Conservatory project

[TranswesT]

Hiya folks,

been quite a while since i've been on here -(through illness)- & things have certainly come on apace.

I havn't so far embarked on anything solar,,,,, despite obtaining motors, positioners, power monitors, grid link etc etc.

What i'd like to do if possible, is make a small evac tube heater for my tiny conservatory. I'm in West Cornwall, & we do get some decent early & late seasonal sun.

When I say 'conservatory' I mean a uPVC porch over the back door.  I’ve been trying to grow exotic trees (Citrus/figs/olives/peaches etc).    Citrus trees would benefit with more heat (longer) than the past couple of years have given me.

Can I get something like a 3 x tube kit for the purpose ?    I don’t mind ‘adapting’ things if need be.  If so, is there a list of other things that I’d need ? (bearing in mind – on a shoestring now).
I have a domestic hot water cylinder that I’ve been saving for some project – would that be any use ?

I’m assuming that this would be more cost effective than voltaic panel ?

Please feel free to advise or comment

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MODS: If this is in the wrong place – please feel free to move

TranswesT

[Ivan]

you won't get much heat out of three tubes... at least, relative to heating a  conservatory. Assume 20tubes =1kW. If you go for an SFG 20tube panel, you should get good heat out of it. You'd need the panel plus about £30 worth of ancillaries. Look up SFG on forum search for more info. Thermal panels are a lot more cost effective per watt of energy gained than PV....but of course you can't run your TV/radio etc off solar thermal (well, actually, you can but that's a different story)

[PhoenixAutosport]

you can buy a small reflective hydroponics tent which is fairly highly insulated for very little money nowadays, couple that with a full spectrum bulb to provide 24 hr light and heat and your plants will grow like mad

[martin]

Herrumph - lest it's been overlooked, this is a forum for sustainability, renewables etc., NOT for "grow your own Woodbine GTX" in a frighteningly energy-guzzling manner....
I also note terminological inexactitudes........ "hydroponics" is not a light, nor a tent, but a fairly eco-disastrous way of growing on a substrate like rockwool using fluid nutrients...... To use growlights is pretty indefensible from the green perspective...... (apart from which, even a "small" light is going to cost an arm and a leg to run, especially if left on 24/7)............

[PhoenixAutosport]

I was thinking from the point of view of it being easier to power that sort of setup using a cheap low power inverter running off a PV panel and a battery than it would be to try and put a meaningfully amount of heat into a structure made of glass which will be bound to get colder than tropical plants like to get during the night, grow lamps are now available in led variants that are far from the energy guzzling sodium lamps used in days gone by.
I believe that before looking to put energy in you have to make sure it will stay where you put it and sort that first or the energy is wasted, a glass box on a cloudy day in the uk won't hold heat so this is where i saw the flaw in the plan

[renewablejohn]

TranswesT

I have been successfully growing 2 peach trees in a south facing robinson 8 x 6 lean to greenhouse with solid stone wall acting as a heat sump.
The choice of Robinson was to reduce drafts as although the glass is only single pane agricultural glass it is sealed in the aluminium frames with rubber seals. It also includes an autovent rooflight again with rubber seals to stop it overheating in the summer. We average 50-60 peaches per tree each year.