Question about solar power

[Sanity Claws]

I do volunteer work at a community garden. It has one photovoltaic panel, used to generate a filter for a fish pond. I was asked to see if something is available to hold the power long after night has fallen.
Sorry for my ignorance. I am in the early stages of learning about green energy. Feel free to refer me to sites that discuss issues like this.
(BTW, I clicked on Dogmudgeon's thread entitled "how does solar power work?" hoping it would help me. It didn't but I got a good laugh.)

[phantom power]

1. short answer: "Definitely there's something" ...

A coupla factors to consider:

1) during the day, how much surplus energy does that one PV panel make? (if it's small surplus, it doesn't matter what battery you attach, you'll want to add another panel)

2) do you want/need plug-n-play, or is somebody there handy with wiring?

[Dogmudgeon]

2. You need a battery and a charging circuit

Most of the bigger DIY sites, like MAKE, have instructions, as well as places to order them ready-assembled.

Feed Google with the words "solar panel battery storage circuit". You'll be looking for a small one -- many of the hits will be for rooftop solar.

Good luck! Those miners are counting on you!

:evilgrin:

--d!

[BadgerKid]

3. Maybe batteries. Maybe pedal power.

Depends on power requirements. Excess solar energy can be stored in a battery. Also it people want to turn a crank by hand or exercise on a cycle for a bit, those could probably be wired to charge the battery as well.

[Matariki]

4. There are some solar pond filters with batteries available`

for not too much money.

Google search for "solar pond pump with battery" yeilds, in the shopping section:

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&rlz=&q=solar+pond+pump+with+battery&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=mHltTML4IIKClAen3ajGDg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CDcQrQQwAA

[txlibdem]

5. Is there a stream with a steady flow?

You may be able to use a "water wheel" with a generator attached to run the filter as well as an aerating system (basically a fountain pump with a sprinkler type head). Fish like a little oxygen with their water...

What is the topography like? If there is a 10' or 20' drop you can get another solar panel that runs a pump, pumping water up the slope during the day, gravity brings it back down over the course of a night and spins a generator as it does so (if you do it right the same pump that pumps it up in the day becomes the generator overnight).

In other words, there are dozens of ways you could accomplish the same thing.