Solar power (for tortoise)

JoesMum

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This a) an old thread and b) in the UK ... not exactly SoCal when it comes to weather.

Not sure who woke the thread from its slumbers.
 

BrianWI

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If full solar isn't a go, passive solar ideas still often work.
 

Yvonne G

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The electric meter runs backwards when the panels are making electricity. And my meter runs backwards even on overcast days. Do you know anyone in Suffolk with solar that you can talk to?

I'm not sure what Brian means by passive, but I've seen where people run PVC or other type of hose back and forth, back and forth along a fence then run water through it for the sun to heat up their swimming pools with that water. Maybe you can adapt something like that for your tortoise.

Before I moved to this house, I had a little home made greenhouse on the west side of my house. I filled 5 50 gallon drums with water under the shelf in the greenhouse. The afternoon sun would heat the water in the drums and they kept the greenhouse pretty warm through the night.
 

JoesMum

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I think OP was talking about solar powering the tort equipment not the whole house.

Solar panels for homes are available in the UK, but they're very expensive and the time it takes to earn your money back is lengthy. We looked into it for our house.
 

wellington

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I think OP was talking about solar powering the tort equipment not the whole house.

Solar panels for homes are available in the UK, but they're very expensive and the time it takes to earn your money back is lengthy. We looked into it for our house.
Same here. I also looked into small portable type units. The number of batteries I would have to have to try and run just the tort shed I wouldn't have room for. They also didn't seem to run long enough to keep the shed warm all night. I don't know enough about that kind of stuff to do it myself, and the cost wasn't worth the risk of it not lasting all night.
 

BrianWI

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Google Passive Solar for ideas, but Yvonne is on the right track. Even if you don't use solar to make electricity, you can offset electricity use with simple ideas utilizing the sun. Green houses, solar heaters, fresnal furnaces, solar water heating, etc.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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What is the average cost to install a solar power system like that?


It depends on how it's financed more than anything else. All the install companies have some plan or system for you, to make it appear even better than it can be. The thing is even with all that, just cash for the system sized right will have an ROI in 4 to 7 years. Even without a Federal Tax credit. I don't know what the state or local incentives for you might be, some are narrowed down to the zip code.

If you can get a home equity line of credit, you get the interest write off, and the Federal Tax credit (30%), and I'll ask anyone with a better legal plan to say what it is.

In California many installers are baiting homeowners to break some IRS codes.

You are doing good to get 280 watt (might not be the correct units?) panels installed and hooked up at about $1,000 - $1200 a panel. The more panels installed at one time, the better economy to scale, and that price should be less.

You may need a main panel upgrade or at least the device to meter/monitor the array output and synchronization with the local power company. I went with a panel upgrade that was 'solar ready'. There are micro-converters and array converters, go with the micro converters. Micro converters monitor each individual panel. Array converters look at a whole array, and so you may end up with an array being turned off. or shunted, when only one panel in it is not performing.

There is a great deal to consider, too many people get caught up in the $$ and get poor performing systems. Like the say when you buy a car, Bargain for price and financing seperatly, not the monthly payment. Sort out the best system for your climate, snow, cloud cover, shade, aspect of roof etc. Like most things, any swinging hammer man will say they can install solar. In San Diego alone there are over 1,000 licensed solar installers, anyone with a electrical contractor permit pretty much just added the word "solar" to their tag line. I've even seen contractor's trucks where they got an extra magnetic sign that says "Now SOLAR too", not confidence inspiring.
 

Tom

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It depends on how it's financed more than anything else. All the install companies have some plan or system for you, to make it appear even better than it can be. The thing is even with all that, just cash for the system sized right will have an ROI in 4 to 7 years. Even without a Federal Tax credit. I don't know what the state or local incentives for you might be, some are narrowed down to the zip code.

If you can get a home equity line of credit, you get the interest write off, and the Federal Tax credit (30%), and I'll ask anyone with a better legal plan to say what it is.

In California many installers are baiting homeowners to break some IRS codes.

You are doing good to get 280 watt (might not be the correct units?) panels installed and hooked up at about $1,000 - $1200 a panel. The more panels installed at one time, the better economy to scale, and that price should be less.

You may need a main panel upgrade or at least the device to meter/monitor the array output and synchronization with the local power company. I went with a panel upgrade that was 'solar ready'. There are micro-converters and array converters, go with the micro converters. Micro converters monitor each individual panel. Array converters look at a whole array, and so you may end up with an array being turned off. or shunted, when only one panel in it is not performing.

There is a great deal to consider, too many people get caught up in the $$ and get poor performing systems. Like the say when you buy a car, Bargain for price and financing seperatly, not the monthly payment. Sort out the best system for your climate, snow, cloud cover, shade, aspect of roof etc. Like most things, any swinging hammer man will say they can install solar. In San Diego alone there are over 1,000 licensed solar installers, anyone with a electrical contractor permit pretty much just added the word "solar" to their tag line. I've even seen contractor's trucks where they got an extra magnetic sign that says "Now SOLAR too", not confidence inspiring.

Good points Will. I interviewed four solar companies before I found the one I wanted to use.

For anyone reading, what Will is calling micro-converters, some solar companies refer to them as "panel optimizer systems", of which there are now many. I also highly recommend them, whatever anyone wants to call them.
 

Yvonne G

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Please, folks. If you all want to discuss the costs and pros and cons of getting your house solarized, start a new thread. This thread is asking about solarizing your tortoise's digs.
 
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