We are working on a Solar Grow Room that I thought some of you may be interested in.
We believe that solar power will be the near future of growing, and survival, all over the world. This would be am example of the possibilities. Let me make the mistakes for you.
The goal is to demonstrate the potential of solar powered growing while completely OFF-GRID. I will eventually move the grow outdoors for the summer, then permanently through the winter as my next goal for 2023-24.
Plants grown will consist of Cannabis, Miracle Fruit and Pepper Plant and Hydroponics will also be introduced to the mix.
We are using a portable power bank and adjusting the equipment as we can afford it. Upgrades will mean better efficiency, more panels and more power banks.
We will also be inviting sponsors to jump in and help support the upgrades, and I will tag them as that happens. Please feel free to suggest any options you may know of.
Targeted Equipment Upgraded Efficient Lighting
Upgraded Solar Panels
Added Battery Power
Extra Power Packs
Advice from Solar Experts
Is the 2x2 in veg or flower? Whats your cycle timing like?
I have a 2000w battery right now, with 2200w inverter and 900w of solar input capability. I’m hoping that can run 200-250w with a couple panels. So far I’m getting around 14 hours of power but need to get to 18 to be consistent and effective. Supplementing with grid for now.
Great topic and very excited to see how this works out for you. I’ll keep an ear to the ground locally for any resources I can come across for you. Good luck pal hope you overgrow and overpower!
The panels I have now are only cheap made panels from amazon. I think the cost of panels has come down but you’re right about quality. China made stuff may not last long enough to really be useful in the long run.
As this project goes on, I hope the costs start to balance out a bit too.
I’m using a 100w light right now for my inaugural testing, but I hope to go up a size before moving the tent outdoors.
Winter sun will support 100w, but summer sun will be incredibly stronger and hopefully I have a couple battery expansions by then.
Yes winter summer distinction for sure. And cloud cover and snow load. I remember a formula for how much juice you actually get on a cloudy day but I don’t recall the numbers.
I face almost perfectly south and have ideal conditions for solar panels but they are verboten by condo management.
The best thing is that the federal gov’t will give credit for using solar. But for me with two buildings and many lights it would be costly. The last time I checked they wanted 25,000 for a system for just the house.
I am checking out all types of renewable energy atm. I will probably be going with wind and water generation as it seems superior to the limitations of solar and I have running water on my property and from my weather station monitor an average of 15kmh or 9mph wind speeds gusting up to 47kmh or 30mph roughly so far in the 2 weeks I have been here.
SOK POE 48v 1200 amp hour batteries seem to be the best on offer atm and can be added to your system as it grows. You just need to plan ahead so your rectifier is big enough to handle the end set up otherwise you are going to waste money continually upgrading that part.
There are a couple of youtube stations that are good, I can find some links if you are interested. It’s a bit of a mine field out there for solar so take your time and plan it out fully before jumping in.
Depending on your power bill 25K would not take THAT long to pay itself off. Like 50 months. But you need the 25 up front. That’s where fed policy/rebates/tax advantages can help make it doable.
No idea if that stuff exists in the great white north… (last sentence re: @ShitSeeds not @Oldjoints)
With the way power prices have jumped in the last 18 months most people will have recouped their investment a minimum of 25% earlier than they were expecting now.
Well, the idea already shifted from solar to wind and water power generators.
1st thing is that it is doable with solar in most places in the world but you would need at least 3kw in solar panels to run a small unit, like a 4k investment on a full off grid system with bateries for at least 12kw @ 220 or 120v.
Considering the ammount of sunlight in winter and weather, may be short in qinter but if you have nice winds and a stream, I would go hybrid with all 3 but like 1kw solar panels, 1 wind turbine and a water turbine, this last one is the most important in winter if not freezing.
Now with 300w lights + fans and stuff like 500w/h would be around 12kw a day in 18h shedule the lights plus fans all the time. It is a long therm investment that will need a long time to payoff.
But if I had the money I already had it solar powered with grid injection if needed.
@Foreigner Condo boards strike again. They should install their own panels on the roof and share access. Community solar rigging lol
@Oldjoints You’re absolutely correct. Seems like all solar companies want a fortune, but I think it may be considerably more cost-efficient to source and install yourself. I dont think it’s all that hard with the right youtube lessons first haha
@Shadey In my initial research it seems like wind is a lost cause for now, without a really strong ability to convert the wind to energy, and not really having a consistent enough wind pressure to truly power it unless you’re on a coast or in the ocean. From what I’ve learned, it just isnt a realistic option yet.
I have definitely been in tune with all the youtube lessons over the last couple months. Hard to find the real info between all the sponsored opinions.
I think you have touched on quite a few issues I am already seeing, like battery storage and winter power, so I will try to adjust things to use less draw and power. Maybe I should flower in the winter and veg in the summer, but that will all be figured out as I go.
As for wind power, I just responded to some wind stuff, but I keep seeing that wind is just not a reasonable method of power substitution. I live off a farm, so we have wind, but I dont think it will be enough, as per my other reply above.
Dig the discussion. I’d like to do similar except do a light dep greenhouse run on solar. Solar for exhaust, opening closing the light dep mechanism, and ancillary lighting where needed. Use the sun directly for lighting, solar for everything else.
This is something we’d LOVE to do-- also considering a turbine…
But they make the cost so prohibitive for ANY form of self-sufficient power generation…go figure!
I would have to assume using LED’S for lighting is the way to go here…
most 250w equivalent only use less than 100w electricity… some even better.
Fans are going to eat more electricity-but I’m sure there are more efficient ones out there…
Thats the right idea, in my opinion. Use it for everything you can, then use the sun for the good part. I considered that for the summer grow next season, but I am so interested in total solar power, and I love the idea of off-gridding for as much as I can.
