operating 1000w total power grow with batteries?

dylan843

Well-Known Member
Hello I am building a grow room with 1000w of power (approx, not yet decided) and I was wondering if there was any sort of batteries I could alternate one (or 2 or 3) set charging at my house and one set operating the room.

Any thoughts?
 

bobpoon

Active Member
Easier to just pay the increase in your electricity bill.

Just seems very inefficient. The batteries have to be charged when they are drained and that uses electricity.

You look at a 100Ah battery for example:

12V x 100Ah = 1200 Watt-hours
1200Wh / 1000w light = 1.2 hours

Given the Amp hours of the battery in the example, you would be cycling fresh batteries often. It takes longer to charge a battery properly than that... And that's not including the inrush when you first energize it. So maybe an hour? lol Obviously there are stronger batteries but the point is it is a way too expensive route.
 

Ringsixty

Well-Known Member
Don't know what Battery Array you would need. But, I'm sure it would cost you a small fortune.
I have a Photo voltaic system on my house. So, I give my excess power to the Utility Co. during the day and they give back what I need during the night. Nice to have a $17 Monthly Electric Bill.
So, during the day I generate my own power and schedule my grow accordingly.
But, this wasn't a cheap alternative either. But, I will save a Ton of Cash over it's 25 year life span.:mrgreen:
 

dylan843

Well-Known Member
Maybe I should have included this is being set up deep jn the woods...ill buy whatever I have too...any way to hook up like 20 of those 100 ah batterys together or something.

Money is no object...to an extent
 
Be cheaper and easier to buy a gen set and really silence it a propane fuelled one will give off hardly any smell, if it is deep in the woods your going to get a hernia carrying all those batteries every day to charge them and also you stand more chance of someone seeing you if you have to make multiple trips carrying batteries even if it is a short distance to your vehicle if they don't report you they may well steal your crop. Best of luck with your project.
 

dylan843

Well-Known Member
Be cheaper and easier to buy a gen set and really silence it a propane fuelled one will give off hardly any smell, if it is deep in the woods your going to get a hernia carrying all those batteries every day to charge them and also you stand more chance of someone seeing you if you have to make multiple trips carrying batteries even if it is a short distance to your vehicle if they don't report you they may well steal your crop. Best of luck with your project.
Can you recommend a good generator that would be cheap to maintain? Need power of like 1500w if I'm using generator.
 
I agree with The Smoke Man, Honda are pretty bullet proof and you can get spares for them easily unlike some cheaper unbranded models. Always buy a generator that is rated above the power you will be consuming. It is worth considering a Hyundai if your budget won't run to a Honda, these are pretty bullet proof as well, don't know about spares for them. Hope it works out for you keep us informed with your progress.

This is what I'd be looking out for don't know where you are located but this is the set up I would go for LPG is much cheaper in the UK than Petrol/Gas

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-LPG-generator-/251348594620?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Tools_Generators_ET&hash=item3a858b2fbc
 

MYOB

Well-Known Member
Find a place to grow with electricity. This is obviously your first time so don't make it more complicated than it has to be. A generator in the middle of the woods is way more sketchy than a 600w HPS in your closet.
 

dylan843

Well-Known Member
Find a place to grow with electricity. This is obviously your first time so don't make it more complicated than it has to be. A generator in the middle of the woods is way more sketchy than a 600w HPS in your closet.
Its not about sketchyness its about knowing its in a very remote location underground where I can't be connected to it and nobody would ever have a chance of finding it
 

Keffa

Member
Who's digging this hole, you? Good luck with that, and where is this generator going in the grow room? What about the fumes?
 

dylan843

Well-Known Member
Who's digging this hole, you? Good luck with that, and where is this generator going in the grow room? What about the fumes?
I'm using an excavator to dig the hole, and i I decide to use a generator it will go In a separate smaller muffled hole in the ground with a buryed door on top just like the room.The fumes will find there way out if its not air tight I would set it up with way bigger tank to hold enough gas for weeks of power so it would be out of the way
 

Keffa

Member
So your going to walk a digger deep into the woods sounds like a good idea..... Sweet I'll just follow two track marks and keep an ear out for a generator! Where abouts are you growing hahaha
you might wanna think your plan out a bit better!
 

tekdc911

Well-Known Member
it takes alot of fuel to run a generator under a load
more then you would think
i captained commercial fishing boats for a while years ago in another life and we ran 4 250 MH a fridge and a tv and a ac and 10 gals of diesel might make the night with the tiny northern lights gen set we were running
so you figure atleast 30 bucks for a 12/12 cycle but the generator would have to be running 24/0 for circulation of air in the room
and the fact that you would have to go and start it daily if it wasnt running constantly
 

dylan843

Well-Known Member
So your going to walk a digger deep into the woods sounds like a good idea..... Sweet I'll just follow two track marks and keep an ear out for a generator! Where abouts are you growing hahaha
you might wanna think your plan out a bit better!
Its very simple. Cover the tracks afterword. Its dirt and leaves.

I'm probably not going to use a generator after all but not because the sound first of all there not loud its like a catr engine idleing if they had a underground enclosed soundproof room you wouldn't hear it. Its like the other guy said its gunna be like 20-30 bucks each day for gas i don't have that kinda money.
 

Keffa

Member
You do realise they don't leave marks you can just cover up, if you slew your tracks it really ripps the ground up... What about trees?
 
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