Solar Panel Arduino from HID power

I'm trying to figure out if its even possible to run a solar panel from an HID light. 600watt light with full exposure on the panel would generate X??? amount of power?
Is there a formula for that? When you look at the solar panel specs they say how much they output but I assume they are basing that on the full brightness of the sun at the equator or some other salesman tactic. How do you tell how much light it needs?

Well, my little TI calculator runs on fingernail size panel from a flourescent light, does that help?

Post some specs, other wise we're as in the dark as you are 8)

If your panel had miserable 5% efficiency, you'd get 30W with the right frequency light.

well say this one for example.

or this one Solar Cell Huge - 5.2W - PRT-09241 - SparkFun Electronics
one says in the comments it outputs 110ma frrom office window sun.
I'm really trying to figure out what the formula is for amount of light to power. is it a lumens = power? or watts or what? I'm in the dark heheh on solar power.

Too little info provided by SF to say.
Look up some panels on google, find some manufacturers info.

Candles, Lumens, are both units lights, watts is voltage x current.
Panels typically not the most efficient things unless getting direct exposure to sunlight to sunlight perpinducular to its face.

See if you can make sense of this from Evergreen Solar, who recently moved a bunch of their MA factoryto go to China to be more competetive

its a magical voodoo formula. something to do with blue smoke and the left handed smoke shifter that goes with it.
Some cursory research shows that the best efficiency you can get is 30%. And that sounds like a green salesman pushing something. But the key is that the cells only work in certain light ranges. And they dont specify what that range is. The sun of course gives off all the ranges but a single HID only gives off one (well a small range anyway). I'm going to contact a few manufacturers and see what they think but Ill probably just pick one up from radio crap and test it out with a voltmeter myself to get a rough estimate. Its a rather small part of my project and more of a hair brained idea. I mean if a 600watt light is running who cares about plugging in another 5v...

Yeah, can you explain why you want to waste all that energy making light just to get a trickle of it back via solar panel?

because the light is already there... :wink: i was thinking one less power cord plugged into the wall and the arduino wouldnt have to be ina certain place or require a long cord.

What's the 600W light do? Besides require one to wear shades to be in the same room 8)

indoor gardening

Have you heard of aerogarden?
http://www.aerogarden.com/meet-the-aerogarden
Thinking of getting a couple, has built in lighting as well. I know a couple who has one, they were growing lettuce all winter with it.

yea they work fine for small plants and herbs. I have tomatoes, cucumbers and squash which require lots of light and light that can penetrate a few feet of leaves.