Alt Energy to power the tank

Chad · #1 03-07-2008, 05:39 PM

Hi, I have been looking into getting some solar panels to run my tank's pumps etc. Has anyone else tried this or thought about it? I was thinking I would have the tank run off the panels during the day, weather permitting, and as the power dropped off have it run off of the house electricity. Is it even feasible to seamlessly transfer to the house power? I only just recently began looking into it so I am not entirely positive I can even make it work.

Thoughts?

BC564 · #2 03-07-2008, 05:46 PM

You can do it with solar panels...and batteries...inverters........
and as a last resort use the house electricity......

hillbillyreefer · #3 03-07-2008, 06:06 PM

Shouldn't be a problem for power. Run the system off batteries and inverters the entire time, set up a battery charger that runs off the grid for days when the solar cells can't keep up. Automating it shouldn't be too hard with the growth in technology. If you run MH you might need a pile of solar panels to keep up. Adding a wind charger might be a good idea too, would help a bit on dark days and at night. Good luck with the project.

Brad

dsaundry · #4 03-07-2008, 06:10 PM

Pricey??

#5 03-07-2008, 06:23 PM

its a little pricey to set up a system that works very well, but I did burst out laughing when I noticed your asking about solar energy and you live in the lower mainland.... lol.... we'll just say you wont be getting your full moneys worth....

but power to you! Im a strong supporter of alt energy.

We just gota figure out how we can lynch the stupid mother $^%$%#'s promoting/suporting ethenol fuel as something good...........I could kill!!!

hillbillyreefer · #6 03-07-2008, 06:55 PM

The setup will probably not be cost effective, cheaper to use the grid.

As for ethanol, I get a huge grin everytime grain prices go up. The enviromentalists really shot themselves in the foot on that one. Let's use food to run motors, idiots. Obviously we had too much food to have that little respect for it. But hey I'm all for burning food as an energy source, maybe the next mortgage payment won't be such a problem.

Chad · #7 03-07-2008, 08:58 PM

Well, I was considering it more for such things as power heads, which generally have a very low wattage. I guess it would not be that cost effective unless you had the system running for a very long time but then you could use the panels for something else as well.

I will have to see, I found a few panels that produce 110w for a relatively decent price.

hillbillyreefer · #8 03-07-2008, 09:23 PM

It's an interesting topic for a slow Friday afternoon. How much are the decent price 110w panels? I just got some 12v xenon headlights I'm going to rig into a reflector for my tank. I was just going to use a storage battery and a charger to fire the bulbs. Solar panels may not be a bad way to go, in the future. I wouldn't need an inverter just the panels and a battery. hmmm.

BC564 · #9 03-07-2008, 09:33 PM

Canadian tire had the solar panel battery regulators on sale for like $27...

rdnicolas · #10 03-07-2008, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnderWorldAquatics

its a little pricey to set up a system that works very well, but I did burst out laughing when I noticed your asking about solar energy and you live in the lower mainland.... lol.... we'll just say you wont be getting your full moneys worth....

but power to you! Im a strong supporter of alt energy.

We just gota figure out how we can lynch the stupid mother $^%$%#'s promoting/suporting ethenol fuel as something good...........I could kill!!!

Yeah Ehtanol is definitley not helping the world energy crises as an alternative fuel. Its killing global wheat prices and actually takes more energy to produce and refine it that it creates. Hydrogen fuel cells sound like a better "big picture" solution.