New idea to save on electricity bill

[Greenthumb420]

Now this is just an idea that popped into my head so i wana hear wat everybody has to say about it


I started thinking about solar power and how i could combine that wit my 1000 watt hps light to save on electricity cost so wat if u could design a ballast that runs off electricity for just a few hours or enough to charge ur system until it could convert the light your creating from ur electricity into solar power to run for the remaining hours of ur light cycle that way ur only paying for the few hours u used to charge it up

 

[LaidBackinCali]

wouldnt the solar system units cost way more than what it would actually cost to run the bulbs?

 

[SnowBender]

wouldnt the solar system units cost way more than what it would actually cost to run the bulbs?

yep, expect to see any savings 10-20 years later.

how about adding a solar tube or skylight ...

When LED tech is dialed I could see solar powered or solar augmented grow lights being more viable...LED's are already DC current so there's no loss converting the solar DC volts to AC like you need for HID. you could also look into HID headlights from cars...


My outdoor roofless shed ebb/flow is solar powered for fans and pumps. Just need a 12v garage door opener for the depro to be off grid.

 

[unclepaul]

Now this is just an idea that popped into my head so i wana hear wat everybody has to say about it


I started thinking about solar power and how i could combine that wit my 1000 watt hps light to save on electricity cost so wat if u could design a ballast that runs off electricity for just a few hours or enough to charge ur system until it could convert the light your creating from ur electricity into solar power to run for the remaining hours of ur light cycle that way ur only paying for the few hours u used to charge it up

Not sure if I understand this, are you saying use the light from your 1000w to charge via solar panels? Don't think that will be enough light if so.

 

[Greenthumb420]

yes thats what i was trying to say just dnt know much about solar panels yet im still learning so far it was just an idea to toss at you guys for input

 

[TorturedSoul]

Using a light to power solar powers... to power your light?

Eh?

You'd need to invent 100% efficient lighting. And solar panels. And make all of your components (down to the wire) out of materials that were super-conductors at room temperature and points north of it.

And it still wouldn't work.

 

[Greenthumb420]

ya that would be pretty sweet if it was even close to 100 percent efficient

 

[Vaporeyes]

how about those windmill energy set ups, anyone know anything about those?

 

[Hogdady]

Solar does not "power" anything in a residential system. It charges the system battery (which discharges when there is no solar or high power demand), and it adds power to your existing residential electrical system. What is not used by your system, is sent out of your system onto the utility grid (spins meter backward).

 

[Bandit420]

High DIY Alternative energy enthusiasts!
This is a link to Northern Tools alternative energy page. it's chock full of interesting products from solar, wind, biodiesel and more. It may give you some ideas of what to look for.
Alternative + Renewable Energy | Northern Tool + Equipment

I'm certainly not an expert in the field but I currently have a diy solar set up and I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
My system is a small off the grid system that's basically getting my feet wet on what it takes to draw significant power from solar.
My set up is six 15 watt Sony panels channeled into a 7 amp charge controller which monitors and charges an Optima Yellow Top Deep Cycle Battery. From the battery I use a simple 800 watt power inverter which converts the battery from 12 volt to 120 volt. I have about $600 invested in the whole system.
What kind of real power does that get me? Not a whole helluva lot!
Basically I can run 2-300 watts for about 8 hrs before the system goes dead.
I use it for patio lights, a little Bose Ipod radio and a couple more outdoor decorative lights around my deck each night. That's it. When we have a power outage it is nice to plug the tv into it for weather updates.
I would have to drop some serious moola down if I wanted to power up even the smallest grow room and right now it's just not worth it. Even if I wanted to power my fans & blowers it would be a huge cost. Spending $45-70,000 to grow several hundy worth of weed each month would take years to pay for itself
Can you imagine the up front cost of a solar powered grow room with high powered LEDs? My knees start shaking just thinking of that bill!

When it comes to alternative energy I dont think solar is truly viable for the common household. I think something in the way of diesel generators running off biodiesel is more realistic. Especially for grow rooms.

 

[tizzforthat]

My buddy has his hooked to a solar panel and he has 4 1000 hooked up. It cost him 349.99 for the panel at LOWES on sale he gets about 5000 watts i am getting one in a week or two.

 

[Hogdady]

My buddy has his hooked to a solar panel and he has 4 1000 hooked up. It cost him 349.99 for the panel at LOWES on sale he gets about 5000 watts i am getting one in a week or two.

and I have a 12" wind turbine in my backyard that powers my entire house!

 

[Hogdady]

and I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

too funny!

 

[MedicalNeed]

Water cooling your lights with a long buried underground length of tubing to push the water thru to cool the lights rather than having an indoor reservoir with a Chiller and AC unit, similar to a ground source heat pump unit.



If one was getting ready to install one (GSHP) you would be one up. Or if you were getting ready to do any dirt work and or had access to a trencher.

In many areas the Govt. will reimburse you half of the 20 plus grand to install a GSHP so this would be another possibility to think about.

 

[Bandit420]

My buddy has his hooked to a solar panel and he has 4 1000 hooked up. It cost him 349.99 for the panel at LOWES on sale he gets about 5000 watts i am getting one in a week or two.

I think your buddy fed you some buffalo $#!t Bro! He probably has some beach front property in AZ to sell you too!

 

[The Builder]

In many areas the Govt. will reimburse you half of the 20 plus grand to install a GSHP so this would be another possibility to think about.

$20,000 for a shoebox. I'm a general contractor in PA. and I work with HVAC companies who install these mammoth undertakings we call Geo-thermal heat pumps. Last year I worked on a project with these guys and was very intrigued. I started asking questions and one of the questions was; How much does it cost to install one of these systems and Chris, the owner of the HVAC company said roughly $40.00 per square foot of house. So, your average 1750 sq. ft. house would cost you $70,000.00. He also told me about the process. They have to drill up to hundreds of holes in the earth, at a depth between 75-200 feet, depending on soil viscosity. I for one don't have $35,000 to match the govt ante. However, I try to live as green and Eco-conservative as possible but, I can think of a hundred things I would rather spend $35,000 on, if I had it to spend.

 

[unclepaul]

My buddy has his hooked to a solar panel and he has 4 1000 hooked up. It cost him 349.99 for the panel at LOWES on sale he gets about 5000 watts i am getting one in a week or two.

As the others have said, your friend is definitely fibbing.

Shop Duracell Duracell 50-Watt Solar Panel at Lowes.com

You could get maybe a 50watt for around that much. A 1000 watt solar panel is going to be a few thousand dollars each. I doubt Lowes had a sale that good

 

[Lemon Paradise]

I think something in the way of diesel generators running off biodiesel is more realistic. Especially for grow rooms.

I had toyed with this idea for a while.. you can get WVO anywhere (chinese/japanese restaurants tend to have cleaner oil though) could also convert an old diesel engine to power the generator,,, heck, you could also use an old diesel truck (running on the bio-diesel) to collect the WVO...

 

[Bandit420]

I had toyed with this idea for a while.. you can get WVO anywhere (chinese/japanese restaurants tend to have cleaner oil though) could also convert an old diesel engine to power the generator,,, heck, you could also use an old diesel truck (running on the bio-diesel) to collect the WVO...

BINGO! Mexican restaurants also have alot of WVO to be had. These restaurants are usually quite happy for biodiesel makers to come get the oil so they can avoid the waste disposal fees.
I can see it now, grow rooms running off biodiesel and not needings any odor control because the place would smell like enchiladas and fried rice!

 

[Bandit420]

As the others have said, your friend is definitely fibbing.

Shop Duracell Duracell 50-Watt Solar Panel at Lowes.com

You could get maybe a 50watt for around that much. A 1000 watt solar panel is going to be a few thousand dollars each. I doubt Lowes had a sale that good

Yep! Not to mention the massive bank of batteries that would be required ($150 each) and the inverter. For that 4000 watt grow room you would need about a 10,000 watt power inverter. That would cost anywhere from 6-10K and would be about the size of a lawnmower.