# Your electric bill??



## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Do you think your planted tank hobby has increased your electricity consumption quite a bit with the lights, etc.? 
Maybe more importantly, if it has considerably increased, has your spouse noticed the difference?

Ours averages about $100/month (or 1000 kwh), and while the tanks do drive it up some, I think bigger factors are the livestock tank heater (for the water) in the winter, and the AC running in the summer.

I don't believe my spouse has any issues with the aquatics being a factor in the bill.


----------



## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

I believe most of the equipment for an aquarium are very efficient in using electricity as opposed to washing/drying machines and air conditioners. My electricity bill ranges from $40-60 depeding on the season. During the summer in Texas (as Jan knows gets quite hot) I have to use the A/C which is when my bill increases into the $50-60 range. 

I have a 58 gal with an Eheim 2217 and 250W MH HQI and a 29gal with an Eheim 2213 and 110W PCF. I don't know how much they increase my electricity bill but I don't think it's more than $10/ month. My fiancee's uses A/C much more liberally than I and her bills always run higher than mine.


----------



## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

All of our HVAC is electric so my lovely wife has no idea how much the lights may contribute to the bill. Ignorance is bliss....my bliss.


----------



## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I'm on all electric and my bills is almost always over $100/month thanks to living in a mobile home. In addition, I have an electric cooperative that even charges me $10/month for the meter so they can charge me!!!!! GRRRRR I have reduced lighting to reduce my bill and am thinking of breaking down some tanks....


----------



## gnatster (Mar 6, 2004)

You can find a calculator to figure pretty closely what a tank adds to the bill here

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/tank_elec_calc.php

At the 0.0624 KWH summer rates I pay the 8 40w bulbs on the Shrimp Rack on for 8 hrs daily adds $5.06 to the bill.


----------



## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Oh my.... I'm not sure I should have looked at that calculator. :shock:

With around 700 watts of light, and almost 1000 watts of heaters running 10 - 12 hours per day, not to mention the other equipment, it runs almost 10 times what your shrimp rack does Gnaster.... :-$

Oh yeah, I hear you about those service charges PG. Our company charges $18.50 regardless of what you use, so the place we own next door costs us over $20 after taxes even if we don't use any electricity....


----------



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

A total of $100-110 for the tanks only, which are:

- 180 gal with about 1,300 watts equipment (lights, filters, heaters, UV)
- 55 gal - 350 watts
- 30 gal - 300 watts
- 25 gal - 200 watts
- 35 gal - 200 watts

The wattages include the heaters that are not all the time.

--Nikolay


----------



## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

About 16 bucks a month to run all my tanks... small tanks though


----------



## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I can not see an noticeable increase in the electric bill since I have added tanks, weather it be 1 or 4 tanks. Most of are cost comes from the heat pump, water heater and other appliances. David, you have some cheap electric bills!


----------



## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

Electric bill? $300 a year. The hot tub and A/C are the killers...](*,)

Oh, yeah...forgot about this part. :^o


----------



## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

Totally cool turbo. I like seeing folks using alternative methods. We all need to get used to it eventually right How much does that produce for you?


----------



## gnatster (Mar 6, 2004)

I've always wondeed, whats the ROI on a system like that, how long and was help offered on the intial outlay?


----------



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Turbo,

Would you describe your solar panel system in rough details (batteries, hook-up, downsides if any)?

What paperwork/redtape is involved?

Anything else?

--Nikolay


----------



## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

dennis said:


> How much does that produce for you?


 The system is rated at 3.665KW. I've got 31x140W panels, then subtract the inefficiencies.



gnatster said:


> I've always wondeed, whats the ROI on a system like that, how long and was help offered on the intial outlay?


 OK...I bought the system two years ago. Initial cost was about $33k. State rebate brought out of pocket to ~$16K. Add to that the 15% (~$2500) state tax credit, and final realized cost is about $13.5K once I owe the state anything on my taxes  At least the credit will be there until I need it. That's kind of nice.

As for help...we had the cash on hand. That's a long story 

Also, the installer ate the rebate at first, so I didn't have to have $33k up front. We signed papers to have the rebate sent right to the installer. I've got to think this makes it easier for the buyer to come up with cash.



nikolay said:


> Turbo,
> 
> Would you describe your solar panel system in rough details (batteries, hook-up, downsides if any)?
> 
> ...


 The basic set up is the solar panels generating DC voltage.










This runs down to the inverters:










The two inverters (each rated at 2500W), send AC current into the electrical distribution (Which has been upgraded to a 200AMP service panel since installation). The inverters use the grid electricity as the source for phase relationships (generators have to be "in phase" when brought in parallel or else there can be significant damage to one or both sides). Without a connection to the grid, no electricity can be produced. You'll notice each inverter has a nice big red handle. This will disconnect it from the grid. There are also the smaller grey disconnect boxes that do the same thing.

If I had spent the additional money for a battery system AND to be taken off the grid, I would have had to have a DC -> AC inverter as well. But in my case, there was no real reason to have batteries. I'm suburban, in an area that isn't on the rolling blackout list 

All paperwork is filled out by the installers, up front. It was really a painless installation. Also part of the paperwork is a 5 yr warrantee on the inverters (About $3-5k each) and 25yr on the panels.

And I'll answer this one now... No. My electric company does not buy back electricity. If I generate equal to or more than I use, I get charged a minimum monthly fee. If I generate less than I use, I just get the regular electrical bill ($3-$20 depending on AC use and hot tub use). Your electric provider may buy it back. If mine ever changes, either voluntarily or by decree of the gubernator, I have room for up to 5kw of production with my inverters and obviously plenty of space for more panels...

Once the install was done, we went from monthly bills to net metering. This means an annual bill instead of monthly.

When planning for my system, I took my last 12 months of use (provided by provider in excel - made it easy to calculate things) and added in the hot tub estimates as the hot tub went in about 3 weeks before the solar power.

--Mike


----------



## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

trenac said:


> David, you have some cheap electric bills!


Hmm... I have an apartment and am single. But above all I live at the University 24/7.


----------

