The Sulfur Lamp Technology--Promising a Brighter Future
The ‘80s have made the efficiency and simplicity of computer-controlled grow rooms a reality. Wait until you see what the technology of the ‘90s has in store for indoor growers . . .
Approximately one year ago, Rockville, Maryland-based Fusion Lighting, Inc. announced the development of the sulfur lamp, an incredibly efficient light source that utilizes microwave energy to produce white light that closely resembles the properties of sunlight. The microwaves excite the sulfur, which is contained with an inert gas in a golf-ball-sized, quartz bulb. Because there is no filament or electrode in the lamp, there are no wires connected to the bulb and there is nothing to burn out or burst; thus the bulbs may never have to be changed. Currently the lamps are powered by magnetrons, which will need to be replaced after 10,000 to 15,000 hours of use; however, the developers expect to replace the magnetrons with solid state devices that will give all components of the lamp an almost indefinite usable life.
