Temperature Controllers (Thermostats)
Thermostats can greatly reduce your energy needs by turning off heating devices when the desired heat has been reached. Conventional switch thermostats, turn off the whole heat device once the desired temperature is reached. Normal thermostats turn on and off at set high and low temperature ranges. Another thermostat which is more efficient than normal thermostats is the dimming thermostat (see below)
Dimming Heater Controllers (Thermostat)
A dimming or variable thermostat is a very efficient way to control temperature. Most thermostats turn on and off once they reach a low or high temperature range. Dimming thermostats, increase or decrease the electricity to a heat source which reduces the heat output proportionally. When the environment is cool, the variable thermostat winds up and add more heat, and as the temperature warms up, the voltage drops off reducing the heat added. In a sense the operate similar to a inverter air conditioner, running all the time, but increasing or decreasing the cooling depending on the heat load. Dimming thermostats are more expensive (around $100-110 Australian) however they save more electricity, and increase the life of heat sources.
Variable thermostats have the following advantages:
- They only add the amount of heat that is required and you don’t waste energy turning on and off on regular basis. Electricity consumption is much more efficient.
- Temperatures are more stable as there is no stop and start or kick in limits which have a lag in temperature.
- If using bulbs, they will reduce the life span of bulbs as there is no constant cooling and heating which expands the glass and filaments causing failure.
Seedling Heat Mats
This is a seedling heating mat, which has a thermostat that can be placed into the substrate (normally placed in soil for seedlings).
Master and Slave Power Boards
Another useful device is a Master and Slave power board. This is a power board with multiple electricity ports, one of which is a master switch and the other are slave switches. If electricity is cut to the master switch (by a thermostat for instance) then it tells all the other slave switches to turn off. Conversely is power is reinstated to the master switch, the slave switches turn on. This allow you to run multiple heat pads/coils/bulbs from the one thermostat.
Large Scale Climate Control
When a operation gets to a larger size , typically comprising of large sheds or warehouses, it often warrants the skills of a climate specialist. The adjacent photo is a climate control box used by one of our partners (Crickets and Co) which has a state of the art climate control box (by Skov) that controls climate (eg. micro misting evaporative cooling, heating, humidity).
State of the art climate control by Crickets & Co, using Skov equipment.
Moving Containers/Trays
Heat is much easier to add than cooling which can only be achieved by moving to a cooler location or air conditioning (commercial production usually). Adding heat can be readily achieved through heaters and pads for all operations whether small or large scale.
For this reason choosing the right species as outlined at the top of this section is essential to minimize costs and to allow productive breeding for hobbyists where air conditioning is not always practical in warmer climates
