Solar Electricity For Tanks

[chris_1127]

Does anyone use, or has anyone toyed with the idea of using solar power to power any part of their tanks? I have been thinking of looking into it, if even just to power my lighting (heating and filtration too dodgy to rely on solar power alone i think, and dont know how a "dual" system would work) and bring my bills down a bit; but was wondering if anyone had tried it at all? I was thinking of a setup where i had a panel or two charging a 12v battery in my shed, and an invertor linking that up to the lighting system but dont know too much about the technology, current draw that it can support or practicality of it all. At the moment i have 1x55w tube, a tropiquarium with 2x18w tubes and another 30w tube but with planned tank upgrades over the next month or two that will be going up to 2x55w, 2x32w and 1x30w so probably a total of about 200w draw. Anyone got any experience, thoughts or advice?

 

[BLASK]

no experience from me, however my neighbors have a brickload of panels on their roof (10x60 feet) to power some stuff and it helps a lil, but it barely creates any juice. if your intentions are to save $ on bills, you will but it won't pay off until year 2300. Solar panels cost alot of $, and just to get a few watts out of them your gonna spend loads.

good luck

 

[ncjharris]

No experience too, but.....
... I suppose the amount you get will depend on your location.

It would be an arrangement as you say, where you charge up a battery or capacitor of some sort, which then powers what ever it is connected to in lieu of the mains for a short while.

I would think that the heater would take the most juice, with maybe the filter taking the least.
The-Wolf has a calculator on his website that works out the amount of energy a tank will use and the cost.

Also, although panels cost a lot, bear in mind that some places will offer grants to suplement the purchase.

Would like to hear how you get on.

 

[Lateral Line]

I think the real issues have arisen already. The cost of power producing solar panels is high, and they do not generate vast Wattage. You do not say where you live, but up here in higher latitudes, it is only light for a few hours a day at this time of year, and what light there is will not churn out great gobbs of power from silicon cells as the sun is so low in the sky and has so much atmosphere to shine through.

If, on the other hand, you live in the US, where these items are cheaper, and live in a southerly state where the sun gets high in the sky, for a lot of days, then a bank of car batteries and a throaty invertor may generate some useful power. If that was the case though, you'd probably be wanting the power to run your tank chillers!

 

[andywg]

On a slight diversion, if you are in the more northerly climbs up here, your best option is a trickle heater on the roof. Use the sun to heat water rather than create electricity. It works really well.

My uncle had one (he sits on the East Midlands Renewable Energy Board) and it could warm about 300 to 500 lph to a fair bath temperature (he was using it on his swimming pool). It wasn't massive either, around 5'x3'. Fill you roof with those and you would probably notice a drop in bills for heating your bills, and not too costly either.

HTH

Andy

 

[chris_1127]

yeah that was the other thing i thought about, some kind of solar tank heater for the warmer months with an indirect heat exchanging system. There seems to be plenty of info too about this kind of system for pools and domestic water systems

15w panels seem to be about 55 quid at the cheapest, but im not really sure how that converts when the lights are rated at a higher voltage, plus theres the efficiency of the inverter to consider too. Lots to think about, but an interesting challenge anyway

 

[Lateral Line]

I'd love to get into renewables as I am a very "green" person. There are so many obstacles though. Cost is obvious, but the local planning authorities, who are employed by the same group that spout energy efficiency and anti-pollution, make it almost impossible to add panels to rooves, ("it's out of character with the neighbourhood"), or errct wind turbines, ("they affect peoples view"), or any of the other myriad issues that crop up.

It saddens me that with so much excellent technology available, which could do so much to reduce pollution, improve the environment, etc. etc., that the money is instead diverted into fruitless petty political squabbling, both at local and national levels.

 

[chris_1127]

there are a lot of grants available in the UK for renewable energy technology that a lot of people arent aware of - everything from stand-alone or grid-connected solar energy stuff, solar water heating systems, geothermal heating systems and a lot more. the energy saving trust has a lot of info on their website re the grants - with a bit more spare money to match the grant contributions its something id really like to look into more too.

re the panels for the lighting, my plan was to stick them on top of an obscure plastic conservatory roof but dont think id go to the extent of declaring it to the planning people as it would technically be a reversible temporary thing i think

 

[Lateral Line]

I live in Denmark, but lived long enough in the UK to be well aware of the pettyness of the local councils planning departments, (i.e. in Farnborough, a couple had to pull down a tiny tree house they had built for their daughter - it was visible from the road).

>>> technically be a reversible

Would that not also "technically" reverse the whole point of the conservatory and turn it into a shed? Believe me, I'm on your side, but surely the panels would prevent light enetering the conservatory thus rendering it useless?

 

[Dorkhedeos]

im not sure why you would only want to power your tank with a solar panel. if you go through all that trouble, you might as well power your house right? i think in a few years, solar panels prices are going to drop, seeing how they are making solar panels that you can just roll out now. these new panels can even be stuck on your backpack to generate power

 

[superman]

If conserving energy is the desired result, saving money everywhere else in the house possible is the best way to go about things, fluorescent energy save bulbs wherever possible, programmable thermostat etc.

 

[chris_1127]

its one of those "i wonder if i could..." things really - i just thought if i was gonna power any part of the system that way, it was less dicy than the heating or filtration systems. must admit that i dont have energy saving bulbs but otherwise the tanks are the main draw on electricity in the house

 

[andyj]

The other good way of saving dosh is to get a grant for loft insulation and cavity wall insulation, apparently they repay themselves in about 2 years

I'm going to do this in the new house I've just bought...

The themal heating thing is great. Had a friends of a friend who used that method to heat his swimming pool!! 5km (yes kilometers!) of 50mm black platic tubing covered in black silage sheeting at the end of a field, used to heat the water nicely in the summer, and even enough in the winter to make it usable !!!

 

[ncjharris]

If you are looking at this to be green rather than to save money, then there are other ways of recycling - we water the plants and gardens with the contents of our vacuums (medicine content permitting), use ornaments, rocks and shells from natural resources (after testing), plus save a few peas after roast lunch for those that will eat them and used to not use water conditioner but 'age' the water (don't do that anymore!)

(i.e. in Farnborough, a couple had to pull down a tiny tree house they had built for their daughter - it was visible from the road).

Thats round the corner from my folks LL, you been round these parts too?! In fact my mates family lived next door, and they couldn't believe the amount of fuss the tree house generated after it became an issue compared to the months it was there before, when no one batted an eyelid!

 

[qwikimpss]

Man, the town making people taking down tree houses...rediculous. My cousin lives in a firly affluent development in my town where all the houses have garages and they can't leave their car parked in their own driveway over the night! Let alone have a trailer with a boat on it or anything. In my town the officials can actually have your car towed if it is unregistered/not road worthy and an "eye-sore" to your neighbors. What happend to freedom? It's rediculous! I'm a car guy and have a 1987 Monte Carlo project car in my backyard that hasnt been on the road in a few years....thankfully my neighbors are cool if not I'd be fighting with the town. I just hate it when government or neighborhood groups decide what you can or can't do with your own land! Anyway....that's my rant for the day, my appologies.