Solar pannel choosing help

MeekMill · Apr 23, 2013

Hi RUI, i've posted something similar to this before but i want to know something else, I live in UK (People who live here will know the sun comes out once in a fortnight) so i need to know whats the best solar panel output for the space, i would like to cover my roof with solar pannels to connect to my electric to hide a bit from the elctric company, whats the best solar pannels i can get to cover the roof so i get the best out of the space? price isnt too much of an issue just needs to be worth it and good

Thanks alot

Meek

grorite · Apr 23, 2013

I have a room full of hampsters on running wheels to power my grow cheap too

MeekMill · Apr 23, 2013

hamsters? pfft i got cats running after mice in there

jeffblack · Apr 23, 2013

It's a bit more complicated than that. having just solar panels plugged in to your lights would be easy but you would actually have to integrate it into your power grid if you want them to stay on past sundown.

MeekMill · Apr 23, 2013

yea, how would i go about that? my dads an electrition but that would mean him probally knowing whats going on, i planned on having the solar pannels powering the veg room or something, is it possible and what pannels?

MeekMill · Apr 26, 2013

bump please

Opm · Apr 26, 2013

You need a grid tie system which is a power inverter that converts the DC solar panel output to your AC system.

I have been looking into as well. I just think it is ironic converting sun into electricity only to convert it back into fake sun for my plants.

MeekMill · Apr 27, 2013

Opm said:
You need a grid tie system which is a power inverter that converts the DC solar panel output to your AC system.

I have been looking into as well. I just think it is ironic converting sun into electricity only to convert it back into fake sun for my plants.

haha yeah just moving the sun to my room

Red1966 · Apr 27, 2013

MeekMill said:
yea, how would i go about that? my dads an electrition but that would mean him probally knowing whats going on, i planned on having the solar pannels powering the veg room or something, is it possible and what pannels?

No, it's not possible. You won't get enough power from a whole roof full of solar panels to power even one 1k bulb. Check out the outputs of solar panels available online and you'll find that they don't put out much at all. In most places you'll be lucky to get 50% of their rated output.

potpimp · Apr 27, 2013

Red1966 said:
No, it's not possible. You won't get enough power from a whole roof full of solar panels to power even one 1k bulb. Check out the outputs of solar panels available online and you'll find that they don't put out much at all. In most places you'll be lucky to get 50% of their rated output.

If she's doing like you and only using one 15w CFL it would be fine.

Figong · Apr 27, 2013

Solar is more than capable of supplying power to the grow setup if you wish to invest.. and I do mean invest - not only in $, but time. In order to have an efficient solar setup to offset 18kWh/day for 90 days... factoring my area - which on the average is 4.19 kWh/sq-m/day - the solar system capacity required would be 0.72 kW of peak power(DC watts) with 72 sq ft of roof. In my area, that runs about 5000 dollars before solar incentives/rebates/discounts. It would also take almost 18 -years- to break even on the initial investment. Solid ROI doesn't hurt in the big picture, as well as increase in property value.

Figong · Apr 27, 2013

Red1966 said:
Really, following me from forum to forum just because I ridiculed you for claiming to be the God's gift to women? You need to grow up and quit being such a crybaby. But if you really want to keep proving what a twit you are, go ahead and embarrass yourself.

I will assume this isn't for me since you didn't quote the offender?

potpimp · Apr 27, 2013

Figong said:
I will assume this isn't for me since you didn't quote the offender?

He's pouting and butt hurt because I'm posting in another thread - as if he owns this one. I think the doll avatar says all we need to know about him. Red, don't use the word "crybaby" as long as you have a doll as an avatar.

Red1966 · Apr 28, 2013

Figong said:
Solar is more than capable of supplying power to the grow setup if you wish to invest.. and I do mean invest - not only in $, but time. In order to have an efficient solar setup to offset 18kWh/day for 90 days... factoring my area - which on the average is 4.19 kWh/sq-m/day - the solar system capacity required would be 0.72 kW of peak power(DC watts) with 72 sq ft of roof. In my area, that runs about 5000 dollars before solar incentives/rebates/discounts. It would also take almost 18 -years- to break even on the initial investment. Solid ROI doesn't hurt in the big picture, as well as increase in property value.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but wouldn't it require more than 1kW/h of DC solar to produce the 1kW/h needed for (1) 1k bulb? Also, the peak power is produced for only a small fraction of the day. I'm no expert, but even modest power requirements seem to require acres of PV cells. And are totally impractical unless attached to the local power grid for those times the sun isn't shining.

Figong · Apr 28, 2013

Red1966 said:
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but wouldn't it require more than 1kW/h of DC solar to produce the 1kW/h needed for (1) 1k bulb? Also, the peak power is produced for only a small fraction of the day. I'm no expert, but even modest power requirements seem to require acres of PV cells. And are totally impractical unless attached to the local power grid for those times the sun isn't shining.

Good eye, I think the solar panel formula in the calc I used as a demonstration tool is flawed.

Red1966 · Apr 28, 2013

Damn formulas!

Opm · Apr 28, 2013

Figong said:
Solar is more than capable of supplying power to the grow setup if you wish to invest.. and I do mean invest - not only in $, but time. In order to have an efficient solar setup to offset 18kWh/day for 90 days... factoring my area - which on the average is 4.19 kWh/sq-m/day - the solar system capacity required would be 0.72 kW of peak power(DC watts) with 72 sq ft of roof. In my area, that runs about 5000 dollars before solar incentives/rebates/discounts. It would also take almost 18 -years- to break even on the initial investment. Solid ROI doesn't hurt in the big picture, as well as increase in property value.

I'd much rather take my power bill payment away from the power grid monopoly and build equity with it.

Red1966 · Apr 28, 2013

Until you pay off the equipment, you won't build any equity. I suspect that in the 15 years or so to get to the break even point, the newer equipment will be so much better, you'll want to buy new all over again.

MeekMill · Apr 29, 2013

Red1966 said:
No, it's not possible. You won't get enough power from a whole roof full of solar panels to power even one 1k bulb. Check out the outputs of solar panels available online and you'll find that they don't put out much at all. In most places you'll be lucky to get 50% of their rated output.

potpimp said:
If she's doing like you and only using one 15w CFL it would be fine.

Exactly, i want it for a small veg room not for my main room, i know unless i have a fields worth i wont be able to, so how would i go about it?

MeekMill · May 3, 2013

Red1966 said:
Until you pay off the equipment, you won't build any equity. I suspect that in the 15 years or so to get to the break even point, the newer equipment will be so much better, you'll want to buy new all over again.

True, they're up to 300w-400w panels now

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