I'm sure you are going to laugh at me but what is vacuum tubes and what do they do for heating? Not to chance the subject but i was on another forum and they were talking at cheap seed starting heat mat. Most of them were taking Xmas rope lights (indoor/outdoor use)and putting them into sand ( just enough to cover them) and then setting the flats with potting mix and seeds on top of the sand. This was to help heat the soil the seeds were in. Theses light were to help maintain 70-80 degree needed to germinate seed. What i want to know is can these rope light really put out that much heat? They just seem so small and inefficient to me. and maybe this is a down right stupid thing to be think but if those rope lights work like they say. why couldn't i used them in my raised bed (like the soil cables). I'm only going to primely use the raised bed to start seeds in because i can't grow in them in the winter. Does my thought seem WAY out of this world or is it workable. East

For a 10x12, you'd need several (I'd guess at least 4) HF Solar Fans to cool your GH. Plus shade-cloth. I've discovered that my one HF fan is only 85% efficient for my 6x8. And, honestly, 85% efficiency ain't good! (although I've got it down to I'm "on the fence" as far as to whether the HF Solar Fan was such a good purchase (Hubbie loves it - but he's a "Techie-Geek!"). The panels are rather cumbersome and don't put out all that much amperage (compared to the 'real estate' they require). And, like I said, one fan just isn't enough! Solar lighting: Easy to do. Relatively inexpensive, too. There're lots of options out there - just don't expect anything too bright. We've got a solar-powered light in our shed, and it's *just* bright enough to keep you from stubbing your toe on something when you walk in (still need a flashlight if you want to find anything!!!). It's definitely not bright enough to sustain plant life! Still... Not a bad idea - and "OK" Bang-for-the-Buck. Solar-powered Heating: Forget it. Heaters require far too much amperage for a 12V system. But there are other options, I'm sure (and tons of threads on GW if you search "heating greenhouse"). Me: I'm just gonna deal w/the extension cord and a 120V heater (and X-Mas Lights) when the temps drop below freezing. Another alternative energy source is wind power to charge a 12V system. But you'd have to be out in the boonies (w/consistent wind, of course). Unfortunately wind-generators are mondo-expensive. And definitely not practical in my locale (Suburbia - w/zoning restrictions, etc.). Wind power seems very under-utilized IMHO. I really wish there were more options available. But I'm going off on a tangent, aren't I?!! (Oh, well!) I lived on a boat for 6 yrs - hence my interest in 12V systems. One of my 'neighbors' had a wind generator rigged up on his trimaran. Downside: It was kinda noisy (whirring) - but his boat wasn't next-door to mine! Upside: Our marina was nicknamed "Hurricane Gulch" - so I think it's safe to assume his batteries were topped off ALL the time! He wasn't a liveaboard, so I never had a chance to ask him what he thought of (or what he paid for!) the system, but it looked like a cool set-up! Just my $0.02 - Keep the Change! :-) -Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: My HF Solar Fan Adventures...

A solar powered bird bath heater is not practical. Painting the bowl black would have a bigger effect. It would convert 90% of the sunlight that hit it into heat. Solar PV panels are about 10% efficient (for light to elec to heat), so you'd need a panel 9 times the area of the bowl to have the same effect. It would also be very expensive. I have a thermostated one with a 60 watt heater. I've seen 44 watt ones that run continously, 44 watts x 24 hrs = ~1 kwH a day. My electric is about 5 cents a kwH in the winter (about 10 cents in the summer), so about 5 cents a day to run. Here is a link that might be useful: 44 watt heater

Easy, high-yield, portable conservation: 1) Compact fluorescents. Install these wherever you have lights that you leave on for a while. Lights that are turned on briefly and then off should still be incandescent since it takes a lot of power (relatively) to start a CF bulb and the short cycles significantly shorten their lives. 2) Low flow shower heads and flow restrictors on faucets. "The Incredible Head" is cheap and available at HD. It is easily installed with a wrench and some Teflon tape and is a really nice aerated showerhead. 3) Dry clothes on a rack or line. Towels will come out as stiff as a board, but that can be cured with a 2-3 minute tumble in the dryer. Line dried sheets smell much better than their machine dried version and are a summer treat at my house. 4) Install timers. If you forget to turn off the bathroom fan or an outdoor light, you can install a timer. These kinds of minor changes can be installed with simple tools and you can ask the people at Big Orange for instruction, if needed. 5) Eliminate phantom loads. Put transformers on switchable outlets so that you can switch off "phantom loads" when you aren't using them. Or just unplug the dang things. Same goes for your cable box and video/audio equipment with LED and time displays. 6) Water heater timers. If you have an electric water heater, install a timer. They are readily available at HD and easy to install. Set it to heat the water before your shower time then shut off so that water isn't unnecessarily reheated and kept hot while everyone is asleep or away from the home. 7) Insulate outlets and switches on exterior walls. I'm not sure what this will save you, but it's really easy and the little insulators cost about $.50 a piece. Not quite as portable, but still easy: 1) Honeycomb blinds. These can improve the "R-value" of your windows more than replacement with the best quality window and cost much less. 2) Caulk and air-infiltration proofing windows as much as possible. Improving door weatherproofing may be possible, too. 3) If you have a clothes drier, clean out the vent. 4) Close the damper on your fireplace. Keep it closed. Get a decorative fake plant or something. Can anyone add to this list?