The most efficient lighting system is HID.

Operating cost should be your goal and HID is better than any other present source.

They don't need that much light, especially if you don't mind waiting two months. Use fluorescent, it is safer indoors, you can put the lights on top of the leaves without worry and the HID supposedly looses power over time. It is cheapest only if you get fluorescents from the hardware store. Dont get compacy fluorescent. Get a residential t8 if you can, a two lamp 4 foot system should cost 17-20$ without the bulbs. 8$ if you go T12 which is just an efficiency loss of about 20%.
Start simple, buy one or two lights, try it for two months. Good luck.

Hi papabear,

IÂm in willard 3Âs camp. I started off with a 14? gallon Rubbermaid bin and quickly expanded to two additional ones. I used a 400W MH HID light and had great results.

A 400W HID will give you good coverage over a 4x4 foot area. Not very expensive given coverage.

Just my 2 cents.

Bill

For a single growing unit, I would go with the florescents. However, if you expect to expand, I had great results with a HPS (high pressure sodium) yard lamp. It was fairly low power, around 150 watts. The HPS provides light in the range favorable to flowering, but I must admit that I never tried leafy plants under HPS. It is inexpensive to operate however, and my hot peppers did just fine. chuck