"Fluorescents (HO T5's) I am told by some can provide enough light providing the light source is very close to the plants to allow plants to grow well (short nodes between leaves) and even flower/fruit (using both cool and warm bulbs)" This is true. The reason others oppose this setup is because HID lighting gives you better yield and so HO fluoros seem like a waste of time for them. However, you'll be more than happy with HO fluros if you utilize them correctly. DLI (Daily Light Integral) is important. I recommend 4 to 6 HO bulbs split amongst two units. A great benefit of HO fluros is the decreased electricity costs in addition to what you mentioned.

HK-san-deigo, I'll ask the electrician when he's here on Thursday whether I can put higher watt bulbs in. Kelleg, we have a great lighting store a few miles away. I'll definitely go there with a plan. It may just be a question of getting used to a yellower light as the light I had before was bright white. I guess the best thing to do is wait till the under cabinet lighting is in and work in the space for a while. Thanks.

Hi- Probably not much response due to the holiday. Sorry, I don't have any real input. I might suggest that you try the Garden Web forum under landscape design, but you already did that! Houzz bought up a bunch of stuff, and the organization is not optimized well, probably due to history. Hope they do something to combine the forums, and also to make it so one can easily access and peruse the forums from a mobile device (it's like they are trying to hide the forums, in order to drive traffic directly to paid content and shopping). My only real help is anecdotal. There was a 12-volt lighting system in the 1969 home we bought in 2016. It was pretty old. We don't use part of it because it has failed. We hired a landscaper to transform other parts of the yard into a less water-dependent design. He looked at the old 12-V lighting system in those areas, and recommended that we just tear it out, as replacements aren't easily available, and an LED system would be much more efficient. Low voltage is still useful, but mother nature will always win in the end. Be aware of expenses to replace or repair older components, as at some point it may be more cost effective to put in a new system. i.e., many more of your components may fail in the near future due to seals, age, etc. Sorry, that's all I've got.

Hi Kristen Carney, Galilee Lighting specializes in pendant lighting. We normally recommend spacing your fixtures over a kitchen island at 30" inches between each pendant. You have more 10 ft island and your fixtures are at 17" inches so you have enough space to put three if you like. We always offer Free Design Services with our products, come take a look at some ideas for your remaining lighting options in your space. Here are some examples. Here to help www.galileelighting.com | 305-807-8711