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 hazey
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 13
Loc: British Colombia
Last seen: 16 years, 6 months
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 energy use poll 
#11223 - 04/23/08 10:52 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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i want to see how everyones power usage increases on average with a grow op.. i always hear of power companies in the US busting people for noticeable and scheduled usage increases (like seeing the 12 on 12 off period clearly).
I would never use anything higher than a 400wt HPS, so if you use one or something less let me know if it has ever been a problem! thanks guys and happy growing 
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Evan
Medical Marvel
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 169
Last seen: 16 years, 5 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: hazey]
#11234 - 04/23/08 10:58 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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I could be wrong but I was under the assumption that your electricity is kilowatts/hour and a shitty 400 and a good 400 would require the same amount of energy on the same ballast because they measure the electricity in watts.
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smily
Spam With Substance
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 206
Loc: here and there
Last seen: 4 years, 6 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: Evan]
#11245 - 04/23/08 11:04 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Evan said:
I could be wrong but I was under the assumption that your electricity is kilowatts/hour and a shitty 400 and a good 400 would require the same amount of energy on the same ballast because they measure the electricity in watts.
ha ha true
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hazey
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 13
Loc: British Colombia
Last seen: 16 years, 6 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: smily]
#11257 - 04/23/08 11:07 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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well some of the more xpensive ones advertise more efficiency thats why i put the 2 choices up 
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 Premedman
Shroomery's official assistant to the insistent
Registered: 04/23/08
Posts: 10
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Re: energy use poll [Re: Evan]
#11356 - 04/23/08 11:57 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Evan said:
I could be wrong but I was under the assumption that your electricity is kilowatts/hour and a shitty 400 and a good 400 would require the same amount of energy on the same ballast because they measure the electricity in watts.
Right on. The wattage would be the same for both. The difference would be the lumen output and the light frequencies, which both would affect efficiency, but neither would affect electricity cost.
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: energy use poll [Re: hazey]
#11373 - 04/24/08 12:07 AM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Power companies won't bust you for running your lights. The reason people get nailed by the power company is because they're usually stealing power. Something like that shows up a lot easier then someone running a few lights in there house.
Think about it, if you ran one 1000 watt lamp you're basically running the equivalent of 10 100 watt incandescent bulbs in terms of power usage. The power company won't come knocking at your door with the cops because you're not doing anything suspicious. Even if they did notice a pattern in your power usage during the 12/12 cycle it's still not enough proof to come knocking at your door.
I've used a 400 watt light, and now im using a 600 watt light, both have provided no problems for me at all. The total increase for my electricity bill for my entire setup was only an extra 30-35 a month. I ran two T-12 shop lights, one squirrel cage fan @ 80 cfm, a stanley blower, a 400 watt HPS (the 600 watt light gave me the 5 dollar increase), a 12" oscillating fan, and a 6" stationary fan.
So if i were you i would grab a 400 watt light and design a slightly smaller room to maximize the light. A 600 watt light would be better since it gives you a much better lumen output then a 400 watt light and is a lot easier (and cheaper) to cool and run then a 1000 watt light.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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End Game
Shroomerite
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 237
Last seen: 14 years, 25 days
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Re: energy use poll [Re: hazey]
#11444 - 04/24/08 12:49 AM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Hanky
Fat Ladies Bingo
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 2,397
Loc: Ass Flavour Pie Factory
Last seen: 15 years, 6 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: coda]
#11445 - 04/24/08 12:52 AM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
coda said:
Power companies won't bust you for running your lights. The reason people get nailed by the power company is because they're usually stealing power. Something like that shows up a lot easier then someone running a few lights in there house.
Think about it, if you ran one 1000 watt lamp you're basically running the equivalent of 10 100 watt incandescent bulbs in terms of power usage. The power company won't come knocking at your door with the cops because you're not doing anything suspicious. Even if they did notice a pattern in your power usage during the 12/12 cycle it's still not enough proof to come knocking at your door.
I've used a 400 watt light, and now im using a 600 watt light, both have provided no problems for me at all. The total increase for my electricity bill for my entire setup was only an extra 30-35 a month. I ran two T-12 shop lights, one squirrel cage fan @ 80 cfm, a stanley blower, a 400 watt HPS (the 600 watt light gave me the 5 dollar increase), a 12" oscillating fan, and a 6" stationary fan.
So if i were you i would grab a 400 watt light and design a slightly smaller room to maximize the light. A 600 watt light would be better since it gives you a much better lumen output then a 400 watt light and is a lot easier (and cheaper) to cool and run then a 1000 watt light.
Well said!
You can cover the cost of running a HID by swapping all your house light to CFL and TURNING SHIT OFF WHEN YOU AREN"T USING IT!
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Coaster Said: "wut do u post bout flumbooyon"
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ethnoguy
E to the G
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 429
Loc: your momma's house
Last seen: 15 years, 4 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: Hanky]
#11453 - 04/24/08 01:05 AM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Unless you have a damn factory going, don't worry. My power use (closet grow) is very small.
EG
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Yrat
Happy Planting
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 886
Last seen: 10 years, 10 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: ethnoguy]
#11546 - 04/24/08 11:46 AM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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400W x 24hr = 9600 watt-hours a day, = 9.6 kilowatt-hours x 30 days = 288kwh a month
multiply this by about $0.12/kwh and u get around $35 extra a month. this doesn't include all those BS delivery charges though, which can run upwards of about $0.05/kwh around here, so another $14 on top of that for a total of $49 a month. you might have it cheaper or more expensive, you'll have to check your power company's rates. all i know is i get charged out the ass for electricity here, and i don't even grow inside.
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 "Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." - Abraham Lincoln
"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil
to one who is striking at the root"
~ Henry D. Thoreau
Strike The Root
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: energy use poll [Re: Yrat]
#11694 - 04/24/08 04:06 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Well said!
Thanks, man. Personally, unless you have budget or space concerns, i don't see the point in running anything but a HID lamp.
Quote:
multiply this by about $0.12/kwh and u get around $35 extra a month.
It's been a while, but, last i remember my power bill was only $.008/kwh. I'll have to look again though, i also switched power companies this year, it may have been .08/kwh. I do know that it was insanely cheap.
Also, that's 35 bones per month if you're running your lamp 24/7. Since a lot of people use fluros or lower wattage lights for veg you can effectively chop that figure in 1/2 (35/mo for 24/0 17.50/mo for 12/12). So, if you use your power costs, a 400 watt lamp on it's own costs less then 20 dollars a month to run on 12/12. With that scenario it's quite possible to keep your entire setup (fans, pumps, etc) running below 30$/mo.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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hazey
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 13
Loc: British Colombia
Last seen: 16 years, 6 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: coda]
#11874 - 04/24/08 08:32 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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thanks guys! assurance is a wonderful thing!
so with fans going and maybe a hydro setup it will only be slightly more then..
im thinking timing will be good since the hotter months are coming up, whos to say i dont run the AC all the freakin time??
i like this community 
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: energy use poll [Re: hazey]
#11921 - 04/24/08 09:14 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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if you're area is really hot in the summer you're going to want to run your lights at night during the 12/12 cycle. Makes it a lot easier to keep the room at a decent temp, plus if you run your grow at night while you sleep you'll consume less electricity unless you like sleeping with all the lights in your house on.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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Yrat
Happy Planting
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 886
Last seen: 10 years, 10 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: coda]
#12562 - 04/25/08 11:56 AM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
coda said:
It's been a while, but, last i remember my power bill was only $.008/kwh. I'll have to look again though, i also switched power companies this year, it may have been .08/kwh. I do know that it was insanely cheap.
Also, that's 35 bones per month if you're running your lamp 24/7. Since a lot of people use fluros or lower wattage lights for veg you can effectively chop that figure in 1/2 (35/mo for 24/0 17.50/mo for 12/12). So, if you use your power costs, a 400 watt lamp on it's own costs less then 20 dollars a month to run on 12/12. With that scenario it's quite possible to keep your entire setup (fans, pumps, etc) running below 30$/mo.
yup 
you probably had $0.08/kwh. that's 33% less than my ridiculous $0.12/kwh. If it was less than a cent at $0.008 i'd be moving to where ever you live!
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"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." - Abraham Lincoln
"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil
to one who is striking at the root"
~ Henry D. Thoreau
Strike The Root
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: energy use poll [Re: Yrat]
#12678 - 04/25/08 02:57 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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just checked im actually getting charged $.05/kwh hehe. The .008 was something called debt adjustment which was right underneath the power charge.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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erb
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 198
Last seen: 13 years, 10 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: Yrat]
#12679 - 04/25/08 02:57 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Lights are not created equal..The newer electronic and digital ballasts are about 15% to 20% more efficient compared to the older magnetic ballasts.
Same wattage, lower power bill.
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: energy use poll [Re: erb]
#12691 - 04/25/08 03:06 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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true, but, even a lamp that's 20% more efficient will only save you a few dollars a month and around 100 dollars per year. Using the above example of 288 KWH/mo w/ a 35$/mo bill you only save 7 bucks per month (.2*288)*.12 = 26.84$/mo. Granted any extra money in your pocket is good money, but you really aren't saving all too much with the newer ballasts.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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erb
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 198
Last seen: 13 years, 10 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: coda]
#12836 - 04/25/08 06:37 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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It also means a lower energy footprint.20% less suspicious.
They also extend the life of your grow lights…over three times that of magnetic versions.You can use HPS or MH bulbs.Start-up times in under one minute. Due to an absence of fans, they run extremely quietly, and produce much less heat than their core-and-coil counterparts. Cut-off circuitry increases safety. A rise in lumen output means a higher yield.
The 600W ballasts weigh less than 10 pounds compared to over 40 pounds for magnetic ballasts.
You can get a 600 watt for less than $200 now.
Edited by erb (04/25/08 07:42 PM)
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Sirius
Saturn Ascends
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 1,540
Loc: The Milky Way
Last seen: 8 years, 8 months
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Re: energy use poll [Re: erb]
#13355 - 04/26/08 03:45 AM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
erb said:
It also means a lower energy footprint.20% less suspicious.
They also extend the life of your grow lights…over three times that of magnetic versions.You can use HPS or MH bulbs.Start-up times in under one minute. Due to an absence of fans, they run extremely quietly, and produce much less heat than their core-and-coil counterparts. Cut-off circuitry increases safety. A rise in lumen output means a higher yield.
The 600W ballasts weigh less than 10 pounds compared to over 40 pounds for magnetic ballasts.
You can get a 600 watt for less than $200 now.
Now that you have my full and undivided attention, do you know any sweet places online to find these pieces of technology? I was searching Google Shopping last night to see what I could find for 600 watt HPS but I wasn't finding too many options, especially not stuff like that.
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: energy use poll [Re: Sirius]
#13596 - 04/26/08 02:24 PM (16 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
It also means a lower energy footprint.20% less suspicious.
eh, unless you're running 20,000 watts the power company won't know what you're doing.
Quote:
They also extend the life of your grow lights…over three times that of magnetic versions.You can use HPS or MH bulbs.Start-up times in under one minute. Due to an absence of fans, they run extremely quietly, and produce much less heat than their core-and-coil counterparts. Cut-off circuitry increases safety. A rise in lumen output means a higher yield.
Now there are the advantages that are truly important! I run a lumatek 600 watt digital and compared to my hydrofarm 400 watt ballast, it runs a lot cool, weighs less, takes up less space, and starts a lot faster. It seems to be a bit sturdier too, i didn't even have my 400 watt ballast for a year before the capacitor blew on it. So until i get bored and want to fix it i have a 30 lb paper weight lying around 
I do like the digi's more, another thing i notice is they don't hum like my other ballast did. It wasn't a loud hum, but if you were in the room with it you'd be able to hear it. Plus it made a loud "chunk" sound every time it fired that you could actually hear downstairs if you were paying attention for it.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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