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Plants need sufficient light in order to grow and flower. Natural light, especially in winter time, is often too little, so the plants grow rather slowly. Therefore, home gardeners and professionals use artificial light. Depending on the size of the cultivated area and how much money you want to spend, there are a variety of lights available.
Always keep in mind that plants need a high amount of the blue spectrum in the light during the growth phase, in the flowering stage rather the red spectrum.

HPS Light Bulbs

HPS bulbs need a separate ballast to function and can't just be screwed into a bulb socket. These HPS bulbs produce more Watts (and are more expensive in operation) than regular plant lamps, it is advisable for the “smaller” grower to revert to low-priced alternatives like energy-saving bulbs or fluorescent lamps.The light quality and efficiency of HPS lights is very high, yet they get very warm, which may make the climate control more complicated.

Energy-saving Lamps

Energy-saving eco lamps have their ballast already built in, which makes the costs of acquisition more tolerable in comparison with the HPS bulbs. Another advantage is the low waste heat, so that shouldn't be a problem for your environment control. These energy-efficient bulbs can be screwed into just any socket, yet they are rather heavy. Some customary reflektors and fixtures or holders might get bent. Specially designed reflector system for energy-saving lamps are more sturdy.

Fluorescent Light

Fluorescent tubes (don't confuse with neon tubes, they are not suitable for plants at all) are often used for cultivating and hibernatign plants. They are not expensive to buy and to operate and quite sufficient for basic lighting and for propagation. Yet, they also require fixtures with suitable sockets (e.g. G13).