Compacts are real ancient lighting tech. It would take a ton of pc lights to keep coral. It used to be done this way, but there are much better ways now to do it.
T5ho is high output and can support corals. Depending on depth of a tank, you can keep different corals under these, but to keep the most light demanding coral will need around a 6 bulb unit.
There is also metal halide lighting. Similar to T5ho, but with a large ballast and a ton of energy. These put out a ton of heat and will raise the temp of your tank.
For the most part, MH lighting is currently being replaced by led tech IMO. Led units have VERY potent penetration of water. It can be easy to burn coral to death if not careful or underestimate their power. They do this at a fraction of the cost. This is both at energy consumption and maintenance. LEDs only need replaced every 10 years, where units that use bulbs need replaced 6 months to a year due to the color spectrum changing as bulbs age. It is easy to spend 100 on bulbs without trying. This alone makes led units highly desirable. Check out the taotronics LEDs. You can find them on eBay and amazon at pretty cheap prices. I personally would use the dimmable unit to aid in acclimating coral to the light and ensuring you have the right amount of lighting for your tank.