stop measuring your plants on the vine!). I know that I can yield a bit better if I added 200w, but I am pretty content with yielding what I do.

You are now getting into space limitations. If you dont have limitations, of course 1000w of cob will blow away 1000w hps and what you are saying is 100% true. I am just using a common 4x4 setup as example.
Are you talking to me? I would run about 450 watts in a 4x4 space. I like to run about 28-30 watts per square foot.

If I was trying to save electricity, I would run about 300 watts in a 4x4. 18.75 watts/square foot. I have one of my 300 watt lights covering a 4x4 area right now with Super Lemon Haze. Only using it for one run for testing.
 

MediheaLed

Well-Known Member
:confused: I don't understand the drama but I do agree with reading comprehension being a must. I simply wanted to share my old setup useage compared to my new setup with COBs. My old system consisted of a 600w hps, coolhood (flower), 2 (124 actual watt) china specials (veg) which is now switched to 430W COB (flower) and 90w COB (veg). My total household use includes my grow. I do everything as I have done since forever with the exception of the light swap out. SO, I can attribute my additional savings of power to a whole hell of a lot less A/C.:hump:
 
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