Ok this is just another random idea and I'm almost certain it couldn't work but i will ask anyways.

Would it be possible to use solar energy to power your lights. Or perhaps some kind of setup like for example those wind up torches you can get but instead using an exercise cycle to power you light/s...

probably no where near enough energy but like i said you don't ask you don't know....

tia

yeah you could do, but you'd need quite a few solar panels/mini turbines to generate the wattage to light your grow.

I heard of something from america, an invertor I think, converts 12v into 2kw dunno bout the ampage tho

Would it be possible to use solar energy to power your lights. Or perhaps some kind of setup like for example those wind up torches you can get but instead using an exercise cycle to power you light/s...

Thats would be so funny! i guess you wouldnt want to veg for too long! i think a full crop would be like cycling across the USA!

It might be possible though, with quite large (expensive) solor panels, storage batteries and a small grow using LEDs or CFLs, might just be better doing it in a greenhouse.

Defo something you(/we all) should look into, if you haven't already.

Did a quick google search an this came up
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/may/0...me-solar-panels

pv cells are still pretty expensive for this, and as with wind turbines, they dont provide a constant supply. the only effective way to do this is to install the microgeneration equipment, either solar or wind, contact your electricity supplier and get them to fit a meter capable of handling reverse current. then when your solar/wind generators are providing current, you either use this yourself, or supply back to the grid via your metering equipment. when its not generating, you use network power as normal.

can you get solar powered desk top fans be good for a clone room ?

no you didn't
voltage and watts are two totally different things, you can't convert 12v into 2kw

I think this is the kind of thing I heard about http://www.toolbaydirect.co.uk/product_inf...142&id=1158

Theoretically yes but you'd haver to hgave money to burn, it would cost so many 10's of thousands to pull it off and I bet you'd still need a backup generator.

If I ever win the euromillions though I know what I'm doing.

(I'd buy a place with a river and dam it, flowing water is a far better power source.)

yeah, that's just an inverter mate. turns battery voltage into mains voltage. don't get any power for free, no such thing. but you'd need one to turn your solar cell into something useful you could affordably run almost everything in your grow from solar+wind power, except your main extraction and lights

I'm guessing that inverters dont have the ampage to run lights ?

spot on wind is ok if you're on top of a hill but in these valleys sun and wind aren't enough.
But a providing sluice(?) would be more constant, if i ever win on a scratchcard wanna go halves ?
TBS

no, that inverter is a 2kw inverter, so you could run 2kw (2000watts) of lighting from it. but it doesn't supply the power, it just converts voltage.

power is kilowatts, and (in basic terms) is voltage times amps. so from a 12v battery you need 12v x 166.66A to supply 2kw. a car battery for instance can supply 166.66A and is 12volts. and is generally where these inverters are used, for supplying AC mains power in cars/vans/caravans etc

to supply 2kw at 240v you need 8.3A, 240 x 8.3 = 2000. all the inverter does is take the high amp low voltage power fromfor instance a car battery, and turn it into high voltage low amp power to run equipment designed to be powered from mains voltage. the inverter isn't a magic power supply, it's just a box for converting DC electric into AC mains power, because different items of equipment are designed to run on different types of power


so for our 2kw of lighting, we'll need 166.66 Amps from our solar panels..... which is a lot of solar panels

how about a steam engine running loads of truck alternators , charging loads of lesuire batteries that supply an inverter to power those lights! then just find a friendly tramp (which you would fuel with special brew) to sit infront of the fire box throwing logs on

or a diesel genny and old cooking oil.