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Step 13Go Green With Solar
It is easy to adapt this project to use solar energy. However, adapting this, or any other project, to use solar will help you understand why we don't use more solar than we do. Solar energy is free but collecting, converting, and storing it is expensive. If you shop around I am sure you can beat the prices I am giving here but it is still going to be expensive. To convert this project to solar you will need the following which you can pick up at Radio Shack:
(1) Solar Cell (6V, 50mA) #277-1205 $15.99
(4) AA NiCd Batteries (1.2V, 700mA) #23-9033 $15.96
(1) 1N4001 General Purpose Diode #276=1101 $.99
TOTAL $32.94
See what I mean. Converting this project to solar increases the price from around $15.00 to almost $50.00 per window.
DO THE MATH - The batteries in my controller last somewhere around 5 weeks before I need to change them. I buy brand name batteries in packs of 24 so they cost me around .40 cents each. The controller takes 4 of them so it cost me $1.60 every time I change them. Figuring I change them one time every 5 weeks that means I can change them 20 times (almost 2 years) for what the solar option will cost. And before you start thinking that after 2 years your controller is going to operate for nothing, you need to realize that the life of NiCd batteries is only around 2 years when they are charged and discharged at regular intervals according to the manufacturers recommendations. That is not going to happen with this project so the NiCds are probably not going to make it much beyond 1 year before they need replacing.
As you can see - going solar sounds good, but not many people really want to make the initial investment or deal with the long term disadvantages. If you go green you probably need to do it for more noble reasons than saving money.
If you are really serious about going green, you need to forget about building this controller, and just open and close your window blinds by hand.
.
(1) Solar Cell (6V, 50mA) #277-1205 $15.99
(4) AA NiCd Batteries (1.2V, 700mA) #23-9033 $15.96
(1) 1N4001 General Purpose Diode #276=1101 $.99
TOTAL $32.94
See what I mean. Converting this project to solar increases the price from around $15.00 to almost $50.00 per window.
DO THE MATH - The batteries in my controller last somewhere around 5 weeks before I need to change them. I buy brand name batteries in packs of 24 so they cost me around .40 cents each. The controller takes 4 of them so it cost me $1.60 every time I change them. Figuring I change them one time every 5 weeks that means I can change them 20 times (almost 2 years) for what the solar option will cost. And before you start thinking that after 2 years your controller is going to operate for nothing, you need to realize that the life of NiCd batteries is only around 2 years when they are charged and discharged at regular intervals according to the manufacturers recommendations. That is not going to happen with this project so the NiCds are probably not going to make it much beyond 1 year before they need replacing.
As you can see - going solar sounds good, but not many people really want to make the initial investment or deal with the long term disadvantages. If you go green you probably need to do it for more noble reasons than saving money.
If you are really serious about going green, you need to forget about building this controller, and just open and close your window blinds by hand.
.
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