SOLAR PANELS...can I use them to power my guerilla grow

If Im receiving alot of light at my grow and I invest in solar panels, would they work to power my pump and timer(the timer allows me to program weeks of different watering schedules) to water/feed them? I am not into using a generator and gasoline at my site to power the pump to fill the reservoir from my water source.
I was thinking something along the lines of this:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/SolarPortablePower/SolarEnergy/PRDOVR~0111882P/Blue+Planet+Solar+Panel%2C+15+Watt.jsp?locale=en

Alternatively, could I place my reservoir elevated and use gravity to drip feed my plants slowly throughout the month? Each plant would get its own hose.

Any feedback would be awesome, even if its to tell me that this isnt possible lol. Thanks guys!

First thing you should do is figure out how much power you'll need for the timer, pump, and inverter(if your planning on using one) for however long it runs. Once you figure out how much power you need I'd say using a battery that gets charged by a solar panel would be the best bet for reliably powering the timer and pump/s. It would be best if you used a DC timer(a deer feeder timer may be something to look into) and pump for efficiency purposes as inverters are terribly inefficient. Beyond that, it should work nicely no matter how you do it.

What is a DC timer? Sorry for my ignorance, but my buddy is the hands on person, not me lol. Im just the innovator with the ideas and mj knowledge. I have a timer that plugs into the wall, youre saying I need one with an cigarette lighter type plug? Mine can do 7 days of different on/off. An inverter is the thing that allows you to plug wall plugs into it, correct?

I appreciate the response, its progress haha.

It'd be expensive and you have to remember you'll only get really solid light for maybe 6 hours a day. The panels may be rated for a certain wattage but they are only actually generating that rated wattage in prime conditions during a narrow window of time each day. You'll need to over do it and to be honest it would be pretty noticeable. A large battery is a must for off hours use and don't forget the electronics themselves will have a small but constant power draw. My experience comes from having a solar system on my roof. I've also considered using some in a guerilla grow but deemed it to be too much much money and effort for what it's worth.

The pump will only come on once a day, but I understand where youre coming from. I am willing to get a much bigger panel($400 budget) and large battery if that needs to be done. We have an extremely deserted spot that gets sun from rise to set too, but I am worried a tad about helicopters. Can anybody elaborate on my idea of a gravity drip off an elevated reservoir?

Don't see why drip wouldn't work all you need is a little water pressure for a 55 gallon drum. It'd take a lot of messing to get the feed rate right though. Lot of trial and error, and maybe even some math might also want to look into a wick type feed, but I think drip is your best bet here.

C3Pgro said:

What is a DC timer?

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It's just a timer that runs on DC(direct current) and provides DC.

C3Pgro said:

Sorry for my ignorance, but my buddy is the hands on person, not me lol. Im just the innovator with the ideas and mj knowledge.

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Haha it's quite alright, I enjoy helping people when I can.

C3Pgro said:

I have a timer that plugs into the wall, youre saying I need one with an cigarette lighter type plug?

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Basically yes, the timer you have is AC(alternating current) however you don't need a timer with a cigarette lighter style plug(I'm not even sure if they make them) but something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIGITAL-PROGRAMMABLE-WEEKLY-TIMER-SWITCH-12VDC-16A-/110733507372?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19c83b3b2c#ht_2226wt_1110 would be perfect. It has screw connections that you use with either a spade terminal or a ring terminal:
Spade terminal:
View attachment 2260653
Ring Terminal:
View attachment 2260654

C3Pgro said:

Mine can do 7 days of different on/off.

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The timer I linked above can be programmed 17 times per week or day, so that's 17 separate runs per week.

C3Pgro said:

An inverter is the thing that allows you to plug wall plugs into it, correct?

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Correct, inverters(DC->AC) function opposite the way rectifiers(AC->DC) do, if you want I can go into more detail. I have to clarify what I said about inverters being inefficient, unless an inverter is running at or near its rated output(which with a timer and pump it wouldn't be) efficiency drops significantly with little draw on the system the efficiency of the inverter can drop 50% or more. With larger solar systems that's note really a problem because they tend to have a large load, therefore the inverters run efficiently(up to 90-95%.)

C3Pgro said:

I appreciate the response, its progress haha.

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No problem at all.

Note: My comp crashed before I could get this posted, I'll write another post replying/adding to budballer's posts.

budballer said:

Don't see why drip wouldn't work all you need is a little water pressure for a 55 gallon drum. It'd take a lot of messing to get the feed rate right though. Lot of trial and error, and maybe even some math might also want to look into a wick type feed, but I think drip is your best bet here.

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Does the drip rate have to do with the angle of the hoses then? My buddy is a plumber, carpenter, electrician type person, so hopefully he will have some idea.

Again, thanks a lot for answering all these questions. Im just trying to make a system that only has to be visited once a month, even in extreme heat. Its either going to be pretty sophisticated or very simple. Hence why Im looking at solar panels for watering VS drip watering.

Well solar panels in the middle of nowhere will be pretty noticeable from above, so I am not sure this is the best idea.

Would a battery last the whole month, if so, just change out the battery once a month?

budballer said:

It'd be expensive and you have to remember you'll only get really solid light for maybe 6 hours a day. The panels may be rated for a certain wattage but they are only actually generating that rated wattage in prime conditions during a narrow window of time each day. You'll need to over do it and to be honest it would be pretty noticeable. A large battery is a must for off hours use and don't forget the electronics themselves will have a small but constant power draw. My experience comes from having a solar system on my roof. I've also considered using some in a guerilla grow but deemed it to be too much much money and effort for what it's worth.

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Everything you mentioned is correct, but a solar/battery system works extremely well as a DC power source. I use a Trina Solar 190 watt panel(about 250USD new) going into a DIY charge controller to charge one of two banks of 2 110ah deep cycle marine batteries wired in parallel. The system does exactly what I want it to do, it replaces the energy I used the previous night astro-imaging. I'm thinking of adding a wind turbine to get more power.

C3Pgro said:

The pump will only come on once a day, but I understand where youre coming from. I am willing to get a much bigger panel($400 budget) and large battery if that needs to be done. We have an extremely deserted spot that gets sun from rise to set too, but I am worried a tad about helicopters. Can anybody elaborate on my idea of a gravity drip off an elevated reservoir?

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Have you purchased a pump already? If so, do you know the power draw of your pump by chance? A gravity drip system would be super simple to implement, all you have to do is raise the outlet on your reservoir above the drippers it could be an inch above the drippers and still flow though higher would be better 1ft above the drippers would be optimal. How many plants are you planning on growing?

budballer said:

Don't see why drip wouldn't work all you need is a little water pressure for a 55 gallon drum. It'd take a lot of messing to get the feed rate right though. Lot of trial and error, and maybe even some math might also want to look into a wick type feed, but I think drip is your best bet here.

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Wick feeds are really cool, I recycled a plastic OJ bottle into a wicking planter for a basil on my balcony. The problem with wick feeds is they don't scale well. I also have to agree that drip would best, least likely to fail system. Once it's tuned all you have to worry about is refilling the reservoir. If it was me I'd probably use a single solar panel wired to a DC pump(may have to be resisted depending on voltage tolerances) with a float switch in the reservoir to keep it topped off. You would have to have a water source near the site though.

OLD DUDE said:

Would a battery last the whole month, if so, just change out the battery once a month?

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That's dependent on the size of the battery and the draw from the electronics and pump. With a large enough battery yes, but with deep cycle batteries it's best to only discharge them 80% or less so there's no risk of damaging the cell/no risk of evaporating the acid(if unsealed) also damaging the cell.

My biggest concern would be the big shiny reflective surface sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of nowhere. Too bad there isn't a way to camouflage the solar panel without effecting the performance! A deep cycle marine battery should last you a while if you are keeping it charged on a regular basis.

You guys are providing so much helpful information.t As I get into more and more research Im starting to lean towards the drip system. I will probably be raising the reservoir 6 feet into a frame screwed into a tree. I hope to have 25 beautiful girls next fall, I currently have 16. I might save the solar panel idea for indoor bubble buckets with lights all being powered by the sun in my detached garage when I move out of the city.

To run a pump and a timer to set up a drip system on solar is very do-able within your bugget. Harbor freight has a 45 watt solar panel system for around 200. And you can find a DC(solar) pump to use for about 25 bucks. You could put the panels up in a tree so they are less noticable.

But to run a indoor op would be about a five thousand dollar system consisting of many high powered panels, at least 6-8 deep cell batteries, a charge controler and a very expensive inverter. Trust me...I have priced it out to do the same thing.

You can get a sprinkler timer that runs on batteries that you could use to let the water flow at a given time for a given amount of time too!

Actually guys I was thinking bout just doing a gravity drip. I could use the pressure from having the reservoir up high and use those plastic hose clips to limit the flow if I need to. Plus I wont have to buy many things.

Dirtfree said:

To run a pump and a timer to set up a drip system on solar is very do-able within your bugget. Harbor freight has a 45 watt solar panel system for around 200. And you can find a DC(solar) pump to use for about 25 bucks. You could put the panels up in a tree so they are less noticable.

But to run a indoor op would be about a five thousand dollar system consisting of many high powered panels, at least 6-8 deep cell batteries, a charge controler and a very expensive inverter. Trust me...I have priced it out to do the same thing.

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Only $5,000? Can you PM me details?

C3Pgro said:

Actually guys I was thinking bout just doing a gravity drip. I could use the pressure from having the reservoir up high and use those plastic hose clips to limit the flow if I need to. Plus I wont have to buy many things.

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Drip systems are proven to work. Keep us updated with the build!