Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I want to move my collection to the gerage but it gets colder out there so I would be spending big bucks trying to keep them warm.I'm gonna insulate out there and do some drywall work but I was thinking about solar energy to heat my snakes and was wondering if anyone is doing this and if they could give me some tips as I know nothing of this type of thing.Thanks,Rich

if you're talking about solar panels, it costs a lot of money to set one up and maintain it. you might get a nice rebate from your electric utility if they offer any incentives. if not, it will take about the life of the solar panels (~30 years) to make back the money you spend.

Yah I was talking about solar panels...I was hoping that there would be a small one I could get that was not too much money and just enough to heat the snakes cause when I use the space heaters my electric bill goes up over 3 hundred a month.Rich

Unfortunately, solar panels are pretty much all expensive.

Plus, the "smaller" they are, the less energy they produce. So if you got a smaller, cheaper one, it wouldn't help you much with your energy bill.

Second thing is that space heaters can be very power hungry, so you would pay $$ for the panel, and only get a small reduction in your electricity bill.

Better off to insulate WELL. Good insulation and a reliable heater can save you quite a bit.
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Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com | CageMakers
1.1 Ball Python, 1.0 Hog Island Boa, 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 1.1 Saharan Sand Boa

I know they make small solar panels used to heat pools. I'm not sure how much energy they output though.. just something you might want to look into.
Good luck!
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow