Here is a quick guide to help you choose the right sensor type and format for your specific needs:

1. Choose Your Sensor Type (Response Curve):

• Original X: This is the most budget-friendly option. It is highly accurate if you are measuring sunlight or traditional electric lights like high-pressure sodium or T5, though it is not recommended for measuring LEDs.
• Full Spectrum: Offering an excellent balance between cost and accuracy, this sensor closely matches the ideal PAR response curve. It is highly accurate under absolutely all lighting conditions, including LEDs.
• ePAR (Extended PAR): If you are researching advanced plant morphology, this sensor measures an extended spectrum up to 750 nanometers to capture the far-red light that heavily contributes to plant leaf size and growth.

2. Choose Your Meter Format:

• Handheld Meters: A complete, standalone solution that is perfect for spot-checking and automatic logging. The sensor head itself can even be completely submerged for underwater measurements, such as in an aquarium.
• DLI Meters: While a handheld meter measures PAR at a specific moment, a DLI meter measures the Daily Light Integral (total light collected) over a full 24-hour period. It is rain-resistant and perfect for outdoor use to track photoperiods and daily light levels.
• Sensor-Only: Ideal if you already have an existing data collection system or protocol in place. There are various analog and digital outputs available (including SDI-12, Modbus, and USB), with the USB connection being the most affordable option if you don’t mind connecting it directly to a computer.

Still feel a little lost? The amazing sales team at ICT International Pty Ltd is just a phone call away and ready to help you find the exact sensor for your project!

We will have an upcoming series of articles about PARs. Make sure that you follow our LinkedIn page or subscribe to our newsletter!

Original X

• Smart farming using IoT to collect and evaluate historical data to be used for data-driven decision making for the improvement of production yield, pest control, planting and harvesting techniques.
• Weather Prediction – PAR sensors are sensitive to cloud cover and can be used for predicting rainfall
• Research – PAR is an important parameter in analysing plant growth in response with the change in fertiliser and irrigation scheduling as well as temperature and humidity condition
• Reforestation – Using quantum meter to study the percent of PAR (under canopy/open sky) and its relation to survival and initial growth of native forest species

Full-Spectrum

• Growing Crops in Residential Spaces – PAR can be used as one of the parameters in selecting the right variety that would be appropriate and could survive in an indoor environment with artificial lighting
• Coral Acidification Study- Using PAR sensor to monitor the amount of light reaching our corals. The amount of light a coral receives can strongly influence its growth rate, and too much light can even speed up coral bleaching.

• Increasing Cannabis Economic Yield through Lighting – Efficient lighting plays a huge role in the cost of indoor cannabis growing. This study suggests that how efficient the light is matters more than its spectrum, and using less blue light can actually boost yields. It also found that LEDs are more cost-effective than traditional HPS lighting.

ePAR (Extended PAR)

• Induce Flowering and Plant Growth– Study shows that including far-red light (700–750 nm) can improve plant growth and efficiency, meaning current PAR definitions may underestimate how much usable light plants actually receive.

Summary Table showing options, measurement ranges etc