Using Solar Panels for Composting

[John S.]

I'm interested to try using solar panels to generate heat for rapid composting. Has anyone tried this method?

I'm also wondering about the long-term feasibility of using solar panels. Perhaps it's cheaper and more feasible to just wait for my piles to cook.

Any ideas?

[vermigiant]

John S. that's a pretty interesting topic you got there but compost piles can get all hot if all the conditions are met.

[starcandy]

It's the cost of solar panels that makes me hesitant to try this. I don't know how much they actually cost, but if it's going to set me back a lot, I'll wait.

Though we can be as resourceful as this guy and create our own.

[cosmic_girl]

I attended a workshop before about polymer clay and we played around with a solar oven. Basically it would involve putting a crockpot in the middle of a pan covered in tin foil then placed directly under the sun at times of the day when it's hottest.

I wonder if that may work for your compost bin if you need a boost with the heat? Maybe not so much as directly under the sun, but what if you use tin foils or object with shiny surfaces to reflect heat onto the bin?

[Edward12]

Is there no danger of risking broiling the worms and maybe the whole compost bursting into flames?

But if you want to give it a go, try smaller piles first.

Be sure to share with us the results of your experiment

[mistermaster]

I am not for using solar panels to heat my compost. It is not very efficient and are far more expensive than compost bins.

Heat inside the compost bin when the sun is directly shining on it is hotter than solar panels. I gather that solar panels are only about 10% efficient although there are newer types which can go as high as 60%. But still when the sun goes down the solar panel will also stop working.

Temperature conditions inside a compost bin are better controlled even when the sun goes down because it is enclosed.

[dandelion]

I've heard adding diluted molasses to speed up composting specially if after 2 days that your compost does not get hot..

[farmerbrie]

The heat generated by the solar panels can kill the beneficial bacteria. You need these microorganisms to feed on the nitrogen rich material in your pile, so killing them would be counterproductive.

If you have bought plastic bins, you might notice that they are colored black which makes them capable of capturing heat from the sun and retain it overnight keeping a constant temperature inside the pile.

I'm completely satisfied with my bins and pile, wouldn't think of buying solar panels.

[krissy]

Are you really serious about solar panels John S.?

Well let me contribute my two cents worth of wisdom on this matter

In a pile, heat is generated from the middle of the pile and it will move outwards. If you use a solar panel to produce heat, then I presume heat from the solar panels would be on the outside of the pile only and the middle of the pile would have a lower temperature.

[dumbledorf17]

I don't think that a solar panel can be faster than black composter bin s in producing compost. My black composter produced compost in just three weeks.

[honeylemon]

That was rather fast @dumbledorf17!
Good for you!

[John S.]

you got me thinking twice about using solar panels. yep it's quite expensive, but I was just wondering if I could have faster turnover of compost with solar panels.

[Gary350]

You get 200 BTUs per square foot from the sun on solar panels. You also get 200 BTUs of heat per square foot if you paint a 55 gallon drum flat black with a black lid. I keep all my compost in a black 55 gallon drum. I can fill it full and in 30 days it will be composted down to 1/2 full this time of the year when it is 90+ degrees outside. I fill it with grass clippings, plants from the garden, squash, tomatos, kitchen scraps too. Sprinkle a little dirt in there with the organic material that helps the dirt supplies bacteria or something that speeds things up.

[Edward12]

what is so special about "black" that it can generate a fair amount of heat? How about painting it with white or red?

[fireflies]

Black absorbs all heat and light. Lighter colors, like red or white, reflect light and heat more easily.

[beezybody]

how about using wind power instead of solar panels. I guess it would be way much cheaper that way.