Aquaponic Gardening

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OFF GRID

doing it with your own power

Members: 219
Latest Activity: Feb 20, 2017

Discussion Forum

Compost Heating

Started by Kimberly Irene Lewis. Last reply by Jim Edmunds Feb 20, 2017. 7 Replies

Hi I am new and just researching my systems before I put them in. I plan on eventually having at least one large greenhouse full of aquaponics. I Live in Virginia and where as it doesn’t get too cold…Continue

Wind mills for aerators

Started by William Kohut. Last reply by Jim Fisk Jan 29, 2016. 8 Replies

Has anyone built a Windmill for aeration ? I am looking for plans to build a windmill and an aerator that runs off it.Continue

Failed on first attempt at off-grid. questions about voltage.

Started by Jeffrey Ihara. Last reply by Jeff S Sep 20, 2015. 29 Replies

So I bought a 45W photovoltaic kit from Harbor Freight which comes with its own charge controller ($139 on sale), a used deep cycle battery with 135 amp-hours, and a 1.6 amp DC pump that moves over…Continue

Going off grid with Solar in the new greenhouse

Started by Carla&Dave. Last reply by Carla&Dave Jun 25, 2015. 4 Replies

Pump power load on my SAP (Solar Aquaponics) system - rough calcs: I just put the system up last week, and just put in a kill-a-watt meter on Sunday.The meter is showing 200 watt hours in 24 hours…Continue

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Comment by Robert Richards on May 21, 2011 at 1:22am
@ Meg- If you got a "kit " set-up for solar you can use a deepcycle battery. Walmart has best prices, they are what goes in an RV. Different sizes, 24,27,29 ect, BUT... get the one marked, for example, 29-**- DC. Not DP or MS. That means dual purpose or marine starting, Its not true deepcycle, no matter what they tell you at Wally's. Been off grid since '99. Those dp&ms fail fast if deepcycled. With 45 w. of panels 1 battery should do a few 2 watt aquarium pumps continuously on a small inverter. Thats what I use, can't notice the difference on the house system.
Comment by halemart on May 16, 2011 at 4:23am

Hi Meg, I HIGHLY suggest getting yourself a killowatt meter ->

 

http://www.amazon.com/P3-International-P4400-Electricity-Monitor/dp...

 

It really has helped me to figure out how much electricity I need to store in the batteries.     General rule of thumb,  do not pull more than %50 of the AH out of the batteries for a much longer battery life.     I got my batteries used from a golf cart battery place, trojans.      Then I added a desulfator to them and I am having good results.    Cheers

Comment by Meg Stout on May 16, 2011 at 12:28am
Thanks! So one of the UPG sealed lead acid batteries? Now to calculate how many AH I'd want... Initial thought is these panels would be enough in a power outage to keep bubblers going for dissolved oxygen, maybe a 15 minute flood every 2-3 hours, and a bit to charge cell phones...
Comment by Mike Konshak on May 15, 2011 at 8:34pm
Meg, for only 45 W a 12V  Marine battery from Kmart would be sufficient. They can be drawn down to dead without damage.
Comment by Meg Stout on May 15, 2011 at 7:59pm
I recently bout 45 watts worth of solar panels - anyone have a suggestion on where to get a good deep cycle battery? I'm in the DC area. Thanks!
Comment by Ken Richardson on January 8, 2011 at 12:58pm

Another good wind information and company is Missouri Wind and Solar. You can buy the parts from them if you need and they have on youtube how to do it. 

Sylvia I am going to be working on a large off grid green house starting the end of this month that will have to be totally off grid, due to no electric nearby. Will keep you informed if you like, if not too late for your book which by the way good luck on it, I believe it will do very well coming from you.

Comment by Sylvia Bernstein on January 8, 2011 at 8:47am
Anyone in here feel like they are getting close to having an off-grid system yet?  I'm looking for info for my aquaponics book.  Thanks!
Comment by Matt Rosso on October 25, 2010 at 2:09pm
If you want to build a wind generator on your own, you can use a delco alternator and rebuild it with a new stator and PM from http://www.bluewindpower.com/. You can charge your batteries at a 150rpm instead of 1500.
Comment by Quinn McCarty on September 24, 2010 at 12:25pm
I thought I might mention that I had recently seen a system that was on solar that although was doing very well now had been burning up pumps left and right mainly because the pumps were designed for marine type applications but for clean water.
They were top quality pumps for 12 to 24 DC volts but they overloaded from the foreign material they weren't designed for .
The simple less expensive bilge pumps seemed to be doing quite well however.
Comment by Terry Clark on September 9, 2010 at 2:11pm
I got a nine blade 800 watt 24vdc pma I-Gust, from www.wildnaturesolutions.com it turns out it was a Missouri Wind generator, pma - permanent magnet alternator along with the charge controller and a true sinewave inverter. total package about $1600USD
 

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