[rbz]

What a beast of a machine! Thanks for sharing it!

[Gamefan]

That is quite the machine!

[jan-jaap]

One thing is for sure, you don't need a heater for your garage, but might want to add some solar panels.

In 2012 I had a computer room constructed for my collection, so it's no longer in the garage. IIRC it consumes ~ 1500W, but I run this systems only occasionally so it doesn't contribute much to the power bill. At the moment we don't have solar panels, but I'm thinking of having AC installed -- and that will probably be a good time to get solar panels as well.

[indigofan]

I guess being in the Netherlands you would only get use if solar like 3 months out of the year.

[jan-jaap]

I guess being in the Netherlands you would only get use if solar like 3 months out of the year.

Yes and no. Of course the panels produce only a fraction of their nominal power in the winter when the sun is low. But blazing sun isn't good either: if the panels get too hot their efficiency drops too.

In my case, I have an existing (20 year old) AC unit of 2.2kW for the bedrooms. I would need another 3.2kW for my computer room. Not because I run monster computers all day, but because I'm under a flat roof with a large window area facing the sun all afternoon.

This has so far been low-prio because when it gets hot enough to need AC I simply loose interest in my SGIs and I hit the pool . COVID-19 changed all of that: now my man cave is my office. We broke a record last month: 10 days of day temperature exceeding 35 °C, with night temps usually not below 25 °C. Last year we broke an all-time high temp of > 40 °C. I've seen 32 °C here in my man cave this summer. Not good for my productivity.

I'm not a huge fan of panels. I like the idea of being less dependent on the grid, but panels are ugly and produce most power when you least need it: during the day when everybody's off to work. But if the sun is hot enough to want AC, it's also strong enough to make the panels power the AC. Or at least partially.

[Irinikus]

35 °C is a standard day for me, down south!!!

Luckily we have afternoon thunder storms basically everyday during the summer months, resulting in cool evenings! (This is in Pretoria)

Cape Town is just darn awful during the summer months, as the sun and heat is relentless!

I generally never go into sunlight by choice, as I simply can't stand it!!! (However, while flying there's always sunlight coming into the cockpit, especially on long flights, flying towards the rising or setting sun!!!)

[indigofan]

We have had a record hot year here with more than 50 days above 43C.. It will be 41C today. I could use some panels, have flat roofs as well. When I lived in Chicago, my Octane kept the room nice and warm in the winter days when it would hit -28C, don't miss that at all.