Info on solar power for someone with little knowledge?

Okay it is really simple you ask your parents where to go but all you need to do is buy 2 small glass solar panels and put the tanks in the window and there you have it

Alexandra is almost right. You would have to get DC powered lights and pumps, and it would only run when the sun is shining brightly. Solar panels do not produce AC power directly. If you really want to do it, you will need:

1. Find out how much power your pump(s), heater, and lights draw. You must know this to size your system. You must have enough solar collection, enough battery power, and the correct size charge controller and inverter.

2. Buy everything you need (Probably about $500 or more)
3. Pay another $200 bucks or so to get it installed.
4. Enjoy, it may pay for itself in 20 years.

If you are serious about paying a lot more for your power to help the environment, You would probably be much better off to just talk to your power company about installing the smallest system you can in your house that would allow you to sell power to the grid. That way you don't need batteries. The power you generate would just be a negative (credit) on your bill. It wouldn't be specifically for the tanks, but would save the energy anyway.

Good Question. Most people don't know what it takes to use Solar and how expensive it is. I do. It is a great and wonderful thing, but not as easy as most would think.

That's the website for Edmund's Scientific. They used to have a store here in Jersey, but they closed it a while back. I used to rummage through their broken solar cell bins to solder together panels to run small DC devices when I was a kid. I'm sure they have an introductory small wattage 12v kit you can get. Otherwise, you'll need cells, wiring, soldering equipment (cheap no worries), and a resistor. If you intend on running AC devices off your setup you'll need an inverter.
Another great source is your local library and the internet. Research is important, without it you'll quickly find yourself in well over your head. Visit your local used book store and peruse their science section (if you're fortunate enough to have such at your disposal). With any luck you can find exactly what you're looking for. Photovoltaics have waxed and waned in popularity many times over the past few decades. Plenty of information to be had from myriad sources, print and online. A good understanding of basic DC circuits is a must too. Later, you'll want to get a good understanding of AC too, but that's a bit more complicated.

Ok. I was planinga small system for a guy who wanted to power a couple of 15 watt lights a small tv set for a couple of hours a night. Not knowing how much power your fish tanks will require, I will give you what he is looking at doing.

60 watt solar module 388.37
Trojan 80AH AGM battery 187.95
Sungaurd-4 4.5 amp charge controller 30.00
Pro-watt 400 watt inverter 63.36
Cost before shipping and taxes 669.68 USD

He will be using a long cord and mount the solar module out side and put the charge controller, AGM battery and inverter inside. Simple setup that he wants because he can take it with him when he moves. has enough powe to get you through the night. The battery will hold 960 watts of power just using half 480 watts would let you power 120 watts of items for 4 hours and keep the battery above half charge.

If you were to use that much power with a 60 watt solar module as the only source of power It would take 8 to 10 hours of peak sun light to recharge the battery.

That should give you some kind of an idea of what you would need a an idea of the cost.

Hooking it all up is pretty simple, Hook the Plus on the modules to the Solar Plus on the charge controller. Then hook the Battery Plus on the charge controller to the Plus on the battery. Same for the inverter. Plus to plus and Neg to neg.

You might want to ask a few more questions or read up on things a little before you do it .. But really it is all pretty simple.

Remember that it is electricity and can burn or kill a person. Be careful.

Greener Automobiles+Alternative Fuels/Energy:

I have lots of info that I think you will find quite helpful and enlightening:
(For tons of inspirational info)
(For all the environmental info)

Let us all strive for a greener/brighter future by helping to create a solid foundation for future generations to build upon, so we can hand them a beautiful world, filled with never ending awe and wonders!!

Where peoples differences and uniqueness are accepted, where we all live as one, helping one another so that we can all play our own mysteriously beautiful melodies in the never ending, awe inspiring, song of life

I truly have faith in humanity and believe that someday our lives and the world in which we live will truly be transformed for the better.