Power saving tips and ways to save money!?

[Baldy]

I could see the vortech to radion for current control, but I've got a sunrise sunset controller on mine, and things like.storm mode and such, is it really worth it? You can use lighting controllers on units like apex and program powerheads to do similar. Mind you, I haven't played with a vortech yet so I might not know what I'm missing yet

[blacknife]

you guys need to double your electricity costs.. i see around 8 cents/kwh used lots but remember under most billers all your other fees <transmission distribution, etc> are bassed on usage and cost at least as much as your actual electricity. Your 5 dollar a month savings quickly turns into 10

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by blacknife

you guys need to double your electricity costs.. i see around 8 cents/kwh used lots but remember under most billers all your other fees <transmission distribution, etc> are bassed on usage and cost at least as much as your actual electricity. Your 5 dollar a month savings quickly turns into 10

I haven't dealt with proper bills yet (included within rent) but as far as I know, in Calgary, it comes to something like 12c/kWh including those.

Anyhow, since its a product factor, its the same in both LED and MH and gets canceled in the calculation anyway. A slight difference will occur only due to the addiction factor of the bulb. Maybe instead of 4.7 years, it will be like 4.5 years (I am bad without calculation).

[reefwars]

i just had my radion die , it was covered by warrenty and replaced, i dont think a diy fixture has that option and all maintanance is covered by yourself.

how about the finish , i havent seen one diy fixture yet that resembled anything close to a radion or ghl's or most brand name fixtures finish. to me having a light that looks nice is almost as important as having a light that does what i want it to.

while people are comparing led to mh savings , remember to include supplemental lighting, not may users using just mh bulbs might as well throw some fans in there too.

[Baldy]

I was using 8.5c per kwh because thats what it was showing for power costs on my last bill. I was under the impression that transmission and other charges were fixed

I definately agree with the warranty argument. If mine goes out i cant just send it back, but honestly thats one thing i enjoy about this hobby, Im kind of a tinkerer. The R&D argument is valid as well, but i hate how all the manufactured units are behind the DIY guys when it comes to the full spectrum setups, but the mitra looks like its a big step in the right direction. as far as finish, depends on the builder. I think mine looks not too shabby, but i digress.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by reefwars

while people are comparing led to mh savings , remember to include supplemental lighting, not may users using just mh bulbs might as well throw some fans in there too.

There are lots of variables in the whole scenario. Supplemental lights, chillers, heaters, fan, ect. Well even LEDs have something called phantom power and that can be quite significant too. But those costs wont bridge the 4+ years difference. All I did was to show a very basic cost benefit of the claim 'LED saves money' and not saying LED is no good. For example, if money permits, I would love to get mitras but not for saving s through cutting down on electricity bill but rather because the advantages that LED provides and the technologies itself.

[reefwars]

But those costs wont bridge the 4+ years difference.

the saying is leds cost less per month then mh do, not that youll recover the cost of a fixture in a year or less.......we know you wont save that much or there wouldnt be mh's still around.
you proved it yourself , leds do save money....how much money they save probably doesnt add up to a light fixtures cost when upgrading but the claims are true , they cost less to run then mh.

now the next argument is do leds do what mh's do lol?

[Reef Pilot]

You can certainly save money with DIY, but for some things it is just not worth it to me. That's why I have Radions and an Apex. Maybe not the very best in class, but sure beats anything I could build myself. I also wouldn't build my own skimmer.

But when it comes to tanks, sumps, overflows, cabinets, plumbing, electrics, ATO's, reactors, filters, etc, there are lots of opportunity to save money as well as optimize performance and tailor to your preferences.

I use the same philosophy with my airplanes. I build them for performance and personal preference, and save a lot of money. However, I still buy the best engine and propeller for it. I won't build those components.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by reefwars

the claims are true , they cost less to run then mh.

now the next argument is do leds do what mh's do lol?

Absolutely. They do save money and if everyone moves to LED to light everything, a huge difference can be made in terms of consumption. A 50w savings might not be much on the bill but on a larger scale, its huge. But the self benefit wont be coming quick

About which one is better, you are in a better stance to draw the conclusion.

[Reefer Rob]

At $200 a year in bulb replacement costs, my DIY LED will pay for itself in 4 (2 1/2 more) years. Thats with the full spectrum upgrade.

Reduce your electrical consumption to decrease your tanks carbon footprint and it's effect on the wild reefs. Saving money is nice too, but this hobby is definitely not for the financially challenged... it requires a very understanding spouse.