What Does Double Ended Lighting (DE Lighting) Mean?
A double-ended or “DE” light is a gas-filled tubular lamp with connectors on either end that snap into place on the fixture. This is opposed to a single-ended, Edison-style lamp that screws into the socket.
One of the advantages of DE lighting systems for plant growth is that they provide a more even light distribution for the plants. DE bulbs also degrade slower than their traditional, single-ended counterparts. In fact, after 10,000 hours, double-ended lamps will still output approximately 90 per cent of their original intensity.
Maximum Yield Explains Double Ended Lighting (DE Lighting)
Double-ended light or lights are considered high pressure sodium (HPS) globes that work when a ballast produces and regulates an electrical current that flows between the electrodes. This vaporizes the mercury and sodium within the glass tube into a gas that produces heat and intense light.
Single-ended lamps produce a warm yellow light, which is more suitable as a supplementary lighting source to the sun. The DE system, on the other hand, produces a more intense light that can be readily directed toward the plants when used in combination with a reflector. Growers using DE lighting need to ensure they have the appropriate high-voltage ballast to fire the globe and a specific DE-capable reflector. These requirements making the initial investment a little larger than using traditional HPS lights.
DE systems are becoming a preferred method of grow lighting when artificial lighting is the primary lighting source. Double-ended light systems are preferred for interior gardening and hydroponic gardening because the intensity they produce provides plants with more ultra-violet light, which is used by the plant for photosynthesis.
DE lighting systems use a high-intensity lamp that can produce around 750 to 1,000 watts of power or more. It is also believed that DE lighting is more stable, which gives it a 10 per cent increase in light intensity and PAR output over traditional, single-ended HPS bulbs.
Double-ended lights are also extremely efficient, long-lasting and can easily be assembled into rows along a single strand of wiring.
