I have been toying with that idea and am still considering it. Might still install a solar system before starting up the factory
Basically it comes down to this:
- Do you have a large enough area to put a large enough number of solar panels on (i.e.: is your roof big enough)?
- Do you have enough sun hours where you are at and is the roof flat enough or angled correctly towards the sun to have many peak production hours during the day?
Now let's say all the conditions are favorable.
Let's say your roof or whatever offers enough space for a 10kw system.
That would mean that at peak production capacity, you can produce 10.000 kwh a year.
I would say a 10kw system is on the large side of things for a family house.
A simple grow up with 3k watt lights and stuff should be well supplied by a 5kw system. Even a smaller one will aid tremendously in your ecologic footprint but might still require additional electricity from the wall socket
Anyway what it comes down to next is this:
- During down time, i.e. when you produce less than what you use, you make up the difference with your normal electricity from your wall socket. But what happens when you over-produce? I.e. produce more than you can use up during the day?
- Is it possible for you to feed surplus electricity into the power-grid and get compensated (paid) for it? If so, how much?
- Do you want to invest more for a battery system? Then you can store surplus energy and use it up in the coming days when you might have less than peak production.
Battery systems are expensive, very.
It is my impression that they only make sense if you have a large dimension system and routinely and regularly produce more energy than you use AND feeding it into the power grid is either not possible or not feasible (not enough cash for your electricity).
In these scenarios, a battery system would allow you to be even more independent and depending on what batteries you get and how you size the system, you might be able to use your self-generated solar power way into the months where there is very little production due to low sun hours (winter mainly).
To summarize:
It is likely not feasible or smart to build a solar system "just" for your grow up. It might even be impossible to do so depending on the possibility to feed into the power grid or the feasibility of battery systems at your location.
I suggest going at this topic under the premise of becoming energetically independent and doing something for the future and also future value of your house/barn/shop/whatever.
Consider your high energy consumption from the grow-op in this project but don't make it the center of things.
Get a solar system to support yourself/your house/your living arrangement and then, if possible, upscale it to be able to support your grow-op along the way.
If you get a solar system "just" to support your grow-op but the rest of your house still needs regular energy supply, it is likely a whitewash and doesn't make much sense neither ecologically nor economically.
Just my 2 cents