Solar Powered GrowBox Concept

[Crowz]

Nice design looks wise but I'm with the others on the cutting the light to the plants that much. Might I suggest using normal panels with NO light passing thru. I'm not saying this will look as nice but it works from what I've experienced in our garden here.

Our family dog that passed away not long ago had a problem close to the end. Her eye sight had gotten really bad with cataracts toward the end.
She was always a bit skittish about going outside at night to use the bathroom at night and with the eye problems she wasn't willing to go outside without us being out there with a flashlight. So to solve this I bought an solar powered led street light. Common in europe from what I read. When I installed this the dog was happy and we were happy with her doing her business with little fuss.

Once she passed away I never took the light down. This light was mounted on a pole in my wife's garden area. What ended up happening was everything on the side of the garden the light pointed toward grew two times larger than the other side. Also the damn tree saplings that took root there when the garden wasn't used in the winter time grew like mad. So this solar power led street light turned that section of the garden and the yard out from it into a mini jungle.

This leads me to believe that led lighting in your structure with solid panels as the roof would be far more productive than the transparent setup your trying for. This solar streetlight is all you need actually. So just putting its small panel on the roof and the light on the inside would grow your plants for $275 year round. This thing runs all night long on the charge it gets during the day. But of course it would be more elegant looking done with solar panels and some recessed lighting inside.

 

[SearchingforAnswers]

No it's doesn't mate, I'm sorry but I've got to tell you straight , I don't mean any offence, it's just cause I'm from up north


It's a rubbish idea , doesn't make any sense what so ever

you're clearly a smart lad I can see by your designs you're switched on . But this crap lol

Thanks Sam, no offence taken, I appreciate your frank feedback.

 

[SearchingforAnswers]

Nice design looks wise but I'm with the others on the cutting the light to the plants that much. Might I suggest using normal panels with NO light passing thru. I'm not saying this will look as nice but it works from what I've experienced in our garden here.

Our family dog that passed away not long ago had a problem close to the end. Her eye sight had gotten really bad with cataracts toward the end.
She was always a bit skittish about going outside at night to use the bathroom at night and with the eye problems she wasn't willing to go outside without us being out there with a flashlight. So to solve this I bought an solar powered led street light. Common in europe from what I read. When I installed this the dog was happy and we were happy with her doing her business with little fuss.

Once she passed away I never took the light down. This light was mounted on a pole in my wife's garden area. What ended up happening was everything on the side of the garden the light pointed toward grew two times larger than the other side. Also the damn tree saplings that took root there when the garden wasn't used in the winter time grew like mad. So this solar power led street light turned that section of the garden and the yard out from it into a mini jungle.

This leads me to believe that led lighting in your structure with solid panels as the roof would be far more productive than the transparent setup your trying for. This solar streetlight is all you need actually. So just putting its small panel on the roof and the light on the inside would grow your plants for $275 year round. This thing runs all night long on the charge it gets during the day. But of course it would be more elegant looking done with solar panels and some recessed lighting inside.

Thank you Crowz, that's very interesting. Very sorry to hear about your dog.

 

[Crowz]

Thank you Crowz, that's very interesting. Very sorry to hear about your dog.

Thanks for the condolences. She lived a nice long life and was 14 when she passed.

Now were wall to wall with yorkies. Wife's retirement biz

 

[Crowz]

This is that street light which you might glean some specs from for your project. If anything this is what you need lumens and light temp wise to make plants grow like crazy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089KG8MHP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[SamDeleted]

This solar streetlight is all you need actually

If you're growing on pure LED without any sun at all , light spectrum is very important, you need something horticultural rated

 

[SearchingforAnswers]

Thank you Crowz and SamG340 - certainly food for thought and would evolve the idea in an entirely different direction! Not something I would have thought about at all. I will check out the street light - thanks for the link.

 

[OffGridForGood]

Thank you Crowz and SamG340 - certainly food for thought and would evolve the idea in an entirely different direction! Not something I would have thought about at all. I will check out the street light - thanks for the link.

Agree with the comments on LED lights - we have a green house, and use different LED's for flowers and veggies, - contact a greenhouse LED light supplier in your area, and tell them what types of plants your trying to grow, they will know the spectrum needed.
I believe it will be far more efficient to have standard PV on the upper roof area (at the appropriate angle), leave the glass as just glass, for the plants, everything else you show seems do-able. We have plans for something like this for a large winter Greenhouse, but not built yet, solar PV on the upper roof, and insulated glass or five-wall-polycarbonate panels on the lower portion (if we can get these to fit the budget).
I wonder if you could get a sample of the transparent PV panel, to try out. There are crops that need shade to grow best, like lettuce, maybe there is a use-case depending on the plants, it would be interesting to do a test see what happens.

 

[pollenface]

I believe blue/indigo is best for veggies (after watching something NASA were doing trying to grow veggies in space)

I am on the fence with @SamG340

 

[SearchingforAnswers]

Agree with the comments on LED lights - we have a green house, and use different LED's for flowers and veggies, - contact a greenhouse LED light supplier in your area, and tell them what types of plants your trying to grow, they will know the spectrum needed.
I believe it will be far more efficient to have standard PV on the upper roof area (at the appropriate angle), leave the glass as just glass, for the plants, everything else you show seems do-able. We have plans for something like this for a large winter Greenhouse, but not built yet, solar PV on the upper roof, and insulated glass or five-wall-polycarbonate panels on the lower portion (if we can get these to fit the budget).
I wonder if you could get a sample of the transparent PV panel, to try out. There are crops that need shade to grow best, like lettuce, maybe there is a use-case depending on the plants, it would be interesting to do a test see what happens.

Thanks OffGridForGood, your winter greenhouse idea sounds fabulous - I'm a keen gardener too and spend lots of time in my greenhouse. If you're interested in inspirational ideas for greenhouses you might like to watch this video of a retiree in Nebrasak who has created an amazing geothermal greenhouse and manages to grow all kinds of crops throughout the year - something I came across during my research - different kind of technology but great to see what people can achieve when they set their mind to something.

I could certainly see if I could get hold of a sample - the manufacture is based here in the UK. Might be worth a try! Can't help but be curious to see what would grow - I love a challenge - it drives my husband mad!!! Thanks for your comments.

 

[OffGridForGood]

Thanks OffGridForGood, your winter greenhouse idea sounds fabulous - I'm a keen gardener too and spend lots of time in my greenhouse. If you're interested in inspirational ideas for greenhouses you might like to watch this video of a retiree in Nebrasak who has created an amazing geothermal greenhouse and manages to grow all kinds of crops throughout the year - something I came across during my research - different kind of technology but great to see what people can achieve when they set their mind to something.

I could certainly see if I could get hold of a sample - the manufacture is based here in the UK. Might be worth a try! Can't help but be curious to see what would grow - I love a challenge - it drives my husband mad!!! Thanks for your comments.

Nebraska is way down south to me, and my area on the Canadian Shield has only 1m /3-feet of soil on it, making geothermal impossible (it cost $20,000 to drill my drinking water well 168-feet into this rock and the water is only a few degrees). If you have an interest in cold weather Greenhouses, this guy is in Northern Saskatchewan, where they see minus 40C/F and colder temps, he has come up with a system that I plan to copy (plus what I feel would work best for us, on the shallow rock we have). Yeah those are Banana Trees in Saskatchewan!