Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Trying to create a "New Solar System" EB!... some might think you have a god complex

If you manage it can you make two livable planets so we could ship the polotitions off too the second one. But make it small and dark and dank

100Ah 12v Battery= $250-300??
Morningstar Regulator (10A?) = $190 max, Managed to make out the brand on box.
160w panel = $255
The 12v timer shown = $40
12v relay $15
Some terminals say $20

So call it $800 roughly. Even with going a brand name solar panel at $500 I hope you are including something else in that price.

Edit: Not having a go at you, just pointing out the price differences before everyone runs down to places like the 12v shop.

will be watching this thread close as I wish to set-up a system completely run on alternative energy.

Do you know if it is a brushless type pump ?

I should be a little more precise in what I say...

Ok we spend $1376, I had expected it might cost up to $1500...

Main components sum up like this...
Battery 330
Panel 390
Regulator 127
pump 400
timer 79

Then all sorts of extras, 6 packs of crimp lugs, fuse holder, fuses, 2 different sized cables..

This probably could be got things a fair bit cheaper, I could have shopped around. But, I got good advice, I have wiring diagrams drawn up for me to connect it all, and hey, it's a small west Australian business, I'm happy to pay a little more to support them rather than some faceless person on ebay..

The other idea was that when we get enquiries from schools and other places wanting to "do it solar", we are able to say right, here's a complete component list showing everything you need, they can all be bought from this place. They know exactly what you are wanting to do and it will have all been tried and tested by as as to whether it works..

I guess it's about providing solutions, people are always asking about solar, we've been saying, yeah we gave it a go and it didn't really work, you can go and try it yourself if you can find all the bits you need...

+1. Always good to support the little guys

Nats handy work, you learn to do al sorts when you work here..



This is all of the wiring. Red and black rubber protectors connect to the battery. Two yellow connectors to the right bottom of the picture connect to the solar panel, blue connectors are power to pump..

Fairly simple really.

Oh, and nice pic Simo... I hadn;t realized the title...

by far the best place iv ever worked

You after a pay rise...?

System has been running for 24 hours so far, fingers crossed...



Controller, timer and battery. The system runs at 90 minutes on, 90 minutes off 24 hours a day. We'll see how the DO goes over time when we get fish in there.. We put only one hole in the standpipe, so it runs for 90 minutes pumping, then drains the bed in about 60 minutes, then the system is left pretty still for 30 minutes.

Sounds like a good job for Nat to monitor

Stick a multimeter on the battery 1st thing each morning and at lunch and you will soon see if its getting enough power.
Want it to be above 11.5v in the morning. Personally I would say above 12v so you don't kill the battery to quickly.

By lunch you should see 14.1 or about 13.7v depending on what point of the charge cycle it is in. Any less and its not getting enough sun to charge.

Should be alright the pump is only 17w according to the spec sheet I looked at.

Didn't realise that the PV panel could be so small for a unit of this size! Will this be able to run the three GB's that I normally see in your setup? If so, I see a big future for rooftop setups here in China. (There's a lot of roofs over here!)

Looks good. The Only critisism i have is I wouldn't leave the solar reg and timer in the BOTTOM of the box like that incase it happens to gain some water inside. At least if they were up near the top of the box they wouldn't be in a puddle or submerged.