Does anyone have systems lit by sunlight in BC? - Page 2

mike31154 · #11 08-15-2011, 07:42 PM

Interested for sure. Plenty of sun in the Okanagan in the summer time. No good for winter maybe, but any supplementation should be a good thing. Can't get more natural than natural. I've been contemplating a Sola Tube or two.

Lampshade · #12 08-15-2011, 09:19 PM

I've looked a lot at those light tunnel things, seems like it could be doable. You are pretty much focusing the light. would be interesting on a bigger scale.http://www.velux.ca/consumer/product...nel_skylights/

but... solar power LED system might be cheaper:P

KevinK · #13 08-15-2011, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lampshade

I've looked a lot at those light tunnel things, seems like it could be doable. You are pretty much focusing the light. would be interesting on a bigger scale.http://www.velux.ca/consumer/product...nel_skylights/

but... solar power LED system might be cheaper:P

solar power LED is still at the $$$, I'm slowly converting my tank to solar

se pumps, when buying the right once only consume lets say 15W each x 5 = 75w a houre = 1.8 KWH a day

a 500 watt pannel will on avarage produce 3.7 times its wattage, so 1.85 KWH a day ore 485 KWH a year.

now the thing is that this is a avarage, and duuring peek season it is pushing 5.8 KWH, but in the 4 winter months in Victoria it might only be 1.7 kwH.

in order to run a tank, you need $$$$ to get all solar as a 500W kit already will run you about $2.500

and gust for fun:

a 200 LED tank at 8 houre lights on = 4.8 KWH at $2.500 for 500W this will be $24.000

ohhh and no battery yet inclouded

and if hydro would be $ 0.10 a kwh, than a 500W system of $2.500 would take you 51 years to pay back, and than still, NO battery.

this is where I would say, things in the world still need to change a bit

if the price development of solar would be the same as LED, than you would se the price go way down for solar, but no
a CREE LED was 2 years ago $9.00, now when keeping your eyes open, you could get them for $ 3.70

solar is now as pricy as it was 5 years ago, so unless there are grants, ther are no savings, exept your pride of making a change

on the end, if the tubes could work, only if it was to light 50% of your tank, than you save already big time as 2x 12 inch solar tubes willl run you about $500, replacing 2- 250W MH at 8 houre it is 4 kwh x 364 x 0.10 a kwh = $145 saved a year, payback = 3 1/2 year not considdering the saving on bulbs, so maybe a 3 MH with 2 solar tubes is interesting

mike31154 · #14 08-16-2011, 07:08 AM

Won't be too long and the payback will be faster. BC Hydro is on the prowl to crank up rates. Once all the smart meters are installed, they will also be looking to bring in tiered rates, charging more for daytime KWh, so those of us running the big lights during the day (which probably most of us do) will take an extra hit. Retailers & gov'ts are really dragging their feet with regard to promoting LED lighting for home use. Seems they're hanging on to the CFL schtick, which when you think about the huge numbers of fluorescents out there now, with the mercury in them, is really not a good thing. I guess it's not that much mercury in each bulb, but as heavy metals go, mercury is one of the most evil as far as health concerns go, and it does add up.

KevinK · #15 08-16-2011, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike31154

Won't be too long and the payback will be faster. BC Hydro is on the prowl to crank up rates. Once all the smart meters are installed, they will also be looking to bring in tiered rates, charging more for daytime KWh, so those of us running the big lights during the day (which probably most of us do) will take an extra hit. Retailers & gov'ts are really dragging their feet with regard to promoting LED lighting for home use. Seems they're hanging on to the CFL schtick, which when you think about the huge numbers of fluorescents out there now, with the mercury in them, is really not a good thing. I guess it's not that much mercury in each bulb, but as heavy metals go, mercury is one of the most evil as far as health concerns go, and it does add up.

regarding hydro price.

I Know I could not afford a reef tank where I came from, In Holland, when we left 5 years ago the KWH price for hydro was 0.24 euro + 0.08 euro enviromental tax + 19% call it HST totalling and than I'm forgetting something becouse I know it was like 0.42 euro cents a KWH, thats a wopping $ 0.57 canadian dollar a KWH

regarding the BC hydro, what can I say, thy call it a upgrade of a damm as it is in need of drastick maintanance and repair, I call it miss managment, the day you build something, you should know that maintanance and repairs need to be dun eventually, so put each day a few $ aside, and when time comes get the $$$ out and do it, no thy start krying about shortages becouse there dam ore whatever thy need to do, needs to be dun.

say my roof is replaced, and would cost $ 15.000, I know I have to spend this again 20 to 30 years down the road(unless you would move)

regarding the bulbs,

so far it is to cry for, there is no promotion of inovation here, and now I'm not complaining about things, as we love it here in Canada, and would not want to go back to Holland, but CFL was common practice 15 years ago, if not 20 years already.

now the goverment wants to say thy are doing the right thing, but really, thy are 15 to 20 years behind.

thy should promote the LED future, as we all know the CFL is gust a step in the middle.

thing is that even the LED bulbs are shamly $$$$, a 3 watt bulb will run you over $20 at the HD ore anywhere ells, where as at for instance deal extream, it is shipped to your door for $ 4.50

again, we, at least I want to do my share, but not at $20 a bulb, prices are kept arteficially high.

over all major shifts are on its way in the years to come, but the only thing I can say is that you should not follow the flow and gust beleave whatever somone tells you to do, becouse it is good, lock into things a bit (like the LED bulbs) VS CFL, and you will se that there is mony to be saved, even only when buying.

regarding smart meter, 2 tear billing, also this is not new (maybe the smart meter) but not the 2 tear billing, I know as a little guy, mam always had the loundry in the dryer over night, becouse that was 1/2 the cost of duuring the day

Lampshade · #16 08-16-2011, 03:57 PM

Solar will have to come a long way to be worth it here. As for the hydro thing, don't want to make this a big electricity debate, but...

(it's from HydroQubec, BC's got one but doesn't list as many)
And as Kevin said, .57 is pretty normal in Europe, which is double anything shown here.

as for the rate increase,it's now only 16%,so pretty cheap.

http://www.bchydro.com/news/articles...w_message.html

tang daddy · #17 08-16-2011, 10:08 PM

Wow this thread turned into quite a debate over electricity and how much it costs in Europe and Canada....

I don't exactly know if you're going to find the answers you're looking for Matt truthfully because most of us on the wet coast don't run sunlit tanks.
My reef tank gets some morning sun as it sits close to the window however the sun is barely on the tank, at most it gets about 1/2 to 45mins of exposure.

Your tank gets more of the direct afternoon to evening sun and it maybe too strong for some of the lps corals. Your best option is to get some type of retractable cloth or shade for those really sunny days, I am sure the more milder days where there is light but no sun you could run it without the shade.

With the summer season coming to an end it would be a good time to see how well the sps and other softies do throughout the winter months. Also as I suggested before try to post on rc to see if there is anyone near BC like in Seattle or Oregon that may be doing the same as you.