Solaris Led lighting systems

[hahnmeister]

Patrick, are you guys developing more LEDs for your use with higher efficiency LEDs that are starting to be produced right now? I am all for LED lighting (I learned not to be a stick in the mud about new lighting tech after I bought my T5s), but it seems to be developing faster than computers ever did. LED's with 2x the lumens per watt as whats out there now have been invented, and its only a matter of time before the current Solaris is outdated. 130 lumens per watt was reached earlier this year, and now scientists are predicting over 150lumens per watt in the next couple years. This is a huge lead forward in the past few years from being the underdog, then competing with MH/T5, and now surpassing in the near future. I just want to know how the Solaris will keep up.

Which brings me to my next question... why doesnt PFO have T5 lighting??? And I dont mean that POLYPLIGHT garbage. I have seen how much not having individual parabolic reflectors kills the output (around 60%!!).

 

[joelsaxton]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8407323#post8407323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PFO Lighting
Now I hope I can count on you to follow through on your word of buying a Solaris when we use more powerful LED's. It just might be coming........

Pat

Wouldn't you be one to know? Are they coming or not? Or is it not yet on the product roadmap?

I would consider LED lighting within the next two or three years if they improve their output and efficiency. Additionally, I'd like to see how the quality of their light holds up over an appreciable length of time

 

[hahnmeister]

Its partly the efficiency, but also partly not being outdated within 6 months of buying one.

 

[steve the plumb]

hahn thats up to pfo.If they do come out with better models 6 months from now does that mean everyone who has it now gets to upgrade or do they get screwed.Its like that with anything you buy thats new on the market.Buy a big screen tv today its cheaper 5 months down the road and half the price 2 years down the line and the new tv that comes out is the same price as you paid when you bought your only its better.Its the chance you take.You are better off waiting till they do come out with the light that suits your needs.I don't think you are going to get it dirt cheap either.If the demand drops maybe if pfo starts to get desperate because the units don't sell then maybe you might get a deal.Not everyone has $2500-$3500 grand to spend on lights.It is alot of money cosidering you could buy a kick *** lighting system and a skimmer with that kind of money and still have some cash left over.

 

[hahnmeister]

Sure, many things change within a given amount of time, but not as fast as LED's are right now. Halides are pretty much at the end of their product cycle... sure, there might be a new bulb here or there, but no major advances on the technology. T5s have come a long way, and very fast, and there are small advances in bulb mfg, resulting in 10-20% boosts in output compared to similar bulbs just a couple years ago... but nothing as dramatic as LED's have developed. Any advaces in these areas are easy to integrate into an existing system, as its usually just a bulb change, if anything. But with LEDs... there is no standard plug or voltage or anything. There likelyhood that new technology will integrate with the existing is still up in the air... and things are developing very fast. Sure, new TV's come out every year or less, but what Im talking about here isnt just small model releases... Im talking more like a newer and better HDTV format being released every 6 months to a year that is 2x as good as the previous generation... that might make you wary of buying a TV then... no?

 

[steve the plumb]

for sure.TV now a days is getting better and better.I had 550 watts of mh lighting on my tank.I am thinking I would more than likely need two 48 inch units to equal my mh pendants wich in turn would cost me $5000 in lighting.Two units may equal my pendants wich cost me around $900 with bulbs.Thats a very large price tag to pay in the hopes that the lighting would be just as bright,less heat less cost on monthly electric bills.To high a price.I don't know how bright the 300 watt led fixture is and I don't see myself giving up 2 and a half grand to buy one simply because I do think its to much money just to keep corals.I might aswell keep mh bulbs and buy myself a chiller or get as many t5 bulbs as a canopy can fit with good reflectors and good ballast wich will probably cost me less than a grand for the lights.The cost for me doesnt justify me getting the unit.Its not like you have to buy this or the corals wouldn't survive.I do think its a neat setup.I wouldn't say mh bulbs are a thing of the past.These lights are the future but I also don't think you will be getting the unit for a grand anytime soon.To small a market ,odds are people who can afford it won't sit there and think about the cost issue they will buy the lights because they like it it runs alot cooler and if the corals survive under this lighting they will be happy.I don't know if someone would buy two of these lights for one tank.If they do they have alot of spare change.Its to bad I wasn't rich or else I would have me one of these lights along with a 1000 gallon tank.

 

[jnb]

sorry to ask but what is "PBR"

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8407107#post8407107 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alexmit
The PBR of my lighting system is roughly a 12-pack. You can't deny it, it is fact. After those 12 PBRs everything seems brighter.
;-)

 

[alexmit]

PBR is cheap beer. Pabst Blue Ribbon.

 

[cindyolson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8410362#post8410362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steve the plumb
Its to bad I wasn't rich or else I would have me one of these lights along with a 1000 gallon tank.

Amen

 

[jnb]

I thought about buying another but it would not be perfect as the banks would line up too much to be perfect. I do love the one I am running now if the acros remain happy almost can't wait for the new one to come out perhaps punching more light but this may be enough - I don't super duper bright if the corals don't. I dive a lot and find the life I want in my tank at all kinds of lesser light levels. Can't say enough about the heat issue this provides, compared to mh (and t-5 was no little heat maker), the small footprint compared to t-5 and I love the color just like I love my 20k XM's before (even more, this seems to put out more blue/less purple) and still get the water dancing with enough shimmer - something I missed with t-5 - and the noise is a lot less than my MH fixture - I would get another for this tank if I had to and if I was a little more crazy than I already am.


.I don't know if someone would buy two of these lights for one tank.If they do they have a lot of spare change.Its to bad I wasn't rich or else I would have me one of these lights along with a 1000 gallon tank. [/B][/QUOTE]

 

[steve the plumb]

My tank is 36 inches deep and you better believe I would have me at least one of them lights if I had the extra cash BUT I DON'T.The 1000 gal tank will come if I win the lotto.If only money wasn't so hard to make as it is so easy to spend.This hobby has put me into debt.If any one out there feels sorry for the poor and wants to send me one of these babies for x-mas feel free to do so.I think Ms Claus won't be getting me one of these for x-mas.I will end up getting clothes instead.

JNB I thought about buying just one and my wife said "are you crazy" so I guess we all know who wheres the pants in the family.

 

[cindyolson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8417431#post8417431 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steve the plumb
JNB I thought about buying just one and my wife said "are you crazy" so I guess we all know who wheres the pants in the family.

Do the logic thing with math, electric bill per month, light replacement costs. Should recoup your money in a year.

 

[LesMartin]

Any plans for a European ( 240V - 50Hz ) version ?

 

[Amphibious]

The Solaris units have an adjustable voltage selector switch from 120V or 230V. Whether that accomodates European current or not I'm not sure. If it does, you may need an adaptor for the plug. I haven't been to Europe since the '80s but, I think we had to have a different plug.

 

[alexmit]

I'd like to thank Patrick for jumping in on the discuussion. I'd also like to comment that I in no way see his contribution as marketing the product, but as answering questions about the product.

PFO has been hard at work producing the Solaris. There are bound to be hitches with any product release, and PFO has been responsive to my questions. I am very happy with my purchase whether it competes with halides or any othher technology. I can think of a thousand reasons to love this light, so the 1000 other reasons people have brought up to bebunk it mean very little to me. In 6 months or more you will most likely see something that claims to be better or in fact is better. Maybe it will even be cheaper. If I waited for the best and the cheapest of anything I probably would never own anything like this.

Maybe with any luck there will be an upgrade path with the Solaris. Something like swapping out the LEDs and the power supplies (I know, big cost)... who knows. Call me a sheep all you want, but I like what I have now. Baahhhh baaahhh

 

[steve the plumb]

wife took one look at the price and said forget it.She isn't into the hobby cindy thats the problem.I had a kalk disaster and my tank is shut down but I managed to save some lps and 1 acropora.My friend has them for now.How much do you save in electricity per month?I am curious to know what you are saving in a month.If you save $100 per month then yes.I am still thinking I may have to run an a/c unit just because its humid here in the summer.Winter isn't a problem.$2500 I could restock my tank.Like you said I am curious to see what you save has anyone posted ther savings or if I can remember there is a calculator that is used for equipement.How much power does the solaris use and how cool does it run.I haven't seen one in person.I don't think the price will drop anytime soon and its not cheap to make either.I don't think you got ripped off.I am not like Rich.I just think for whats out there they are asking alot of money.If the unit was just as powerfull as an mh fixture plus you have all the benifits of multiple spectrums in one unit.I would say yes its worth the extra dough.I don't think everyone is going to run out and buy this lets face it it isn't cheap.I can't afford it right now and I am not ashamed to say that I don't make enough money.If I lived alone with no expenses it would be much easier for me to say buy it.My wife makes alot more than I do but she complains that I spend to much time on the hobby aswell as money.Since my kalk disaster she wants me to sell everything.I want to get a larger tank.To sell everything for myself isn't worth it.I like the hobby to much and I will never get the money that I put into it plus If I decide to start again I would just have to re-buy everything.I would buy this unit if it was half the price but even then is hard to justify to my wife.I am a spender she isn't.Believe me I am not cheap and I always like to have the goods out there.I can understand why people can compare whats out there to what you have.Heat is a big issue for anyone that has mh and so is having a chiller or a/c unit running.Did you find you no longer need to run a chiller or a/c unit to keep the room temp at a resonable level.I would think that humidity still plays a factor with all that water.I am curious to see how much savings in electric bills the solaris owners out there should post it to let people know how much you can save.When I restart I will see what I will do but you do have me thinking more and more that I should buy one of these units.post your savings if not for me for the non believers.

 

[jnb]

It is difficult for me to quantify the electric savings - with my 2 times 250 MH fixture with temp controlled fans my 1 inch acrylic tank ( relevant because it is a good insulator) would go from 77.5 degrees in the morning to 82 by noon at which time the chiller would come on for at least 1 hour. The chiller drove the tank temp down to 78.7 and go off. The temp would rise again to 82 and the chiller would come on 1 more time about 4 or 5, or 6pm. I come home and turn my AC thermostat down to 77 to get the house nice for the night time from 80 degrees I set it at when I take off for work. The MH fixture besides heating the water in the tank blows hot air out and the house AC definitely worked harder to keep its 80 degree setting. When the chiller comes on, it blows hot air so the house AC had to work even harder to compensate for that. My electric bill has been running about $230 a month and my AC runs a good bit as the house leaks some air.

When I walk into my house after a days work, you can feel the heat from the MH fixture and chiller in that room and the AC has been working hard.


NOW, since I installed the Solaris my tank (because I have aquanotes log) the temp of the tank crawls from 77 to 80.1 over the span of the day - when I have set my house thermostat not at 80 but 81 while gone. The tank has not gone beyond 80.1 and the chiller has not come on for 2 weeks this coming Monday. The air coming out of the fixture is not a blast of heat like the MH, it is a warm almost gentle flow. The temp inside the Solaris is around 97 degrees (thermometer on controller shows temp and fans contolled by the Solaris computer). I believe the Solaris is only slightly heating the tank and that is for the greater part due to the air coming out the side BUT this is slight evidenced by the fact that the tank temp rises so slowly during the day which for the most part is from ambient air cause I turned the house AC to 81. (my pumps are all external and don't make much heat at all (ehiems) I rum 3 ehiems and two tunze streams - so there is some but little heat from these

The reason my cost savings will be difficult to quantify is that we are drifting into cooler days now so I do not have the consistency to compare bills. As a matter of fact, I have had to install the heater - I have opened some of my windows.

I really believe and expect that my electric bill will lessen by $75 because of less heat.

As far as the power pull - I can quantify the electric savings due to the difference in what the two fixtures actually pull 500+watts verses 300 watts. I'll do that calc soon.

An update after 1.5 weeks - I like the color, I like the moon color, the color of the acros, which is to me going to be the first thing I might notice, - does not appear to have changed and the growth is too early to comment on. My softies do not appear to have noticed. There are less shadows in the tank then MH, there is less algae buildup on the sides which I attribute mostly to the fact less light is hitting them. today I put some aragamilk or whatever it is to cloud my water to show the spread and you can see why less light is hitting the glass. I am pretty sure my MH fixture threw more light out angle-wise - I'll look for older pictures to confirm this











.I am curious to see how much savings in electric bills the Solaris owners out there should post it to let people know how much you can save.When I restart I will see what I will do but you do have me thinking more and more that I should buy one of these units.post your savings if not for me for the non believers. [/B][/QUOTE]

 

[Amphibious]

alexmit

Call me a sheep all you want, but I like what I have now.

Quite to the contrary, alexmit, you are not a sheap but a leader. You and everyone else that bought from the first Solaris production run are forward thinking leaders. By the way, the first production run of 20K Solaris lights were totally sold out. The second production run is nearly sold out, too. What does that tell you?

I love my Solaris and have placed an order for the 400W unit coming out in 2007.

Steve,

Perhaps you missed my post on energy savings a page or two back. I'll quote it here.

I receive my electric bill via e-mail on the 21st of each month. My September electric bill was $364 for the previous month. I placed the Solaris into operation on September 27th. I just received my October bill. It is $297. If all other things remained equal that's a significant savings considering it is for a 24 day period of running the Solaris. I'm impressed and happy.

That's $67 in savings for just 24 days. My chiller is actually cycling off much of the time now that I have the Solaris lights. This will also save energy. On the 21st of November I'll receive the first 30 day energy bill since having the new lights. I'll post it again, then.

Did I mention, I love the Solaris lights and look forward to PFO making improvements along the way. :rollface:

 

[cindyolson]

And mine went from August $403 to $338 in September.

 

[jnb]

How will the 400W change from my 300w 4 footer - more banks or more watts in the leds?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8419065#post8419065 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amphibious
alexmitQuite to the contrary, alexmit, you are not a sheap but a leader. You and everyone else that bought from the first Solaris production run are forward thinking leaders. By the way, the first production run of 20K Solaris lights were totally sold out. The second production run is nearly sold out, too. What does that tell you?

I love my Solaris and have placed an order for the 400W unit coming out in 2007.

Steve,

Perhaps you missed my post on energy savings a page or two back. I'll quote it here.

That's $67 in savings for just 24 days. My chiller is actually cycling off much of the time now that I have the Solaris lights. This will also save energy. On the 21st of November I'll receive the first 30 day energy bill since having the new lights. I'll post it again, then.

Did I mention, I love the Solaris lights and look forward to PFO making improvements along the way. :rollface: