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Not Quite As New Content -- Sept 2005 to Aug 2006

This is "New Content" that is more than 4  months old.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes -> Design Examples    7/31/06     Zero Energy Home in Tucson

Zero Energy Home Armory Park Del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, NAHB Research Center, Inc http://www.toolbase.org

Very detailed report on a Zero Energy Home in Tucson, AZ. Lots of detailed design information.  Should be very helpful in planning a hot climate ZEH or low energy home.

Added in Projects -> Space Heating                     7/31/06         Lean to collector

A Passive Solar Space Heater For Home Use, Worcester Polytechnic Institute   www.solar-components.com/SOLARKAL.HTM       Note that there are 3 collectors on this page, this description applies to the bottom one.

This solar space heater takes advantage of existing windows to avoid cutting holes in your house.  You could probably do it on a rental.  Very simple -- no fans, no wiring. It will provide more heat than the small window attached collectors below, and has a hinged cover that protects the collector in the summer, and reflects more sunlight onto the collector in the winter.  You do not want to allow the sun to shine through the glazing onto the ground (it will just lose heat to the ground) -- have something to intercept the sun in the collector space.  The glazing could be the Sunlite HP mentioned, or corrugated Polycarbonate. Collector area makes more difference than any other parameter, so make it as big as you can -- size maters in solar collectors.

Added in Projects -> Cooling                                    7/30/06         Radiant Barrier Test and Fact Sheet

Radiant Barrier Pilot Project, Florida Solar Energy Center, D. Parker, J. Sherwin, and M. Anello Radiant Barrier Pilot project http://www.fsec.ucf.edu

An FSEC evaluation of the energy saving for radiant barriers.   Nine houses were monitored for attic temperatures and AC energy use before and after installing a radiant barrier. Bottom line was an about 10% reduction in AC energy costs, and a somewhat improved comfort level.

Radiant Barriers, SouthFace.org -- Energy Fact Sheet www.southface.org Radiant Barrier Fact Sheet

A short but good Fact Sheet on radiant barriers from SouthFace.org.

Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 7/25/06      Good book on Earth-Sheltered Homes

Earth-Sheltered Houses, Rob Roy www.CordwoodMasonary.com

This is  a very good new book on constructing earth-sheltered homes using dry stack block.  I attended a workshop by the author at the MREA and was  impressed by his knowledge on design and building earth-sheltered homes, and by his interest in owner built homes -- he knows his stuff.

Added in Projects -> Solar Water Heating         7/24/06      Another simple/cheap/effective batch water heater

Construction and Installation of a batch-type homemade solar water heater -- An inexpensive, Durable System http://solarcooking.org/bkerr/SWHeaterRev-1d.pdf

Pretty much just what the title says -- simple, cheap, durable.

Added in References->Measurements           7/23/06        Using the utility meter to estimate a load

Using your house electric meter to estimate power used by a load http://staff.washington.edu/corey/power.html And, reading your electric and gas meters www.alpharubicon.com/altenergy/meterreadstryder.htm

The link describes a way to use the utility company watt-hour meter on your house to estimate the power consumed by an electrical load of interest.  This is based on each turn of the meter disk representing a fixed number of watt-hours -- often 3 watt-hours per turn. The 2nd link tells you how to read the totals on your electric and gas meters.

Added in Projects -> Conservation                  7/22/06        Importance of duct sealing

Duct Losses Hurt Forced Air Heating System Performance, Oikos Green Building Source http://oikos.com/esb/28/duct_losses.html

Good article describing findings on forced air duct systems showing that a 30% loss in heating and cooling efficiency due to duct leaks and poor duct insulation is typical.  Five bucks for a can of duct mastic and a half a days work could save you a lot on heating fuel and green house gas emissions. See the sealing guides in this section or the Harley book for how to do the sealing.

Added in Projects -> Solar Vehicles                7/21/06        Hybrid to Conventional Calculator

Gas Mileage Impact Calculator HybridCars.com   http://hybridcars.com/calculator/index.php

A nice calculator to compare conventional cars to hybrids.  Give gasoline savings, and green house gas emissions reduction. Sample: Ford Explorer to Toyota Prius

Added in  Projects -> Solar Vehicles                7/19/06         Solar Electric tractor conversion

Converting an Allis-Chalmers "G" Cultivating Tractor into an Electric Vehicle, A USDA Funded SARE Grant http://www.flyingbeet.com/

Detailed instructions on converting an Allis-Chalmers "G" tractor for solar electric operation. Covers both the tractor conversion and a charging station.  The author uses two of these converted tractors day in and day out.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes-> Construction 7/18/06     Pumice-Crete construction

Pumice-Crete http://www.pumicecrete.com/Pumice-Uses.htm

A lean mix of Portland Cement and pumice (a light volcanic rock) make a low density "concrete" that has insulating value and thermal mass and sufficient structural strength for residential walls.  Walls are typically 15 inches thick to provide strength, insulation, and thermal mass.

Added in Projects -> Space Heating              7/15/06     Free download of book on Solar Air Collectors

Solar Air Heating Systems Steve Kornher with Andy Zaugg Download this book

This is a fine book on designing and building solar air collectors and solar air heating systems of many types.  Very good on design, very good on construction.  Covers both active and passive air collectors.  Highly recommended. Note to regulars: I rescanned the excerpts that were provided before to provide better text and photos, and added much new material -- essentially the full book.

Added in Projects -> Space Heating            7/16/06       The "Black Roof" solar collector

"Black Roof" Solar Attic Heater From "Solar Air Heating Systems", Steve Kornher and Andy Zaugg The Black Roof Collector

This is a very inexpensive system that uses your dark colored roof as a solar collector.  The cost is very low, and it can be installed with a weekends work.  It might supply about 15% of your heating needs.  It is not for all climates.  This extracted from the book "Solar Air Heating Systems".

Added in Projects -> Water Heating             7/16/06        Water heating with an air collector

Solar Air Heating Systems -- Water Heating, Steve Kornher and Andy Zaugg   Solar Water Heating With An Air Collector (1.2 MB pdf)

This is a somewhat unusual scheme for domestic water heating with a solar air collector.  This may work out particularly well if you are already building an air collector for winter space heating, and want to make use of its heat output in the summer, or if you just like the trouble free operation of air collectors. This is the Water Heating chapter from the book "Solar Air Heating Systems" -- download the full book here.

Added in Projects -> PV -> Frigs                  7/14/06       An interesting idea for a PV friendly frig
 

(the whole section of PV frigs is new -- http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/pv.htm#Frig

Added in Projects -> Educational                   7/10/06      Fun set of experiments on home design & energy

Energy House Experiments For Students http://designcoalition.org/kids/energyhouse/pdfpage.htm

An interesting set of experiments for students to understand energy use in homes.  You start by making a model house from a cardboard box, and then measure the effects of windows, insulation, air leaks, thermal mass, ... The only instrumentation required is a thermometer.  The "Furnace" is a glass of hot water. It looks like a really fun way to learn about home design and experimental techniques. If only the people who are now laying out  housing areas and building homes had been exposed to this!

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->Construction  7/10/06      Timber Frame home using Larsen trusses

Energy Efficient Timber Frame Home Using Larsen Trusses http://www.greenfret.com/house/house.html

A Timber Frame home with 12 inch cellulose insulated Larsen trusses.  The owner/designer feels the Larsen trusses provide the same insulation as 10 inch SIPS at less cost and are a more sustainable approach.

Added in Projects -> Vehicles                      7/9/06             The Solar Bug electric vehicle

Solar Bug   http://www.freedrive-ev.com/   Some Solar Bug pictures

This is a neat little one person electric vehicle being developed right in our own Bozeman, MT area. Licensed as a motorcycle, top speed 25 mph (legal restriction), 30+ mile range.  Solar panels contribute some of the charging, but most is from your wall outlet. Steve is developing a production version that will sell for about $8000. Some Solar Bug pictures from the Livingston, MT Sustainability Fair

Added in Projects -> Vehicles                     7/9/06              An update on the Zenn electric car

ZENN (Zero Emissions - No Noise Car) www.feelgoodcars.com/features/features_index.html   More pictures of the Zenn

Zero emission, low speed electric car. Top speed 25mph, range 40 miles.  Driven by 72 VDC, 5hp electric motor. More pictures of the Zenn taken at the Livingston, MT Sustainability Fair

Added in References -> Pipe Flow              7/9/06            Handy pressure drop table for copper pipe

Added in Projects -> Conservation               7/7/06            Added more material on the "Mooney Wall"

Mooney Wall

A way to retrofit a high R value, low thermal bridging, and high infiltration resistance wall. Updated with install pictures: 07/07/06

Added in Experimental                                   7/5/06               Free heat from the parking lot

Road Energy System -- solar heating from your parking lot   http://www.invisibleheating.co.uk/road-energy.htm

A system from Invisible Heating Systems Ltd that embeds plastic pipe in asphalt pavement to recover heat. No detail on what weather conditions lead to successful heat recover, but maybe they will tell us how its working out in a while.  Seems like it might work well for public swimming pools with large parking lots?

Added in Projects -> Sun Spaces                     7/3/06           Artic Glass Plans for double glazed sunspace

Artic Glass Sun Room Plan   Plan Sheet 1 (800K) Plan Sheet 2 (800K)

Nice set of plans for a double glazed sunroom.  Good details. Artic glass was providing these plans at the MREA Energy Fair, and appeared to be offering very good prices on the tempered glass to construct such a sunspace. website: www.KissOurGlass.com (honest)

Added in Projects -> PV                                      7/2/06             Low cost PV tracker/concentrator

Low Cost Tracking Ridge Concentrator http://www.solar-trackers.com/concentrator2.htm Picture Gallery of Examples: http://www.solar-trackers.com/pictures.htm

Simple tracker and concentrator design might nearly double PV panel output. I'd like hear from anyone who has had experience with these.

Added in Projects -> Vehicles                              7/1/06             500 mpg UltraCommuter

The UltraCommuter -- 500 mpg 2 seat car, University of Queensland Description form Univ of Queensland   Description from Green Car Congress

A 2 seat "UltraCommuter" car from the University of Queensland.  It is a hybrid, and has 2.5 m^2 of PV panels as well as a compressed natural gas tank that runs a 10KW generator to provide power when the batteries have been exhausted.  Claimed fuel economy is 0.44 liters per 100km (535 mpg) “This is a real car designed for today’s Australian conditions using current technology,” he said. “Our goal is to have a fully operational prototype on the road later this year.”.

Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction   7/1/06       Gimme Shelter MREA Workshop

Gimme Shelter Construction Technique, Amherst, Wi Mark Klein and Jim McKnight, Energy Efficient Home Construction Workshop

Gimme Shelter Construction has developed some carefully thought out variations on conventional stick frame construction that give a very energy efficient home with minimal added cost. Based on a MREA workshop given at the 2006 MREA Energy Fair.

Added in Projects -> Solar Cooking                 6/15/06          Parabolic solar cookers

Parabolic Solar Cookers, by Jennifer From CCAT (Campus Center for Appropriate Technology) http://www.humboldt.edu

Good paper on parabolic solar cookers with quite a bit of design information.   The CCAT site has a number of interesting solar projects: www.humboldt.edu/%7Eccat/index.html

Added in Projects -> Concentrating Solar        6/15/06          Collection of concentrating collectors

Solar Sphere -- Concentrating Solar Power http://www.seao2.com/solarsphere/csp.htm

An interesting collection of concentrating solar collectors.

Added in Projects -> Space Heating                6/14/06          Radiant floor heating system design manual

Manual of Modern Hydronics, IPEX. WarmRite Floor Register to Download Hydronics Manual

Very good manual on designing and installing hydronic heating systems.  Does not include any information on solar as a heat source, so look to the other refs listed in the section for that, but solar works well as a heat source for radiant floor heating. You have to go through a simple registration process before the download.

Added in Projects -> Cooling                                6/13/06       AC saving for reflective roofs

Measured Cooling Energy Savings From Reflective Roofing Systems In Florida: Field And Laboratory Research Results, Parker, Barkaszi, Chandra, and Beal Florida Solar Energy Center www.fsec.ucf.edu/bldg/pubs/pf293/index.htm Roofing Material Reflectivity's

Actual measurements of reduction in cooling energy for 8 homes in Florida before and after coating the roof with a reflective (white) coating. Cooling energy savings averaged 20% just by going to a more reflective roof.

Added in References -> Measurements                     6/11/06      An over the Internet data logger

1-Wire HVAC Monitoring System for a Residential Geothermal System   The system logs many sensors and provides real-time and historic data over the internet.

Phil describes his system for monitoring the status and performance of his heating system in "Our Cool House".  This system uses the 1-Wire bus (and more) to allow several types of sensors to be logged.  A dedicated micro-processor is used to reduce the power consumption of the system.  The logged values are sent to a web server, and can be accessed from by any web browser. Phil sells kits for the logger main board, and for some of the sensors.  He also provides the software, including source code (so you can customize if you wish). Our Cool House is Phil and Lisa's very interesting, passive solar, earth sheltered, geothermal house -- their website provides lots of good information on the design an building of their house.  Its in our "I Did It" homes section.

Added in Projects -> Cooling and Project -> PV     6/8/06    Efficient ceiling fans

Ceiling fans with aerodynamically designed blades http://www.fanworks.com/vari-cyclone.htm

Ceiling fans with "Gossamer Wind" technology blades move about 40% more air for the same power use. Models are available that operate at 12 or 24V, and can be operated direct PV or battery. FSEC paper:  Performance and Applications of Gossamer Wind™ Solar Powered Ceiling Fans

Added in Experimental                                  6/8/06           NightCool night sky radiation cooling system

Theoretical Evaluation of the NightCool Nocturnal Radiation Cooling Concept Danny S. Parker Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC)

This is a simple, building integrated, cooling scheme that uses nighttime  radiation cooling from a metal roof to cool air in the attic space.  Attic air is then circulated into the living area to provide cooling. A simulation model is used to predict performance in various climates -- the scheme works very well in dry areas, and fairly well even in very difficult moist-warm climates (e.g. Florida). One of the attractive features of this system is that the roof is very conventional -- no massive ponds or moving insulation. There is the potential in some climates to use the same metal roofing/attic system for space heating in colder weather. Follow up experimental work using test building is being conducted.

Added in Projects-> Vehicles                            6/7/06           Gas scooters

Scooters   www.Vespa.com http://powersports.honda.com/scooters/ (many more brands out there) Articles on popularity of scooters: AP Article Survey

At 50 to 100 mpg scooter sales are picking up a lot.  Looks like fun.

Added on Home Page                                          6/7/06          Added a Site Map for Build It Solar

Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Design            6/6/06      NAHB green building guide

NAHB's Model Green Home Building Guidelines National Association of Home Builders, 2006 Green Home Building Guidelines (4MB pdf)

A 156 page set of guidelines for builders who want to build green homes.  Starts with high level guiding principles, such as site design, energy efficiency, and resource efficiency.  It then provides very concrete advice on how to achieve these principles.   Overall, its up-to-date, provides both high level guiding principles and detailed how-to, and covers the whole process of house planning, site layout, and building.

Added in Projects-> SpaceHeating    & Solar Homes           6/6/06        Water Walls for solar heating and cooling

A Water Wall Solar Design Manual (2 MB pdf) David Bainbridge Marshall Goldsmith School of Management

Water walls offer cost effective, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing thermal storage for passive solar heating systems.  This design manual covers many types of water walls, and shows how they can be used in solar designs to provide thermal mass. David is also the author of this fine book on batch water heaters.

Added in Projects-> Solar Homes -> "I Did It"        6/6/06       North Florida passive solar home

The Florida Solar Cracker House http://www.phys.ufl.edu/%7Eliz/home.html

Very interesting description of a north Florida house.  A passive solar home design philosophy that works well in this difficult climate is described.  The house includes solar electric, water catchment, and waste water treatment and reuse systems, which are also detailed.

Added in Projects->Vehicles                            6/5/06              Peugeot diesel hybrid 69mpg

Peugeot -- 69 mpg Diesel Hybrid www.greencarcongress.com

Fairly detailed article on prototype Peugeot hybrid diesel. Sounds great, but unfortunately not available until 2010.

Added in Projects->BioFuels                            6/3/06              Masonry Heater Association website

Masonry Heater Association of North America http://www.mha-net.org/index.htm

A great site for learning about and building Masonry Heaters.  Information, pictures, plans, newsletter, ...

Added in Projects->BioFuels                                 6/3/06                Masonry Stove construction information

Masonry Stove Builders http://www.heatkit.com/index.htm Construction and planning info: http://www.heatkit.com/html/guide.htm

Quite a bit of construction information on masonry stoves and ovens.  The "gallery" pictures are good.

Added in Projects-> Solar Homes -> Construction            6/3/06     Dry stack wall construction manual

Construction With Surface Bonding U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 374 Construction With Surface Bonding (1MB pdf)

A detailed 1975 manual on constructing dry stack walls with surface bonding coating.

Added in Projects-> Solar Homes -> Design Examples    6/2/06    A PAHS home In Virginia

PAHS Example in Virginia http://paccs.fugadeideas.org/tom/index.shtml

Description of a Passive Annual Storage (PAHS) home in Virginia. Much more window area than the Hait home above.

Added in Projects->Cooling                                6/2/06        Guide on Whole House Fans

Whole House Fans Tech Sheet (pdf) PG&E

Another good guide on using and installing a whole house fan.

Added in Projects->Conservation                       6/1/06           Interactive home energy saving tool

An Interactive Tool for Saving Energy at Home Interactive Home Energy Saving Tool

A cute new tool from Energy Star that identifies energy saving tips on a room by room basis. You can give it to your kids, and let them nag you into making some energy saving changes to make the planet better for them.

Added in Projects->Conservation                        6/1/06               Great home sealing & insulation guide

A Do-It-Yourself Guide To Energy Star Home Sealing   Home Sealing Guide (1.8 MB pdf)

This is a very well done guide to sealing up air leaks in your home.  Lots of good how-to pictures.  A couple small add-ons I would make: - Replacing older "can" lights so that you can insulate right over them is a fairly easy DIY job -- this has the advantages of both reducing heat loss to the attic and getting some heat gain from the can light to the room. - The method they give for determining if you have enough insulation is goofy.  Instead, use the Insulation Upgrade Calculator or one of the online insulation guides to determine if your insulation is sufficient for your climate. - For insulating over existing insulation, I like blown in cellulose.  Its easy, insulates very well, is resistant to air currents flowing through it (see study below), and is easy on the planet.

Added in  Projects->Solar Homes->Construction    6/1/06          A good SIP site

WIPweb    www.sipweb.com/learningcenter/default.asp

A good SIP site.  Much reference material and many articles on SIPs.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->Construction       5/31/06      New section on dry stack concrete block walls

The Van Geet Off-Grid Home: An Integrated Approach to Energy Savings Van Geet Home (1.8 MB pdf) This home uses dry stack concrete block walls with 5 inches of rigid foam insulation and stucco on the outside of the dry stack walls.  This construction method: 1) provides high thermal mass inside the insulation (for good solar performance), 2) high insulation levels with no thermal bridging,  3) low air infiltration, and 4) an attractive appearance. Dry stack walls are reported to be strong, fast to assemble, and good for DIYers. More information on dry stack walls below.	A detailed (70 page) description of a passive solar energy home design west of Denver at 9300ft elevation.  This is a Building America research home, and much effort was put into making the design efficient without making it too expensive.  An about 70% energy saving over conventional construction was achieved without any heroic measures.  MUCH detail is given on the design process, and some simple metrics are presented that could be used by anyone designing a solar home.
Dry Stack Wall Procedure from Quikrete Quikwall Procedure	A procedure for building a dry stack wall from the Quikrete website.
The Natural Home Building Source www.thenaturalhome.com/drystackblock.htm	Some useful material on dry stack concrete block wall construction here. The baloney level on this site is fairly high, so be careful.

Added in Projects->Conservation                5/31/06                   Old farmhouse energy renovation

Full Energy Efficiency Farmhouse Renovation Mike Rogers Home Energy Magazine   http://homeenergy.org

Article describes a well thought out renovation of a 1920's farmhouse for energy efficiency. The house posed several difficult to overcome problems in retrofitting insulation. Includes a fairly detailed description of a technique for installing exterior wall insulation.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes-> Design Examples  5/29/06    Detailed description of solar home design

The Van Geet Off-Grid Home: An Integrated Approach to Energy Savings Van Geet Home (1.8 MB pdf)

A detailed (70 page) description of a passive solar energy home design west of Denver at 9300ft elevation.  This is a Building America research home, and much effort was put into making the design efficient without making it too expensive.  An about 70% energy saving over conventional construction was achieved without any heroic measures.  MUCH detail is given on the design process, and some simple metrics are presented that could be used by anyone designing a solar home.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->Construction       5/26/06      Updated info on Red Feather SB construction

Building One House: A Handbook for Strawbale Construction, Nathaniel Corum Red Feather Development Group, 2004

A very good book on building a straw bale home.  Very hands on.  Detailed step-by-step instructions for every part of the construction process.  Written based on the experience of the Red Feather Development Group in building many straw bales homes.  It includes those time saving short cuts you learn only after doing a job the hard way a few times. Did I mention that I really like this book? Table of Contents and a couple pictures ... You can order the book at the Red Feather website

Added in Projects-> Vehicles                                       5/25/06               An EV running on PV

PV and EV -- My Solar-Electric House and Car Mark Jensen Home Power Magazine Article, Issue 113 The article is currently a free download on the HP's home page: www.HomePower.com After they take it off the home page, you can get it by searching their achieves for "issue 113" -- you will be able to download the issue for a fee.

Good Home Power article.  Mark describes the large PV system that runs his house, as well as keeping his Toyota RAV 4 EV (Electrical Vehicle) charged. These EV's are no longer offered by Toyota, and after reading the article, one wonders why?

Added in Projects->Water Heating                                 5/25/06           Solar water heating troubleshooting

GoSolar Repair Guides www.solarexpert.com/Repair.html#anchor13854

Some helpful troubleshooting information for solar water heating systems.

Added in Projects-> Pool Heating                                   5/25/06           Solar Pool Heating supplier

Go Solar http://www.solarexpert.com/poolheat.html

Supplier of pool heating systems.  Web site has some useful technical information and a fuel saving calculator.

Added in Projects-> Solar Homes->Plans                       5/24/06          Solar Home In The City

Solar in the City Catherine Wanek Mother Earth News Mother Earth News Bonus Issue -- Summer 06 Study Plans ($15) at MEN

A nice, reasonable size solar passive house in a city environment.  Strawbale construction with  solar electric and  water heating systems.  The utility bills are 15% of the average house in this area. The article does not provide a great deal of detail, but study plans are available for modest price.

Added in Projects->Solar Water Heating           5/23/06          Picture plans for water heating collector

Kris's Collector Kris's Collector Pictures/Plans

Kris provides an extensive set of pictures of the  solar water heating collectors and heat exchangers he is making.  I doubt that most of us will ever achieve the high level of workmanship that Kris does, but there is much to learn from these picture plans.  Beautiful work.

Added in Projects->Solar Water Pumping          5/23/06         Good overall guide to solar water pumping

Guide to Solar Powered Water Pumping in New York State New York State Energy Research and Development Authority http://www.nyserda.org

A pretty complete and detailed guide to planning and implementing a solar powered water pumping system. Also compares solar pumping to Diesel, wind, and gravity systems.

Added in Projects->Cooling                                 5/22/06           Measured ventilation rates for solar chimneys

Ventilation Rates for Solar Chimneys Energy and Buildings -- 32 www.ecaa.ntu.edu

Paper provides measured ventilation rates and room temperatures achieved by four solar chimney designs.

Added in Projects->Solar Space Heating          5/22/06           A gentle introduction to solar space heating

Solar Heating and You (pdf) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse

A high level (but useful) introduction to solar space heating concepts.   Includes solar flat plate collectors, and sunspaces.  Includes an interesting and easy experiment you can perform using an existing window and some cardboard. A good intro for adults and kids.

Added in Experimental                                         5/21/06            Automatic overheat protection for solar collectors

Integral Stagnation Temperature Control For Solar Collectors (pdf) S.J. Harrison, Q. Lin, and L.C.S Mesquita Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada SESCI 2004 Conference

A passive approach to automatically decreasing the stagnation temperature of solar collectors.  An air channel behind the absorber plate is used to ventilate the collector when the temperature exceeds a set value.   A valve at the top of the air channel opens automatically at a set temperature.

Added in Experimental                                          5/21/06           PCM wall warmer

Advanced Thermal Solar System With Heat Storage For Residential House Space Heating (pdf) Kazimierz Szymocha SESCI 2005 Conference http://www.arc.ab.ca

An interesting concept for a solar wall heater.  The absorber has integrated heat storage in the form of Phase Change Material.  The objective is to store heat during the day in the PCM, and let the PCM warm the wall that the collector is mounted on at night -- this reduces heat loss through the wall.  More...

Added in Projects->Wind                                       5/20/06           Wind turbine economics spread sheet

NREL Wind Turbine Payback Spreadsheet www.nrel.gov/wind/docs/spread_sheet_final.xls

This spread sheet from NREL allows you estimate the economici return from a wind turbine on your site.  You enter information on your wind turbine, your site, and financing -- it provides a graph of cash flows over time.  You will need a good estimate of the average wind on your site, and the cost to install  to get useful numbers from this spreadsheet.

Added in Projects->Wind                                         5/20/06          Consumer Wind Turbine Guide

Small Wind Electric System -- U.S. Consumer's Guide National Wind Technology Center Wind  Turbine Consumers Guide (1.3 MB pdf) Additional wind energy publications (including state guides) at the NWTC website -- publications area.

A good guide for residential size wind turbines.  Covers restrictions on locations, wind required for good performance, sizing turbine to meet your needs, cost and economic return.

Added in Projects->BioFuels                                   5/20/06           Good Alternative Fuels reference site

EERE  Alternative Fuels Data Center www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/altfuels.html

The EERE's alternative fuels site.  A wealth of information on alternative fuels: properties, incentive programs, models, infrastructure...

Added in References->Solar Position                       5/19/06          Collector Aiming Tool

Effects of Tilt and Azimuth On Annual Incident Solar Radiation For the United States Locations Craig Christensen and Greg Barker www.solar.fiu.edu/PDFs/pdfs/34892-31.pdf

This paper provides a very simple set of contour plots that show optimum collector orientation, and the performance effect for deviations from optimal. Covers only the US, but the general relationships would be useful elsewhere.  Some limitations -- read the cautions in the paper.

Added in References->Suppliers PV                         5/19/06            Solar electronics

CirKits  -- Forrest Cooks Electronics and Alternate Energy Site www.cirkits.com

Forrest site offers circuits and kits for solar PV applications as well as an extensive set of links to electronic and alternate energy websites.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->Guides                5/18/06        Best Practices Guidelines for climates

Building America Best Practices Series Building America -- Department of Energy V1 - Hot-Humid Climates (pdf) V2 - Hot-Dry Climates (pdf) V3 - Cold and Very Cold Climates (pdf) V4 - Mixed-Humid Climate (pdf) From Building America: www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/

These up-to-date and  detailed manuals provide "best practices" for each climate. Covers site layout, layout of windows for passive solar, insulation, infiltration control, furnace and AC, ...

Added in Projects->Vehicles->Green Cars                         5/18/06     Does it pay to drive a hybrid?

Does It Pay to Drive a Hybrid? Andy Kerr Home Power Magazine article, June 06 The article is currently a free download on the HP's home page: www.HomePower.com After they take it off the home page, you can get it by searching their achieves for "issue 113" -- you will be able to download the issue for a fee. To download the spreadsheet: HP Promised Files - Hybrid Spreadsheet

This is a very good Home Power article by Andy Kerr that goes over the factors that determine what the economic payoff for YOU will be in buying a hybrid car.  You can download the spreadsheet that goes with the article to determine the payoff for buying a hybrid for your particular case.   Most of the analyses out there on hybrid payoffs make a whole set of assumptions that are likely not right for you.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->Zero Energy  5/18/06          Near Zero Energy Home In Florida

Florida Zero Energy Test House Florida Solar Energy Center The Report (pdf)

A home constructed in a very difficult cooling climate (central Florida) to see if a combination of passive cooling techniques to reduce heat gain, high efficiency AC, efficient appliances, and a fairly large PV rig could produce near zero net energy use.  The home was  largely successful in meeting these goals. Net energy use was only about 18% of a control house built to current codes.  Pretty good detail on how much energy each feature saved. My 2 cents would be that the passive cooling, high efficiency AC, and efficient appliances contributed 67% the of the savings, while adding little to the cost of the house.  The 4KW PV rig contributed the other 33% of the savings, and probably cost about $40,000.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->I-Did-It          5/16/06            Solar Home in Australia

Solar home in Australia with emphasis on sustainable materials   Australian Solar Home

Very nice and well lighted solar home in Australia.  Passive solar heating, solar water heating, PV electric system, rain water catchment system, and grey water recycling. Looks like a very pleasant home to live in -- light and airy.

Added in Projects->SpaceHeating                  5/13/06             Plans for a Solar Wall

Solar Wall (or Trombe Wall) Plans for Solar Wall A plan excerpted from the book "Passive Solar Energy", Anderson and Wells

The solar wall or Trombe wall is a simple way to provide solar heating from a south facing masonry wall. The wall stores heat and releases it gradually late in the day.

Added in Projects->SpaceHeating                 5/12/06              Simple solar wall heater

Thermosyphoning Air Collector Plans for Thermosyphoning Air Collector

This is a very simple and cost effective solar heater which can be retrofitted to an existing house, or used in new construction. It uses natural convection -- no blowers, ducts, or controllers needed.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes                     5/12/06             New Eco city in China

The most original feature of Dongtan is its eco-friendly design. It will have an ecological ­footprint (the total area of land required to sustain an individual) of two hectares per person, three times less than Shanghai, London or Paris Dongtan Article from ChinaBroadcase

Dongtan, a new city in China, to be built from the ground up as an "Eco" city.  Pollution free vehicles, roof gardens, recycling, fuel cell public transport, ... Population to be 50K by 2010.  "The most original feature of Dongtan is its eco-friendly design. It will have an ecological ­footprint (the total area of land required to sustain an individual) of two hectares per person, three times less than Shanghai, London or Paris"   -- How do they manage to accomplish this?

Added in Projects->Space Heating                  5/10/06           Adding a window as a solar collector

Adding a Window as a Solar Collector Plans for solar window

Adding a window to a south wall makes a very effective and efficient solar collector. These plans show a way to add a window to a south wall using very simple window framing -- much less expensive than adding a commercial window.

Added in Projects->Vehicles                              5/9/06            A PV enhanced Hybrid

PV Enhanced Prius Lapp Renewables Ltd. www.lapprenewables.com/hybrid%20project.html

The conventional wisdom is that cars use energy at such a high rate that tacking a few PV panels on top would not be of much use. Lapp has found that if you start with an efficient car, that you can indeed make a worthwhile improvement.  The (admittedly non-optimum) prototype achieves a 10% improvement in mileage, and the potential for an about 33% improvement is discussed.

Added in Projects->PoolHeating                           5/9/06         Expanded Solar Pool Heating section

Added in Projects->PoolHeating                              5/8/06      A deck embedded solar pool heater

Embedded Pool Deck Collector www.pacificgunite.com/solar%20pool%20heating.htm

This seems like a potentially good idea for integrating a collector with the pool deck, or other nearby dark surface. Tubes embedded in the dark colored deck concrete pick up heat from the solar warmed deck to heat the pool.

Added in References->Good Reference Sites       5/7/06   The Home Technical Manual

Your Home Technical Manual www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/index.htm

A  very extensive manual from the Australian government covering all aspects of solar home design, water use, and sustainable materials. If you live in the northern hemisphere, you need to remember to switch north with south when reading this.

Added in Projects-Sunspaces                            5/7/06           Plans for attached and freestanding hobby GH

Free plans for an attached greenhouse Sun Country Greenhouse Company www.hobby-greenhouse.com/FreeSolar.html

Pretty good plans for an attached greenhouse that uses glass glazing, and some words of wisdom about solar greenhouses. They also sell plans for a freestanding 8X16 greenhouse, and they sell greenhouse kits.

Added in Projects->Cooling                                5/7/06           PV powered evaporative coolers

PV Powered Evaporative Coolers www.nvo.com/southwestsolar/productcatalog/ www.oksolar.com/products/air_conditioner.htm Some notes on  a DIY one: www.voltscommissar.net/competitive_edge.htm

These evaporative coolers use low HP 12V fans that can be powered by PV arrays.

Added in Projects->Sunspaces                              5/6/06          Three Greenhouse plans from the LSU Ag Center

9' X 12' Hobby Greenhouse LSU Ag Center Hobby Greenhouse Plans (pdf)

A 9' X 12' hobby greenhouse.  Framing is EMT conduit.  Schemes are shown for covering with poly or fiberglass. From: The LSU Ag Center www.lsuagcenter.com

Small Greenhouse and Garden Storage GH and Storage Plan (pdf)

Plans for a small greenhouse with storage for garden tools at the north end.  From: The LSU Ag Center www.lsuagcenter.com

Tri-Penta Greenhouse LSU Ag Center Tri-Penta GH Plans (pdf)

Plans for an unusual tri-penta greenhouse.  Wood framed with poly covering. I am guessing the plans could be adapted to any size. From: The LSU Ag Center www.lsuagcenter.com

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->Plans->Zero Energy         5/4/06        LTU zero energy homes 

State of Michigan's Zero Energy Home Competition Christina Snyder 2002 Competition (pdf) 2004 Competition (pdf) Lawrence Technological University who put together the two zero energy home designs listed above has been chosen as one of the 20 university teams to compete in the 2007 Solar Decathlon.  Check LTU's progress here:  http://www.solar.ltu.edu/index.html They are looking for sponsors! Note: there will not be much on the site until around June of 2006.

These two presentations provide the results of Michigan's Zero Energy Home competition.   These are well thought out designs for homes that use no net energy.  The 2002 presentation in particular has quite a bit of detail on all of the engineering and architectural techniques used to accomplish the zero energy goal.  Hints for taking the next steps beyond these designs are also provided.

Added in Vehicles ->Concepts                                       5/5/06        A motorhome for the Greenhouse Gas Age

Bob -- A Motor Home for the Greenhouse Gas Age www.andrewmaynard.com.au/BOB01.html

I've often wondered if there is a way for people who like RVing to be able to keep doing it in a way that is responsible given our greenhouse gas and climate change problems.  Well, here is one concept that might work.  Not much detail, but an interesting idea.

Added in References->News                            5/4/06         Alternate Energy News

Added in Projects->Conservation                      5/4/06        Operation Caulk

Operation Caulk  -- Air Sealing Procedure for DC Habitat For Humanity Duplex Houses Operation Caulk (200K pdf)

A good and detailed guide on sealing to reduce air infiltration. While the guide is intended for new construction, some of the steps can be taken on an existing house. From: http://www.greenhome.org/index.htm

Added in Solar Homes->Construction                5/4/06       Visit a strawbale home near you

Want to see a strawbale home near you?? The Strawbale Building Registry http://sbregistry.greenbuilder.com/search.straw

About 1200 strawbale homes and businesses around the world that you can arrange to see. A description and contact information is provided for each structure.  The list appears to be well maintained.

Added in Solar Homes-> Communities              5/3/06           BedZED zero energy development

BedZED -- Beddington Zero Energy Development   http://www.bedzed.org.uk/main.html

BedZED is a zero energy development of about 100 "condos" in the London area.   A combination or super-insulation, passive solar, integrated photovoltaic generation, allows the development to be carbon neutral.  In addition, an emphasis is placed on efficient transportation via car sharing and other means.   These homes appear to be very well lighted and pleasant spaces.

Update on the Google SketchUp drawing tool    -- 5/2/06

Last week I pointed out that the free SketchUp drawing tool from Google could be used to model solar shadows on windows, homes, or collectors.  It turns out that the free version does not allow you to enter your location (latitude), so the shadows shown in SketchUp will have errors depending on how far you are from the default latitude (40 North) that SketchUp uses -- see the Caution I added below.  Its still quite a nice tool, you just need to be aware of the limitations of its sun model.

Added in References->Overhangs                         4/30/06       Intuitive shading overhang designer

Designing Shading Overhangs with Google SketchUp   http://www.sketchup.com/   Caution:  The free version of SketchUP does not allow you enter your latitude.  For the sun model they assume a latitude of about 40 degrees North.  This means if your latitude is near 40 degrees, the shadows will be accurate.  However, errors in the sun's elevation and azimuth will increase as you go north or south of 40 degrees.  Within the US (latitude 25 to latitude 50), the elevation angles can be off by up to about 12 degrees.  Azimuth angles (particularly for south Florida) can be off by as much as 40 degrees.

SketchUp is a free 3D drawing tool from Google.  In addition to being exceptionally easy to use as a general purpose drawing tool, it offers a built in sun.  You can easily draw a wall with a window and overhang, and play the sun over it for various times of day and times of year.  One of the nice features is that the wall can face any direction, and could even be tilted.  The window and overhang can also be any geometry you like.  Windows can be set back into the wall, and vertical shading fins would also be easy to do. It could also be used to layout your whole house (with shading trees and sunspaces), and see how the sun plays over it. The small example in the picture was done in less than 5 minutes after taking only 10 minutes to go through the little beginners tutorial. If you have been turned off in the past by drawing programs that claimed to be easy to learn, give this a try -- its amazing.

Added in Solar Vehicles                                       5/2/06            Overview of Electric Vehicles

Drive and EV and Never Buy Gas Again Mother Earth News MEN EV Article

An overview article on small electric vehicles from the Mother Earth News, April/May 06

Added in Solar Vehicles                                        5/1/06           Light Electric Vehicles

Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) http://www.electric-bikes.com/lev.htm

A great site for information on light electric vehicles, which includes electric bicycles, scooters, 1 person cars, motorcycles, ... Lots of good, practical electric transportation.  Even some DIY kits.

Added in Projects->Sunspaces                           4/27/06       Solar Greenhouse demonstration Project

The Rutgers Solar Heating System for Greenhouses Mears, Roberts, Simpkins, and Kendall Rutgers University The Rutgers Solar Heating System for Greenhouse - 1977 (0.8 MB pdf) Greenhouse Solar Heating-1981 (2.5MB pdf) A related paper on a solar home using a similar flooded subfloor heat storage scheme.

Papers from the Rutgers Horticultural Engineering website dealing with applying a combination of energy conservation, careful management, and solar heating with flooded subfloor heat storage.  This combined strategy yielded energy savings up to 80% in a large demonstration project.  While these papers are oriented toward commercial scale greenhouses, most of the concepts could be applied on a smaller scale.   The solar collector (pictured) is amazingly simple, and may have other (low temperature) applications. Like this? A number of other interesting commercial greenhouse related papers at the Rutgers Horticultural Engineering Website: http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~horteng/

Added in Projects->Sunspaces                     4/27/06       Movable insulating curtains for greenhouses

Movable Thermal Insulation For Greenhouses Roberts, Mears, Simpkins, and Cipolletti Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department , New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Movable Curtain Insulation (1.2MB pdf)

This very interesting paper details work done on several automatically controlled, movable curtain insulation systems for greenhouses.  It includes test data for several systems that were developed and tested.   While these systems are intended for large commercial greenhouses, some of the concepts, design information and test data are applicable to hobby greenhouses. A number of other interesting commercial greenhouse related papers at the Rutgers Horticultural Engineering Website: http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~horteng/

Added in Experimental                                            4/23/06           A new idea for high temperature solar collectors

The Rotating Solar Boiler The Whole Story...

A new idea for low cost, high temperature solar collectors.

Added in Projects->Biofuels                                4/28/06              Driving on corn

Make Your Own Fuel http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/index.html

A wealth of information on all aspects of making and using Ethanol (alcohol) as motor fuel.

Added in Projects->Cooling                                  4/28/06              Free standing shade structure

Windsor Shade shelter California Redwood Association www.calredwood.org/ref/pdf/shelter.pdf

Detailed plans for a free standing shading structure. Could be used for yard/deck shade, or to shade a window.

Added in Projects->Conservation                        4/26/06               A retrofit able high R value wall

Mooney Wall

A way to retrofit a high R value, low thermal bridging, and high infiltration resistance wall.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->Examples       4/26/06           A directory of green homes

Resource Efficient Homes Across America A Construction Technology Showcase www.homes-across-america.org/index.cfm

This is a directory of of homes across the US that use "green" and energy efficient construction.   An overview of each house and its green features is provided.  While the descriptions are not highly detailed, it is a good place to look at a variety of types and styles of energy efficient construction.  A useful resource -- especially when looking for ideas.

Added in Projects->Vehicles                                4/26/06              Dog powered scooter

Dog Powered Scooter http://www.dogpoweredscooter.com/

Yes, I can just see my dog doing this -- not.

Added in Projects->BioFuels                                 4/25/06            Wood gas generator Design Manual

Wood Gas as Engine Fuel -- Design Manual Food and Agriculture Organization -- UN paper 72

A very complete 1986 design manual for wood gas generators to run IC engines.  Includes design, construction, and operating experiences for a number of types of wood gas generator applications. Both vehicle and fixed applications are covered.

Added in Projects->BioFuels                                  4/25/06            Trailer mounted wood gas generator

The Gas Producer - Science and Construction members.tripod.com/~highforest/woodgas/woodfired.html

Some material on constructing and using a trailer mounted wood gas generator to power a car.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->I Did It             4/24/06           A self sufficient house in NSW

Permaculture House in Nimbin, NSW www.abc.net.au/rn/science/earth/handouts/nimbin.htm

A nearly completely self sufficient house in NSW.  The house has a very challenging summer cooling season.  The house collects in own water, solar water heaters provide hot water, and all black and grey water are fully treated and reused on site.  The house includes a grid tied PV system which, it is hoped, will result in near net zero electric energy use.

Added in Projects->Cooling                                   4/23/06          Window Shading Techniques

Window Shading Techniques   Gary

As much as half the heat gain to your house can come from unshaded windows.    The heat gain from a hundred square feet of east or west facing window is the equivalent of running your furnace for several hours. This writeup covers several effective and (mostly) inexpensive ways to shade your windows and cut down on house overheating, high AC bills, and greenhouse gas emissions --- Yahooooooooo!

Added in Experimental                                             4/22/06           Magenn inflatable wind generator

Magenn Power Air Rotor System An Helium inflated wind generator http://www.magenn.com/index.php

An interesting idea for a helium inflated wind generator.

Added in Passive Cooling                                        4/23/06          Several DIY shading structure plans

Alnet DIY Awning Plans   www.shade-cloth-diy.com/awnings/awnings.shtml     www.shade-cloth-diy.com/awnings/retractable-awnings.shtml	Plans for a simple wood framed, shade cloth awning to provide window shade and reduce heat gain.   Retractable version
Alnet DIY Pergola Plans www.shade-cloth-diy.com/pergolas/pergolas.shtml	Plans for a simple wood framed, shade cloth pergola from Alnet.
Alnet DIY Rollup Shade Cloth Shades www.shade-cloth-diy.com/patio-enclosures/patio-enclosures.shtml	Plans for a simple rollup shade from shade cloth.
Alnet DIY Trellis www.shade-cloth-diy.com/garden-designs/garden-designs.shtml	Plans for a simple wood framed, shade cloth trellis fro Alnet
Elegant Shade Structure Popular Mechanics www.popularmechanics.com	Plans for a very elegant shade structure.  This could be used as a standalone shade structure or adapted to shade a house window. Very detailed plans.

Rollup shade plans From Charlie's Green House The Plans (pdf)

Plans for a simple rollup shade from Charlie's Greenhouse in Seattle.

Added in Projects->Vehicles                                   4/20/06        Efficient Brazilian two seater

The Obivo "Trybrid" GizMag Article

Small Brazilian car that may be imported to US in 2006.  Runs on gasoline or alcohol with electric hybrid drive. High performance and  prices starting at $14K are claimed.

Added in Projects->Pool Heating                            4/19/06       Good guide on solar pool heating systems

Residential Solar Pool Heating System Natural Resources Canada Buyer Guide (1.8MB pdf)

Very good guide on solar pool heating systems from Resources Canada.  Describes types of systems, sizing system, and some installation detail.  Shows that solar pool heaters can show VERY good payback even in the "frozen north".

Added in Projects->Wood Kilns                            4/8/06           Solar wood drying kiln

A Solar Wood Kiln www.rutuonline.com/html/solar_kiln.html

A solar wood drying kiln in which the entire front glazed area lifts up for access. If you are into boat building, this site describes the building of a 45 foot sailboat -- very interesting.

Added in Projects->Biofuels                               4/7/06        Veggie oil for electricity and heat

Generating Power From a Lister Engine using Vegetable Oil www.geocities.com/wastewatts/listers.html

A project in work to generate electricity and heat from a Lister diesel engine using waste vegetable oil as fuel.

Added in Experimental                                        4/7/06             Residential CoGeneration

Whisper Gen  -- CoGeneration http://www.whispergen.com/index.cfm

Another residential cogeneration system that comes in either an on-grid AC version or and off-grid DC version. The website provides quite a bit of detail. Not currently available in the US?

Added in References->Suppliers->HVAC           4/5/06            Heat Transfer Cement

Thermon Heat Transfer Compounds www.thermon.com/catalogs/us/thermon.html

The problem of thermally bonding tubing to a storage tank or an absorber fin comes up a lot.  This stuff might work -- have not tried.  Please let me know if you do (or if you know of a better way).

Added in Projects->Conservation                       4/3/06                A redesigned shower

A More Efficient Shower http://www.sunfrost.com/efficient_shower.html

A shower idea that reduces heat losses and air currents so that you can have a comfortable shower with less water that is less hot. Interesting story and prototype.

Added in Experimental                                          4/3/06               Shower trivia

Shower Temperature Drop     Gary

I'm sure you were dying to know how much the water cools from the shower head to the shower drain -- here is the answer. This drop is of interest because it is heat that cannot be recovered using a grey water heat exchanger: Shower Temperature Drop A shower design that might improve this: http://www.sunfrost.com/efficient_shower.html

Added in Projects->SpaceHeating                      4/3/06               Some hydronic heating diagrams

Radiant Heating Circuit Diagrams http://www.houseneeds.com

Hydronic heating system system diagrams for various heat sources.   Can be adapted for solar collectors.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->Small                 4/2/06               72 square feet

Micro-Compact Home Institute for Architecture and Product Design Technical University of Munich http://microcompacthome.com/index.php

"The micro compact home [m-ch] is a lightweight, modular and mobile minimal dwelling for one or two people. Its compact dimensions of 2.6m cube adapt it to a variety of sites and circumstances, and its functioning spaces of sleeping, working - dining, cooking, and hygiene make it suitable for everyday use." Amazing what can be done in 72 sqft.

Added in References->Other                              3/30/06                

Bert Race

This has less than nothing to do with solar energy, but I just could not resist.

Added in Projects->Conservation                       3/30/06                  Building an insulated and tight shell

and here: Projects->Solar Home

Insulation Guides  -- Building a well insulated and Tight Shell for Your Home The DOE-EERE Insulation Guide Series: Insulation Overview (pdf 2MB) Insulating Ceilings/Attics (pdf 0.1MB) Wall Framing (pdf 0.8MB) Insulating Walls (pdf 0.8MB) Insulating Basements (pdf 0.2MB) Insulating Crawl Spaces (pdf 0.2MB) Insulating Slabs (pdf 0.2MB) Window Selection (pdf 0.5 MB) Air Sealing (pdf 0.2MB) Weather Barriers (pdf 0.2MB)

This is a good and up-to-date series of guides from DOE-EERE site for building an outer shell on your home that minimizes heat transfer. I guess my one bit of advice would be to go a bit further than they recommend for your climate, because experience shows that in a while (as fuel prices climb) they will be recommending higher levels.   Other DOE-EERE publications here: www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/publications.html

Added in Projects->Cooling                                3/30/06        Update on Night Sky roof spray cooling

Night Sky Roof Water Spray Cooling system www.pnl.gov/TechReview/whitecap/whitecap.html EERE report http://www.davisenergy.com/NSFS10060.pdf ORNL gov report The first link above provides the most complete design information, and describes three different roof spray system designs.  While these papers seem to be aimed primarily at commercial applications, residential applications may well be workable, simple, and energy efficient. Most beneficial for dry climates.

"This innovation spray-cools water on the roof at night and applies the cooled water to reduce subsequent cooling loads. On clear nights, the sky is much colder than outdoor air, contributing to high water cooling rates through a combination of evaporation and sky radiation. Overnight, NightSky systems can typically cool a large storage volume (preferably two gallons per square foot of roof surface) to a final temperature as much as 12 degrees below the minimum night air temperature." Seems like a very promising way to reduce the energy cost of cooling.  The 5600 sqft prototype described in the first link achieved an EER of 149.

Added in Projects->Cooling                                    3/29/06            A passive cooling tower

How to Stay Cool in the Hot Desert (with less power) Charles Van Meter   http://millennium-ark.net

A passive cooling tower that uses wind and water evaporation for cooling.  No blowers -- only electric demand is a small water pump. Some design rules, and several years operating experience.

Added in Projects->Cooking                                      3/29/06         Gives a whole new meaning to TV diner

Constructing a Solar Cooker From an Abandoned Satellite Dish http://www.backyardnature.net/j/solardsh.htm and another one: http://www.alternativeengineering.com and, it it doesn't work as a cooker, you can try this: http://www.mountlehmanllamas.com/feeder-sat-dish.html

Using an old sattelite dish as a solar cooker. Be careful!

Added in Projects->Conservation                               3/29/06       Ceiling and Attic Insulation Guide

Ceilings and Attics -- Install Insulation and Provide Ventilation DOE - Technology Fact Sheet- Ceilings (pdf)

Good and up-to-date DOE-EERE guide on installing ceiling and attic insulation.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->Construction    3/28/06       Great book on straw bale home construction

Building a Straw Bale House: The Red Feather Construction Handbook, Nathaniel Corum Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 2005

A very good book on building a straw bale home.  Very hands on.  Detailed step-by-step instructions for every part of the construction process.  Written based on the experience of the Red Feather Development Group in building many straw bales homes.  It includes those time saving short cuts you learn only after doing a job the hard way a few times. Did I mention that I really like this book? Table of Contents and a couple pictures ... You can order the book at the Red Feather website

Added in Projects->Wood Drying                        3/27/06      Plans for wood drying kiln from OSU

Processing Trees to Lumber for the Hobbyist and Small Business Plans for a Solar Kiln, Eugene M. Wengert and Dan A. Meyer http://owic.oregonstate.edu/solarkiln/plans.htm

Information on designing and building a solar wood drying kiln.

Added in Projects->Sunspaces                            3/26/06      Greenhouse evaporative cooling systems

Fan and Pad Greenhouse Evaporative Cooling System R.A. Bucklin, J.D. Leary, D.B. McConnell, E.G. Wilkerson    University of Florida Extension The Paper (pdf)

Paper from the Univ of Florida on designing and sizing evaporative pad cooling systems for greenhouses.

Added in Projects->Water Pumping                    3/26/06    Interesting Univ of Fla paper on PV irrigation

Pumping Water for Irrigation Using Solar Energy H.J. Helikson, D.Z. Haman and C.D. Baird University of Florida -- Extension Service Pumping Paper (pdf)

Interesting 1992 paper on PV powered pumping for irrigation wire.  Good analysis of system. Interesting reflector/tracking arrangement on the PV panels that increases panel output significantly.

Added in Experimental   & Projects->SolarHomes->Examples     3/26/06     Solar "flooded sub floor" heat store

Solar Heated Home Using An Attached Greenhouse and Woodburning Stove David Mears The Paper (pdf)

This 1981 paper with 2004 update describes a solar heated house with a "flooded subfloor" thermal storage area.  Seems like an interesting concept.  Report includes test data on a real house.

Added in Projects->Sunspaces                            3/26/06        Simple solar heater for aquaculture or greenhouse

Solar Water Heating for Aquaculture (and possibly for greenhouses as well)   University of Florida -- Florida Cooperative Extension Service Solar Water Heating for Aquaculture

This is really, really simple solar water heater that is intended for heating water for aqua culture (fish growing) tanks.  It might also be used for producing heat for a greenhouse by heating water in thermal storage tanks in the greenhouse. Based on a little experience with using polyethylene in solar collectors, I am surprised that these collectors hold up to the sun at all, but apparently they do. At any rate, it shows how simple a solar collector can be.

Added in        Projects->WaterHeating             3/26/06             Used Solar Water Collectors

Secondhand Solar -- Choosing A Good Used Hot Water Collector Chuck Marken   www.HomePower.com Search the archives for issue 112

Home Power Magazine article, issue 112 April 06 Good article on how to select and test a used solar water heating collector.  Used collectors if in good shape, can have 20 or so years of life left in them. Some of the high points on how to check a collector

Added in Projects->WaterHeating                    3/26/06            Ultra simple batch water heater

Non-Pressurized $70 Batch Water Heater Build Your Own Solar Batch Water Heater Florida Solar Energy Center FS-36

This is a plan from the FSEC for a VERY simple batch water heater made from a 50 gallon barrel.  It cannot be pressurized.  You fill it from something like a garden hose, and use gravity feed to use the water.  A system of similar, but lighter, construction might be mounted on the roof of a house/cabin to supply gravity feed hot water.  Similar to the "pillow" systems in this book. Can't beat the price!

Added in Projects->Vehicles                              3/24/06             New update on Don's Solar scooter

Solar Scooter Update Full Scooter Plans from Don

Here is the latest news on Don Dunklee's solar scooter after 1100 miles more use. Don has provided full plans describing how to build one.

Added in Projects->Biofuels                              3/24/06             Series of Methane generation article, Al Rutan

Collection of Methane Articles Home Power Magazine, issue 26 Al Rutan, the Methane Man http://homepower.com/files/methane.pdf (free download)

Home Power Magazine articles, Issues 26, 27, 28, 30, and 40. A very good collection of articles from Home Power by Al Rutan.

Added in Projects->Vehicles                             3/23/06            150 mpg Diesel concept car

Loremo debuts 150 mpg concept car in Geneva From AutoBlog Loremo Concept Car

An up to 150 mpg on this low drag, light weight diesel.  Price projected to be $13K to $18K.  Production not scheduled to start until 2009.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes                       3/22/06           Affordable passive solar home planbook

Affordable Passive Solar Planbook for North Carolina Appalachian State University www.tec.appstate.edu

A plan book of affordable passive solar homes from Appalachian State University.  Sizes range from 900 to 1300 sqft, and all include passive features such as south glazing with overhangs for summer overheat protection, thermal mass floor slabs, carefully thought out wall and ceiling details to reduce heat loss and allow good insulation.  The modest size of these house, coupled with using only the most cost effective solar and energy saving features makes these homes both very energy efficient and very affordable.   Good job ASU! I'd think about adding or making provisions for solar water heating, and, perhaps a whole house fan for summer cooling if you have cool nights. Each house has a downloadable full plan set available -- all free.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes                     3/22/06              Appalachian State U builds zero energy home

Zero Energy Home Built by Appalachian State University   App State Zero Energy Home

Zero energy home in Hickory, NC.  Solar passive heating and cooling,  solar hot water, high insulation levels, PV system, and geothermal heat pump make this zero energy home work.  Built by students and staff from the Appalachian State University ... more

Added in Projects->SolarHomes                     3/22/06           Some good small and solar home plans

Country Plans -- Small Home, Cottage and Cabin Plans http://www.countryplans.com/plans.html

Some nice plans for small homes, including a very nice 1500 sqft Solar Farmhouse plan. Quite a bit of good information on the site.

Added in Projects->Sunrooms                          3/22/06           Plan set for glazed sunrooms

Sunroom, Greenhouse and Skylight Plans http://www.jshow.com/y2k/listings/35.html

Plans for building sunrooms using tempered glass sliding glass door units.  The glazing system appears to be well thought out and doable as a DIY project.   Cost is $15.

Added in Projects->WaterHeating                    3/21/06          Unique design solar heat storage tank

http://www.consolar.co.uk

A unique design solar thermal heat storage tank. Some of the features might be incorporated into a tank you build.

Added in Projects->Conservation                       3/21/06           The "Sleep Genie"

Sleep Genie -- A sleep Compartment with AC http://www.sunfrost.com/sleep_genie.htm

An interesting concept from  to provide a comfortable, air-conditioned environment in a limited space for sleeping comfort.  It saves the energy cost of needlessly air-conditioning a large space when your are only occupying a small space.

Added in Projects->Conservation                    3/21/06           Using the cold outside weather to help your fridge

Cold Weather Passive Assist Refrigerator   http://www.sunfrost.com/passive_refrig.html

A refrigerator design that takes advantage of cold outside air to reduce energy consumption.

Added in Projects->Solarhomes                      3/21/06        A well thought out zero Carbon house

Extreme Efficiency -- How Low Can You Go? Larry Schlussler, PhD Home Power Magazine Issue 112,  April/May 2006 www.HomePower.com Search for issue 112 -- they will charge a small fee for the download.

This is a very good Home Power article on a home is Arcatia, CA (4700 Deg Days).   It uses a combination of solar passive design, solar thermal water and space heating, efficient (and unique) appliances and bathroom fixtures, a grid-tied PV system, and a sane house size to achieve a home with ZERO net Carbon emissions.  Lots of interesting and well thought out details.

Added in Projects->WaterHeating               3/20/06            Excess heat dissipater for solar collectors

Heat Dissipater  http://www.apricus-solar.com/html/solar_heat_dissipator.htm

This Heat Dissipater by Apricus prevents overheating of collectors under summer conditions of high solar incidence and low demand. There are homemade versions of dissipaters, including ones that look like this, loops of pipe in the ground, hot tubs, ...

Added in Projects->Cooling                          3/20/06           Roll your own evaporative cooler design

Some Information on Designing and Building Evaporative Pad Cooling System Ohio State University Fact Sheet http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0127.html

Information for designing and making your own evaporative pad cooling systems. I have seen systems of this type in greenhouses for cooling.

Added in Projects->Solarhomes->Construction        3/20/06         More on Insulated Concrete From construction

http://www.rbsdirect.com/build.htm

Another flavor of ICF that puts the concrete's thermal mass to the inside with no insulation between the concrete and the interior of the building.  The studies listed below show this to be a better arrangement than the standard ICF arrangement of concrete between two layers of insulation.

Dow T-Mass www.dow.com/styrofoam/na/concreteliving/

Another form of ICF with concrete on the inside and the outside and insulation in the middle.  The two layers of concrete are connected to each other with glass fiber connecting rods so that the act as a single structural unit.  The fiber rods are said to be an insignificant thermal bridge through the foam.  The foam can be either Polystyrene or Polyisocyanurate (which would be seem to offer a much higher R value). The web site does not provide much detail on thermal  performance, but it might be better than the traditional ICF, in that the inside layer of concrete is is not insulated from the inside space.

Thermal Mass - Energy Savings Potential in Residential Buildings ORNL Paper

ORNL study of the benefits of incorporating thermal mass in walls, and comparing different layerings of thermal mass and insulation.

Added in Projects->Interesting                       3/19/06                   A solar autoclave

Solar Autoclave Using Evacuated Tube Collectors Sydney University, Australia Solar Autoclave Paper

A solar powered autoclave that uses evacuated tube collectors as the heat source. Two sizes described.  The smaller size uses only one evacuated tube.

Added in Projects->Kids                                   3/19/06                Sun Path and Sun Dial

Understanding the Suns Path and Making a Sun Dial Sundial and Sun Path Lesson

Lesson plan for making a sun dial and understanding the path across the sky (knowledge lacking in most adults).

Added in Projects->Wind                                  3/19/06               DIY Windmeter

Windmeter/Anemometer by Infidigm http://www.infidigm.net/projects/windmeter/

DIY windmeter to measure and record wind speeds.   The experts recommend measuring wind speed at your site for a year before investing in a wind turbine.  Here is one way to do it. Another option is to install of the small wind turbines (like a Air X) and use it to see how much power a larger wind turbine would generate.

Added in Projects->Kids                                    3/18/06                 Marshmallow roaster

Make a Solar Power Marshmallow Roaster Alternate Energy Hobby Store -- Marshmallow Roaster

Solar marshmallow roaster using a Fresnel lens to concentrate the sun.  Nice write-up with some lens Physics.

Added in Projects->PV                                     3/18/06              Home Built PV Mount

Home Built Solar Mount http://altenergy.blog-city.com/mount.htm

Pretty good looking and well anchored wood mount for PV panels.

Added in Projects->Vehicles                           3/18/06          Converting cars to run on LPG

Do-It-Yourself Automotive LPG Conversion http://www.wps.com/LPG/LPG-book-final.html   So, is an LPG conversion a way to 1) save some money, 2) reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- all without spending a lot of money on a new car, an expensive conversion, or the hassle of making Biodiesel?  Any thoughts on this? -- Gary

Pretty detailed account of conversion of a Rambler to burn LPG.  Includes some of the mechanics of the conversion, plus driving experiences, finding fuel, ... LPG is a lower carbon fuel than gasoline, and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- and maybe save you some money.  It is also appears to be a relatively simple conversion, and fuel is widely available.

Added in Projects->Wind                                    3/18/06          Do you have enough wind for a wind generator?

Got Wind?  -- How to use  the Wind Resource Atlas of the United States

The Wind Resource Atlas of the United States will give you a rough idea if you are in a locations with wind potential -- here is how to use it.

Added in Projects->BioFuels                          3/18/06           Wood gas generator plans

Plans for a Wood Gas Generator to Power IC engines www.gengas.nu/byggbes/contents.shtml

Very complete set of plans for building a wood gas generator.  The gas produced by this generator can be used to power internal combustion engines. A picture of it. WARNING -- One of the components of wood gas fuel is Carbon Monoxide -- a highly poisonous gas.

Added in Projects->Vehicles                         3/18/06           Latest on electric/solar/hybrid scooters and bikes

Latest in Electric/Solar/Hybrid Bikes and Scooters pleiades-enterprises

A good page on what's new in electric, solar, hybrid and fuel cell bikes and scooters.

Added in Projects->PV                                  3/17/06             Grid-Tied PV system in Ashland, OR

Grid-Tied Soar In Small Town, USA www.andykerr.net/Energy/KerrSystemHP101CD.pdf   Or, search the archives at www.HomePower.com for Issue 101

Good Home Power Article on authors attempt to be "Carbon neutral" through conservation, less fossil fuel, solar active and passive strategies, and a grid tied PV system.  Most of the article details his experiences with installing a grid tied PV system in Ashland, OR -- a pretty positive experience all-around.

Added in Projects->Lighting                           3/16/06            Piping sunlight to the dark corners

Himawari Daylight Collector Daylight Collector

Device to collect sunlight with a set of Fresnel lens, and direct the collected light to any part of a building. Photos for many example uses provided.

Added in Projects->PV                                    3/15/06           PV system for an Earthship

RE Earthship Design: on-the-job-training Linda Brotman-Evans & Jeff Evans HP article on Earthship PV

A good Home Power magazine article on sizing and living with an off grid PV and wind system for an Earthship.  Good material for planning how to live on a relatively small PV system -- 1997.

Added in References->Measurments             3/15/06            Data logging

Measuring Energy Usage for Inverter & Battery Bank Sizing Mark Patton www.HomePower.com Search HP archives for issue 76

Good Home Power article on using an Onset Computer logger to measure power consumption for PV system sizing. This is a year 2000 article, so some of the hardware may be a bit out of date, but the techniques are still applicable.

Added in Projects->Sunspaces                        3/13/06            Potential way to "solarize" your porch

Convertible Solar Porch

A potential way to convert your porch into a sunspace using canvas and Vinyl panels. Panels roll up for quick conversion between open and enclosed.

Added in Projects->Water Pumping                  3/13/06           Spiral pipe coil water pump

Spiral Pump http://www.earthgarden.com.au/waterwheel.html

This pump uses a rotating pipe coil to pump water.  It requires only moving water to power it. The pump in the picture pumps 400 gallons per day to a tank 50 ft above the pump. Sometime I am going to have to sit down an figure why this works :-)

Added in Projects->Solarhomes->Construction     3/13/06     Some very interesting material on Strawbale

Earth Garden Strawbale Information Pages http://www.earthgarden.com.au/strawbale/strawhome.html

A collection of interesting articles on Strawbale construction in Australia. Some innovative concepts (like the tire foundation in this picture, fire testing, ...

Added in Projects->Cooking                             3/13/06               A solar wall oven

Solar Wall Oven http://solarcooking.org/bkerr/DoItYouself.htm http://www.solarcooking.org/wallovn1.htm

Very detailed article on designing, constructing, and the pros and cons of a solar oven mounted to an exterior wall with access from the inside.

Added in Projects->Cooking                             3/13/06               An interesting solar cooking sited

SunSpot.org http://www.sunspot.org.uk/index.htm

An interesting site with some interesting solar stove designs.

Added in Projects->Educational                       3/13/06               Solar kits for students

Solar Kits from Silicon Solar http://www.siliconsolar.com/educational-solar-kits.php

A variety of solar kits for students.

Added in Projects->Concentrating                 3/12/06           A large DIY concentrating collector

A concentrating Collector made from 116 mirrors of 1 sqft each   http://www.ida.net/users/tetonsl/solar/page_iii.htm

"Teton Engineering's Tracking Solar Concentrator is an array of 116 mirrors, one square foot each mounted on a framework and arranged to reflect sunlight on a "collector", figure 1. The concentrated sunlight can raise the collector temperature to about 1200F" A very detailed set of plans are included -- !! be careful !!

Added in Projects->SunSpaces                        3/12/06               Solar rooms design and construction.

Solar Rooms -- excerpts from the book Passive Solar Energy, Bruce Anderson and Malcolm Wells

This set of extracts from the book Passive Solar Energy covers: + Types of solar rooms. + Design guidelines for solar rooms. + Construction details for solar rooms. + Pictures of example solar rooms.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->Construction     3/11/06         Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) information

Installation, Design and Specifications for ICF Construction from arxx http://www.arxxbuild.com/technical/

arxx is a manufactuer of one type of ICF system.  They provide very extensive design and installation  information (including a 240 pg installation manual).  Some independent test results for insulation value, fire rating, sound absorbtion, are also provided. The nominal R value for ICF walls is in the R20 area, but for many climates, the thermal mass makes it behave like a conventional construction wall with a higher R value.

Added in  Projects->Conservation         3/11/06             A no energy frig!

Passive Refrigerator/Icebox http://fourmileisland.com/IceBox.htm

This frig uses a well insulated 300 gallon water/ice container that is cooled by and outdoor finned tube baseboard unit to supply year round refrigeration with no energy use. Other interesting projects on the same site.

Added in Projects->Conservation         3/9/06               Calculate how much you would save with insulation

Insulation Upgrade Cost Saving Calculator

Calculate how much money and greenhouse gas you would save with various insulation,  window, or window treatment  upgrades.

Added in Projects->Cooling                   3/9/06                A nice sun control shutter with plants.

The Green Shutter http://www.inhabitat.com/entry_1239.php

A pretty neat design for a operable shutter with plants for sun control.

Added in Projects->PV                            3/8/06             DIY PV tracker made from satellite dish

$35 DIY PV Tracker

This home made tracker for PV panels is made from a satellite dish antenna and the RedRok.com $35 tracker, plus an old bed frame!

Added in Projects->BioFuels                   2/25/06             Conversion of VW diesel to burn vege oil

VW Jetta Conversion to Vegetable Oil Jeff

Jeff describes his conversion of a 1998 VW Jetta Diesel to burn straight vegetable oil.  VERY detailed.   Thank you Jeff!

Added in Projects->Solar Homes                2/24/06          A fine book for download on Passive Solar Energy

Passive Solar Energy Book Bruce Anderson and Malcolm Wells

A great book covering passive solar basics, passive solar design, and building of passive solar heating and cooling projects such as solar rooms, solar windows, solar walls, and solar thermosyphon collectors. A free download thanks to the authors.

Added in Projects->BioFuels                        2/24/06           A good BioFuels forum

Frybrid -- Vegetable Oil for fuel Forum: http://www.frybrid.com/forum/index.php? Much Vege Oil Conversion Info: http://www.frybrid.com/test.htm

This site has a wealth of information on conversation of diesel vehicles to run on straight vegetable oil. The site also hosts a very active discussion forum on vegetable oil for fuel, conversions, etc.

Added in Projects->BioFuels                        2/24/06           The Fry Guys

The Fry Guys http://www.green-trust.org/wiki/index.php?title=Fry_Guys

Quite a bit of information on WVO.  Collecting it, converting cars to use it, heating homes with it, ...

Added in Projects->Vehicles                        2/21/06         Electric car conversions

Drive Electric http://www.driveelectric.org/cars/index.html

Information on electric car conversions.

Added in References-> Other DIYSites         2/20/06     A mile long list of links to woodworking plans -- mostly free

Free Woodworking Plans www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~flip/plans.html

Tons of plans for woodworking projects of ALL types. This has not much to do with solar energy, but being a woodworking type, I could not resist.

Added in References->Windows             2/20/06             "Selecting Windows For Energy Efficiency", DOE

DOE Guide on Selecting Windows

A good, up-to-date, and readable guide on selecting windows.  This guide and the Efficient Windows site above should go a long way toward getting the best windows for your situation.

Added in Projects->Educational               2/19/06            A Sterling Engine made from pop cans

A sterling Engine from Pop Cans www.physics.sfasu.edu

A demonstration sterling engine made from pop cans.

Added in Projects->Conservation              2/19/06             Clothes drying rack

Solar Clothes Drying (the clothesline) www.burkesbackyard.com.au

Plans for a clothes drying rack that can be raised or lowered.

 Solar Heating at -20F?            Added       2/18/06         Chilly in SW Montana            

Added in  Solar Cooking->Root Cellars          2/16/06  Basement root cellar and more

Fridge-Less Living Mother Earth News www.motherearthnews.com/menarch/archive/issues/169/169-042-01.htm

Lots of information on how to get along without a fridge, including a root cellar in basement, conventional root cellars, and spring water refrigeration.

Added in Solar Cooking->Root Cellars         2/15/06   An interesting collection of info on root cellars

More Root Cellar Stuff Walton Feed, Inc http://waltonfeed.com/old/cellars.html

An interesting collection of information on root cellars, including the "Granddaddy" of all root cellars (picture).

Updated in Projects->Conservation        2/15/06        Updated to add cost saving and a little more information

Multi-Wall Polycarbonate Inside Storm Window Update 2/15/06 -- Added cost saving, and some info on fitting to odd shaped windows Gary

These Multi-Wall polycarbonate inside storm window panels offer high R values, easy build, easy install, and are reasonable in price. Full How-To instructions provided.

Added in Projects->Conservation            215/06         Retrofiting insulation to existing homes

Retrofitting Insulation to Existing Homes   Retrofit Insulation in Existing Wooden Walls (pdf) Retrofit Insulation in Wood Roofs (pdf) Retrofit Insulation in Concrete and Masonry Walls (pdf) Alaska Building Research Series HCM-01552,3, and 4

This series of three papers shows some techniques for retrofitting insulation to existing walls, roofs, and concrete/masonry walls.  Good construction details. These are not the only ways to retrofit insulation to walls, and may not be appropriate for all climates -- but, may be perfect for some situations.

Added in Projects->Conservation            2/15/06         A good, unbiased comparison of insulation types.

Added in Projects->Space Heating        2/15/06          Some good construction details for radiant floors

Radiant Floor Retrofit Details Radiant Floor Company The Details Page: http://www.radiantcompany.com/details/ Heat Sources: http://www.radiantcompany.com/heatsources/

The Radiant Floor Company provides some nice detail on several ways to install  a radiant floor either in new construction or as a retrofit.  Good pictures. Radiant floor heating works well with solar because it can make use of relatively low temperature hot water that solar systems produce more efficiently.  I would be more careful about insulation issues than they are in places.

Added in Projects->Sunspace              2/15/06           A root cellar

An Old Time Dug Out Root Cellar Walton Feed, Inc. http://waltonfeed.com/old/cellar1.html

Root cellar suitable for flat ground.  Only one wall to build, rest are dirt.  Stairway down to below ground door.

Added in Projects->Water Heating         2/13/06      Download David's great book on batch solar water heaters

The Integral Passive Solar Water Heater Book, David Bainbridge Download this book This book is out of print, and difficult to get, but David Bainbridge has agreed to make it a free download.

This is a really fine book on all aspects of designing and building a wide variety of solar batch water heaters. The book has a great mix of how-to and engineering design information -- great for builders and experimenters. Thanks to David, the full content of the book is available here as a free download.

Added in Projects->Sunspaces                 2/13/06          Geothermal heated greenhouse at Chico Hot Springs

Geothermally heated greenhouse Gary

Some photos of a geothermally heated, double wall greenhouse at the Chico Hot Springs resort, north of Yellowstone National Park.  The Story...

Added in References->Measurements    2/13/06           Measuring Collector Performance

How to measure:        - Collector Heat Output         - Collector Efficiency Common collector design misconceptions.

Some simple techniques to measure collector performance, and determine if design changes that you make actually improve performance.  A very rough way to estimate collector efficiency. A list of common collector design misconceptions.    More...

Added in Projects->Vehicles                  2/13/06              Fuel efficient air ships

Aeros airships http://www.aerosml.com/Aeroscraft Info.asp

Something like a tenth of our oil goes into aircraft transporting people and cargo.  Maybe its time to think about aircraft that use less fuel?

Added in Projects->Solar Homes               2/11/06          Source for adobe home plans and information

Adobe Builder http://www.adobebuilder.com/sitemap.html Oikos http://oikos.com/library/adobe/index.html

Adobe Home Plans,  Information, workshops, books, and the Adobe Builder Magazine

Added in Projects->Conservation                  2/10/06          -- Nice thermal roll-up window shade for $15

$15 Rollup Insulating Window Shade

A $15 rollup window shade made from Reflectix insulation.  How to make it...

Added in References->Solar Climatic                2/9/06      -- 10 year solar data for any location on earth

Surface meteorology and Solar Energy NASA http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/sse/sse.cgi?na+s01#s01

Solar radiation and solar geometry data from derived from satellite observations.  Provides data for anywhere in the world.  Provides solar parameters for solar thermal, PV, solar cooking, etc. based on 10 year history for your exact location.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes->Construction  2/8/06

Papercrete Construction oikos.com/library/papercrete/sandshouse.html www.papercrete.com/papercrete.html   www.northcoast.com/~tms/papercrete.html

PaperCrete is a building material made from a mixture of recycled paper, sandy dirt, and a little cement.  It has an R value of 2.8 per inch, good strength, and is lightweight and inexpensive.   While PaperCrete has been around quite a while, it has just started to be used for home construction, so this is for adventurous experimenters.

Added in Projects->Cooling                    2/5/06     -- "Cool Metal Roofing" for keeping your house cooler

Cool Metal Roofing www.wbdg.org/design/coolmetalroofing.php

Reflective metal roofing can keep your house cooler and save on cooling bills.

Added in References->Collector Ratings           2/5/06   --  Solar Collector Performance Tests

SPF -- Solar Collector Performance Tests http://www.spf.ch/spf.php?lang=de&intro=1

The SPF provides performance test data for a wide range of solar collectors.  Collector performance and performance of the collector in 3 kinds of systems are provided.  All in a very readable format.

Added in Projects->Solar Home Construction   2/4/06   -- An Outstanding guide to straw bale construction

Information Guide to Straw Bale Building www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/pdf/strawbaleguide.pdf (a 1MB pdf) From Amazon Nails website: http://www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/ which has a wealth of information on straw bale construction.

This an outstanding free guide to straw bale construction from the UK.  It covers just about every aspect of straw bale building and provides a great deal of construction detail.  There even some sketch plans for straw bale homes.  Highly recommended. This website has lots of additional information on straw bale construction -- projects, links, publications.

Added in Project-> Solar Home Construction 2/4/06  -- Large collection of construction pictures

Extensive Picture Collection for Straw Bale Home in Plozevet www.ecopanneaux.com/galerie/martin/

Very extensive photo album of straw bale home in Plozevet, France.

Added in Projects->Hydro                         2/3/06  -- Nice guide and How-To on small hydro

Site Evaluation and Design for Micro Hydro Systems (Large download 11.5 MB pdf)   From: http://www.waterturbine.com/index.html

This is a well organized collection of articles and papers on micro hydro applications.  It covers most of what you will need to do to evaluate your site for hydro, select the right kind of generator, and design and install a small hydro system. Put together by: www.WaterTurbine.com A supplier of small water turbines.

Added in References->Good Sites        2/2/06    --  Good, clear information on a difficult topic

The Energy Guy Energy Issues Summary Climate Change Links - pro and con

This is a very good site for understandable information on energy issues and their potential impact on the planet.  Also provides lots of good material on energy alternatives.

Added in References->Measurments   1/30/06   -- A cheap way to make a flow meter

$5 DIY Flow Meter Gary

A simple flow meter made from a couple of standard CPVC 3/4 by 1/2 reducers installed back-to-back. Details...

Added in Projects->Solar Space Heating    1/30/06      -- DIY Geothermal

Terralink DIY Geothermal Heating Kits http://www.arit.com/terralink.htm

Terralink offers DIY geothermal heating kits.  I have no idea what the quality of the company or the kits are, but some of the information and documentation they provide may be useful if you are thinking about a geothermal system.

Added in Experimental                   1/28/06        -- A rough prototype of a flow organizer window collector

Flow Organizer

A try at the Saunders/Delaney/Pine  flow organizer.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes                1/26/06       -- A bit on Earthships

Earthships    More on Earthships...

Michael Reynolds Earthship design has: passive solar heating, solar water heating, rain water harvesting, solar electric, grey water recycling, and black water treatment.   It also makes use of rejected and recycled materials.  It not only does all of these things, but it appears to do all of them well.  "Ship" seems like a good name in that it can operate independently of the world, except that, unlike many actual ships, it does not pollute its surroundings.   I have to admit I was skeptical of these designs for a long time.  It took a while to get used to some of the unusual approaches, but I think its the real deal and deserves serious attention.  Even if you decide to go a different direction there is much to learn from these designs. More on Earthships...

Added in References->Collector Ratings     1/23/06     -- Independent ratings for solar collectors

Added in Projects->Vehicles                           1/23/06      Two new diesel hybrid concept cars

Daimler Chrysler "Boxfish" 70 mpg wwwsg.daimlerchrysler.com	A 70 mpg, Diesel hybrid, 4 seater. Drag coefficient of 0.19.
Accelerated Composites Aptera 330 mpg car www.acceleratedcomposites.com/p_aptera.html	Accelerated Composites Aptera is a 330 mpg, diesel hybrid, two seater.  Weighs 850 lb.  Zero to 60 in 11 secs.  Drag coefficient of 0.05.

Added in Projects-> Water Heating           1/22/06        -- Evacuated tube water heater design and install

Evacuated Tube Solar Water Heater from AnotherURL.com http://www.anotherurl.com/therm/solar.htm

Good detail on a solar water heating system using Thermomax evacuated tube collectors. Don't miss the extensive set of installation photos.

Added in References->Measurements      1/22/06       -- a DIY temperature logger using inexpensive sensors

Home made temperature logger from AnotherURL.com www.anotherurl.com/therm/logger.htm

A home made temperature data logger based on the inexpensive Dallas Semiconductor DS18B20.  This logger supports up to 64 sensors.  The sensors use the Dallas Semi "one wire" bus, which means that the sensors can be a 100 ft or more from the logger, and require minimal cabling, and no separate power.  The logger interfaces the sensors to a Windows PC.  More than 100 of these logger have been built.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes            1/22/06     -- A very good book on sustainable home design

The Natural House -- A Complete Guide to Healthy, Energy-Efficient, Environmental Homes Daniel Chiras

Another very good book by Chiras that emphasizes not only energy efficiency, but also sustainable construction and living.  Covers Rammed Earth, Straw Bale, Earthships, Cordwood, Log Homes construction methods.  Also covers using sustainable materials in construction, and sustainable systems for water and waste.   This book has what I would call a mid level of detail -- its not enough to go out a build a home without more work, but its a good deal more than is provided in the common "overview" books.  470 pages.  Published in 2000.

Added in Projects->Space Heating         1/21/06     -- Easy to build wall mounted solar air collector

Building an inexpensive solar heating panel www.mobilehomerepair.com/article17solar.htm

Article from Mobile Home Repairs on building a wall mounted solar air collector with PV driven fan circulation.  Very complete How-To instructions.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes        1/19/06      -- Modular home constructed with SIPs cuts energy use by half

SIPs in Modular Homes Home Energy Article EERE article (pdf)

Modular home constructed using SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels), and including other energy efficient features uses about half the energy of a conventional modular home.  The higher insulation levels and much lower air infiltration reduces measured energy consumption by half on this test home.

Added in Projects->PV                  1/19/06              -- Actual output of PV rigs compared to nominal rated output

What is the actual output from a "1 KW" PV rig? Home Energy Magazine article www.homeenergy.org

So, how much output will a (say) 1 KW rated PV setup produce?  This Home Energy Magazine article reports actual measurements for 19 real PV systems.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes     1/18/06          -- Apartment building uses 1/10 energy of typical apartment

Sunny Woods -- Zurich, Switzerland Home Energy Magazine Article (pdf)   International Energy Agency Article: Sunny Woods (pdf)

This amazing apartment building in Zurich consumes only about 1/10th the energy of a typical new construction building.  Each 2000 sqft unit consumes the equivalent of 80 gallons of oil per year for space heating, ventilation, and hot water! Passive solar, R50 low thermal bridging walls, R70 roof, vacuum insulation in critical areas, large roof PV installation, solar thermal panels integrated in facade, and a very thoughtful overall design.

Added in Experimental                        1/17/06          -- UPDATE on the Collector/Shade combination

Combined Solar Collector and Window Shade   The Story

UPDATE  <-- An insulating window shade that also acts as a solar collector, and that automatically transitions from one to the other depending on conditions.

Added in Projects->Solar Homes          1/17/06       -- Habitat home in Denver saves 60% on energy use

Habitat For Humanity Energy Efficient Solar Home -- Denver Denver Habitat Home (600K pdf)

This Habitat for Humanity home cuts energy use by 60% by using a combination of improved insulation, infiltration control, passive solar gain, solar water heating, and a PV installation.  The improvement package was developed in a partnership between Habitat and NREL.

Added in Projects-> Conservation     1/16/06       -- High R value, easy install storm windows

Multi-Wall Polycarbonate Inside Storm Window   Gary

These Multi-Wall polycarbonate inside storm window panels offer high R values, easy build, easy install, and are reasonable in price. Full How-To instructions provided.

Added in Solar Projects->Waterheating           1/16/06          -- John Canivan's solar water heater book

JC Solar Homes and Solar Collectors   http://www.jc-solarhomes.com/

John   Canivan's book $30 "How to Build a Solar Hot Water System" has plans for building a solar water heating collector.  I have not reviewed these plans myself, but they are reported to produce a good product -- and, you get email help from John.

Added in Experimental                      1/13/06        -- an idea for a combined shade and solar collector

Combined Solar Collector and Window Shade   The Story

An insulating window shade that also acts as a solar collector, and that automatically transitions from one to the other depending on conditions.

Added in Passive Cooling                1/12/06         --- new generation of efficient evaporative coolers

New Evaporative Cooling Systems -- An Emerging Solution for Homes in Hot Dry Climates with Modest Cooling Loads Southwest Energy Efficiency Project Evap Cooler Report (pdf)

Good and detailed report on a new generation of evaporative coolers that are more efficient, use less water, and require less maintenance. These cooler in a relatively dry climate can save 90% compared to compressor driven conventional air conditioning!

Added in Passive Cooling            1/11/06         -- Night water spray air conditioning system

Night Sky Roof Water Spray Cooling system     EERE report http://www.davisenergy.com/NSFS10060.pdf ORNL gov report

"This innovation spray-cools water on the roof at night and applies the cooled water to reduce subsequent cooling loads. On clear nights, the sky is much colder than outdoor air, contributing to high water cooling rates through a combination of evaporation and sky radiation. Overnight, NightSky systems can typically cool a large storage volume (preferably two gallons per square foot of roof surface) to a final temperature as much as 12 degrees below the minimum night air temperature." Seems like a very promising way to reduce the energy cost of cooling.

Added in Passive Cooling            1/11/06         --   A low energy air conditioning system

Night Breeze Cooling System http://www.davisenergy.com/nb_page.htm

This is sort of a highly sophisticated version of a whole house fan.  It eliminates or reduces the need for refrigerated air conditioning by using cool night air to pre-cool the house for the next hot day.

Added in Passive Cooling            1/11/06         --      Whole House Fans

Whole House Fan for Cooling Whole House Fan pdf (240K)

For relatively dry climates with cool nights, whole house fans are very effective in reducing or eliminating the need for refrigerated AC.  I have had a whole house fan in my last two houses, and would not be without one!

Added in Solar Space Heating       1/10/06      -- lots of good installation pictures for radiant floor heating

Radiant Floor Company http://www.radiantcompany.com/details/

Lots of good installation and design detail on this site for radiant floor heating systems with solar heat sources.

Added in Educational            1/8/06              -- nice solar learning project

Pager Motors dot com SolarBugKits

Inexpensive kit to make a solar powered beam light seeking robot.

Added in Educational                 1/7/06         ---  A learn about wind turbines kit

3 Phase Wind Turbine Kit From WindStuffNow.com Wind Turbine Kit

This is an inexpensive wind turbine kit that looks like it would be fun to build as a student project. Look at the plans

Added in BioFuels                   1/6/06          ---  new fireplace designs -- more efficient -- less pollution

Advance Combustion Wood Fireplaces Natural Resources Canada Advance Combustion Fireplaces

Overview of advanced design fireplaces that achieve 50 to 70% efficiency and cleaner burning through the use of secondary combustion air and other features.

Added in Experimental                   1/6/06       ----  Michael Jantzen's creative home concepts

MICHAEL JANTZEN  Designer http://www.walrus.com/~ddprod/michaeljantzen/index.html

Michael has shows some interesting concepts in home/building design.  Some of these have the potential for good energy efficiency -- as in the Home-Scape pictured here.

Added in Solar Homes -> Construction    1/4/06    -- very interesting article on an innovation house in Rio

ECO House, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil http://www.inhabitat.com/entry_914.php

A good overview of the ECO house.  This house in Rio de Janerio uses a number of innovative renewable energy techniques and passive cooling techniques.  Very interesting -- lots of good ideas. The article  was posted by Sarah -- thank you Sarah!

Added in Lighting                          1/4/06           --- interesting new natural lighting system

Sunlight Transport System http://www.inhabitat.com/entry_4.php

Article describing a system that collects sunlight with a rooftop collector, and routes the light throughout the building via fiber optic lines.

Added in Vehicles                 1/4/06            -- US gov site on  cars

Fuel Economy dot Gov http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

Pretty informative site.  Fuel economy data on all models.  Some info on the various green and fuel efficient technologies.

Added in Solar Cooking        -- 1/3/06                 -- a clever solar still design

Watercone Solar Still http://www.watercone.com/product.html

A slick new design for solar still. "This Invention represents a conical, self-supporting and stackable Unit made from transparent, thermo-formable polycarbonate (same as water dispensers) outfitted with a screw cap spout at the tip and an inward circular collecting trough at the base. Technically speaking it is a solar still. "

Added in Experimental     -- 1/2/06     -- an interesting rig to measure window performance

Mobile Window Thermal Test (MoWiTT) Facility http://windows.lbl.gov/facilities/Mowitt/Default.htm

An interesting test rig to measure the side by side performance of two test windows under actual field conditions.

--------

Added in Projects-

A Guide To Building and Planning Solar Homes  -- Solar Homes for North Carolina II A Design Competition Planbook • June 1999 Energy Division, North Carolina Department of Commerce 38 Page Guide and Plans (3.1 MB pdf)

A 38 page guide to passive solar home design and concept level plans for nine solar homes.  Written for North Carolina, the homes emphasize a careful balance between solar space heating in winter and overheat protection in the summer -- should be applicable to other parts of the SE.

Added in Projects->Vehicles             12/15/05         Very good site for hybrid car information

Hybrid Cars dot com http://www.hybridcars.com/index.html

Good website for information on hybrids.  Benefits, tax incentives, reviews, gas mileage calculator.

Added in Projects->Sunspaces/Greenhouses   12/14/05     -- Root Cellar

Root Cellar for Vegetable Storage Canada Plan Service Root Cellar Plan 6321 (pdf) Root Cellar Info  6321 (pdf)

Root cellar for vegetable storage.

Added in Projects->BioFuels         12/13/05          -- shelled corn as a fuel

Burning Shelled Corn As Fuel Penn State Agricultural and Biological Engineering http://energy.cas.psu.edu/burncorn/shellcorn.html

Some good and reliable advice on burning shelled corn as a heating fuel.

Added in Projects->BioFuels         12/13/05     -- Manure to methane

Anaerobic Digestion: Biogas Production and Odor Reduction from Manure Jeannie Leggett, Extension Assistant Robert E. Graves, Professor of Agricultural Engineering Les E. Lanyon, Associate Professor of Soil Fertility Penn State Agricultural Extension Full Paper (85K pdf)

An overview of methane production from manure on farms.  Covers how it works and the major issues involved.

Added in Projects->WaterPumping    12/12/05     -- Paper on solar pumping systems for stock watering

Solar-Powered Livestock Watering Systems University of Tennessee Extension Stock Watering PV 1640 (140K pdf)

Good paper on solar stock watering systems.  Covers types of systems, and sizing and designing system. Much of this information could be applicable to a residential water system that uses a storage tank. From the University of Tennessee Extension Service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/ExtPubs/

Added in Projects->Sunspaces         12/12/05    -- Plastic pipe frame greenhouse

Plastic Pipe Frame Hoop Greenhouse University of Tennessee Extension UTE Plan 795-3 (1.2 MB pdf)

12 by 21 ft Greenhouse framed with 1.5 inch plastic pipe.  The design might be adapted to two poly walls with inflated space between for less heat loss. From the University of Tennessee Extension service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu

Added in Projects->Sunspaces         12/12/05      -- Double wall greenhouse with interesting roof framing

Large Gothic Arch Double Wall Poly Covered Greenhouse University of Tennessee Extension UTE Plan 6298 (420K pdf)

Large 21 by 40 ft greenhouse.  Double wall poly cover supported by wood gothic style arches. This might be scaled down to an interesting design for a home size greenhouse. From the University of Tennessee Extension service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu

Added in Projects->Sunspaces         12/12/05    -- Very large double wall poly greenhouse

Very Large Double Wall Poly Greenhouse University of Tennessee Extension UTE Plan 6185 (1.3MB pdf)

28 by 96 ft double wall poly covered greenhouse.  Covered with two sheets of poly with blower inflation between.  Wood or metal truss framing. From the University of Tennessee Extension service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu

Added in Projects->Sunspaces         12/12/05     -- Nice home greenhouse -- fiberglass glazing

Gambrel Home Greenhouse University of Tennessee Extension UTE Plan 6181 (850K pdf)

10 ft by 12 gambrel roof style greenhouse.  Fiberglass pane glazing. Might also work well with Polycarbonate twinwall glazing. From the University of Tennessee Extension service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu

Added in Projects->Sunspaces         12/12/05    -- Poly hotbed with welded wire roof support

Arched Roof Hotbed University of Tennessee Extension UTE Plan 6080 (500K pdf)

4 ft wide, poly covered hotbed.  The poly is supported by 8 gauge welded wire fencing. From the University of Tennessee Extension service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu

Added in Projects->Sunspaces         12/12/05       -- Large, wood framed greenhouse

Large - Wood framed Greenhouse University of Tennessee Extension UTE Plan 6029 (1MB pdf)

Large greenhouse.  22 ft wide by 48 or 96ft long.  Frames are wood trusses. From the University of Tennessee Extension service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu

Added in Projects->Sunspaces         12/12/05        -- Easy to build hotbed frame

Hotbed and Propagating Frame University of Tennessee Extension UTEPlan5971 (668K pdf)

Hotbed 6 by 6 feet and 3.5 ft high.  Covering is poly, and frame is made from conduit and wood. From the University of Tennessee Extension service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu

Added in Projects->Sunspaces         12/12/05        -- nice, simple poly greenhouse

Portable Plastic Greenhouse -- plan 5946 University of Tennessee Extension UTE Plan 5946 ( 540K pdf)

Simple 7 by 12 ft poly covered greenhouse with bent wood for hoops.   From the University of Tennessee Extension service: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu

Added in Projects->Conservation      12/11/05        -- is an unvented crawl space the way to go?

Crawl Space Insulation http://www.advancedenergy.org

Closed (unvented) crawl spaces can reduce heat loss, but have to be done correctly.  This site has lots of detailed information on how to decide on whether to close your crawl space, and how to do it.

Added in Projects->Conservation      12/9/05         -- Electric Mattress pad to save energy

Electric Mattress Pad Gary

Electric mattress pads consume little energy, and can allow substantial bedroom temperature setbacks. Full Story

Added in Projects->Vehicles          12/9/05            -- Steam bike that burns horse manure -- a work of art!

Steam Engine Bicycle Built By Earl Vaughn, Local Inventor http://www.selectmotors.net/steambike.htm

Just could not resist this one.  It burns horse manure.

Added in References                         12/8/05          -- Free source code

Source Code for the Radiation On Collector and Simple Solar Simulation tools

Added in Projects->Conservation   Added 12/7/05     -- 86 page guide to doing energy saving projects

Home Energy Projects http://www.southface.org

Home Energy Projects -- Good, detailed guide on DIY energy conservation projects.  Written for Alabama, but many projects are good for anywhere. " An Energy Conservation Guide for Do-It-Yourselfers - 1.3mb pdf file. This book was created for the state of Alabama with information that applies throughout the southeast U.S. Home Energy Projects contains 86-pages and outlines 25 energy conservation projects, in order of priority, that can be performed by do-it-yourselfers. Contains how-to instructions"

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->Guides         12/7/05    -- very good guide for building homes in the south

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->I Did It Homes   12/7/05   -- good report on energy efficient southern home

Westbrook Solar EarthCraft House from Soutface.org Southface Westbrook Demo House Good Technical report on same house

Good detailed report from southface.org on a demonstration house built in a warm climate for minimal energy use.  The technical report provides good detail on which features saved how much money.  Lots of good ideas. In my humble opinion they would have gotten a lot more bang for the buck from a solar water heating system rather than the solar PV system?

Added in Projects->Conservation   Added 12/6/05      -- How To on insulating under your floors

Filling  A Floor With Bat Insulation Energy Source Builder Newsletter, April 1995 http://www.oikos.com/esb/38/floorinsulation.html

How to add insulation under your floor.   Uninsulated floor can be a major source of heat loss.

Added in Projects->Cooling         Added 12/6/05     --   No AC house in hot climate

Innovative Design Eliminates Cooling Equipment Energy Source Builder #36, December 1994. http://www.oikos.com/esb/36/Inno_Des.html

Article describes a house in Davis, CA (103F summer design temperature) with no refrigerated air conditioning system.  The system uses night time ventilation and thermal mass to provide cooling.  An evaporative cooler is operated at night to cool thermal mass.

Added in Project->SolarHomes       Added 12/6/05   -- good article on building with SIPs

SIPs Panel House Demonstrates Building Innovations http://www.oikos.com/esb/35/demo.html

Energy Source Builder Newsletter, issue 35, 1994. Article on building with SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) to make a well insulated and VERY tight home.  With some actual measurements of heat loss and air infilatration.

Added in Projects->Conservation    Added 12/5/05      -- Simple afternoon project with great payback

Simple, Clear Acrylic Inside Storm Windows Gary

Very simple inside Acrylic storm windows.  Absolutely clear and non-distorting. They return 50%+ on your tax free, inflation protected investment, and may qualify for rebates in your state.  And, save 100+lbs of greenhouse gas emissions per year for a typical window!

Added in Projects->Cooling     Added 12/5/05     -- Using your radiant heated floor for cooling

Hydronic Cooling Energy Source Builder, Issue 53 http://www.oikos.com/esb/53/hydroniccool.html

An article from the Energy Source Builder Newsletter on using hydronic heating systems for cooling, including radiant floor systems.

Added in Projects->Hydro    Added 12/5/05        --  DIY water power!

Overshot Water Wheel Design and Construction Manual Published by VITA http://sleekfreak.ath.cx

Very detailed design and construction information on overshoot water wheels.  The published data indicates that these wheels can be quite efficient.

Added in Projects->Hydro    Added 12/4/05        --  free downloads on small hydro power from HomePower

Home Power Micro Hydro Articles http://www.homepower.com/education/comp_hydro.cfm Level File Name Description Beginner hp44-24.pdf "Micro Hydro Power in the 90s" from HP 44, page 24. Secondary hp67-68.pdf "Energy Systems & Design’s Stream Engine" product test from HP 67, page 68. Advanced hp20-6.pdf "Kennedy Creek Hydroelectric Systems" from HP 20, page 6. More hp65-36.pdf "240 VAC Direct-Drive Hydro" from HP 65, page 36

Home Power Magazine is providing the articles to the left as free downloads.  Very good. From the same link: "Small scale hydro (micro-hydro) is the cheapest way to power an RE home. The price per watt-hour is far cheaper than photovoltaics (PV) and even less than wind. Streams run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and often 52 weeks per year. The resource is much more site-specific than solar. But if you are lucky enough to have enough head (height between your source and your hydro turbine) and enough flow, then go hydro. "

Added in Projects->conservation     Added 11/29/05      -- Checklist for home energy saving measures

Home Energy Checklist From the Energy and Environmental Building Association http://www.eeba.org/technology/publications/hec/default.htm

Good checklist of steps to take to reduce energy consumption in your house or apartment.  The "Myths" are almost as useful as the checklist items.

Added in Projects->Conservation    Added 11/28/05    -- Radiant Barrier guide

Radiant Barriers From Southface at southface.org Radiant Barrier Guide (21K pdf)

Good guide on how radiant barriers work, what to expect in the way of savings, and how to install. Other good materials on the Southface website.

Added in Projects->Conservation   Added 11/28/05   -- good guide on reducing air infiltration

Air Sealing From Southface at: www.Southface.org Air Sealing Guide (139K pdf)

Good, detailed guide on sealing houses to reduce air infiltration. From the Southface website -- other good material on this site.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes   Added 11/28/05        -- very good checklist for new construction

Added in Projects->Passive Cooling       Added 11/28/05     -- very good article on passive cooling methods

The Energy Source Builder newsletter   http://www.oikos.com/esb/51/passivecooling.html

A very good article that provides a simple method to allow you to determine which passive cooling techniques are best for your climate. This article is based on the  book "Sun, Wind and Light" (see next item).

Added in References->HomeHeatLoss     Added 11/28/05        -- tool to estimate real performance of walls

Whole Wall Heat Loss Calculator Oak Ridge National Laboratory http://www.ornl.gov

An online calculator to estimate the R value of entire walls, including the areas where R value is reduced by corners, window frames, door frames etc. Works for a wide variety of wall constructions. Results based on testing of actual wall sections.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->Guidelines      Added 11/26/05  -- very good tips on building small

Small, Efficient, and Beautiful Energy Source Builder Newsletter http://www.oikos.com/esb/52/smallefficient.html

Good article from the Energy Source Builder Newsletter with many practical and specific guidelines on building smaller homes that work well and seem spacious.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes      Added 11/24/05          -- not a solar house, but very nice

http://www.themushroomhouse.com/

Beautifully done home near Whistler, BC.

Added in Projects->Wind           Added 11/20/05      -- Good site on DIY wind generator projects

Wind Stuff Now http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/

Good personal site on DIY wind generator design and build.  Several projects described, program for wind generator sizing.

Added in Projects->Wind       Added 11/20/05       -- Plans and kit for DIY wind generator

Dragon Fly Wind Generator Plans/Kit http://dragonflypower.com/DragonBlerb.htm

Inexpensive plans for a 9ft diameter wind generator.  Kits for some of the part also offered.

Added in Projects->Vehicles        Added 11/19/05    -- Good site for latest news on fuel efficient car technology

Green Car Congress http://www.greencarcongress.com/topics.html

The latest news on fuel cells, hybrids, engines, BioDiesel, fuel efficient cars, ... Well organized and up to date.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->Communities   Added 11/15/05  -- A unique community in Denmark

Friland http://www.dr.dk/friland/index_english.htm

"Friland (Freeland) is the home of a small community, the Friland Cooperative Ltd. It is situated in Jutland on Djursland, about 20 miles east of Aarhus, Denmark's second largest city." "Even though it is called "Freeland", a few rules apply to all: First of all every family must build a mortgage-free house using recycled or natural materials such as bricks, straw, clay and mussel shells." "Secondly, when moving into their self-built houses - at least one person in every household must start his/her own business or telecommute. Hopefully, in time Friland will become a local power centre and a valid contribution to the regeneration of rural areas."

Added in References->Emissions     Added 11/15/05    -- An easy to use emissions calculator from BP

BP Carbon Calculator http://www.bp.com/iframe.do?categoryId=9005522&contentId=7011382

A very simple and interactive calculator from BP to estimate your "Carbon Footprint".  It also provides quick, interactive ways to see how much you can reduce your Carbon output.

Added in Projects->Conservation   Updated 11/13/05   -- This is dirt cheap, and easy -- 3 month payback!

Bubble Wrap Window Insulation Gary

A really cheap and quick way to insulate windows that you don't need a clear view out of. Added some small updates to instructions 11/13/05.

Added in Projects->Biofuels    11/13/05 -- an website on burning corn for fuel

"I Burn Corn" http://www.iburncorn.com/

"I Burn Corn"  a fine personal site on the practicalities of burning corn for fuel.   Great source of practical, hands-on corn burning experience.  Also provides a number of good links, references, and a discussion forum.

Added in Projects->Biofuels        11/5/05          Everything you ever wanted to know about wood heaters

Hearth.com http://hearth.com/info.html

Very extensive collection of articles, FAQ's, and a searchable data base of questions and answers.

Added in Project->WaterPumping  11/5/05     Method to size ram pumps

Hydraulic Ram Pumps Prepared by: Gregory D. Jennings, PhD, PE   www.bae.ncsu.edu

This paper explains how ramp pumps operate, and allows you to size your ram pump.

Added in Projects->Biofuels     11/4/05            Simple sawdust burning heater

Sawdust Burning Heater Mother Earth News www.motherearthnews.com

Plans for a sawdust burning heater from the Mother Earth News archives

Added in Experimental     11/3/05                     --- simple rotationally molded plastic water heater

One piece, rotationally molded polyethylene water heater www.solco.com.au

Another interesting Australian water heating concept that appears to have the potential to be mass produced inexpensively. "The one-piece collector and storage tank is made from a high technology rotationally-moulded, UV stabilised polyethylene. This method and material of manufacture give the Solartech Genius definite advantages over metal based systems and allow us to boast a lifetime guarantee against rust and corrosion"

Added in Projects-> Conservation            11/0205   -- great conservations story

Added in Projects->BioFuels      11/01/05         -- Good introduction to biodiesel

Getting Started Making Biodiesel Graydon Blair Energy Self Sufficiency Newsletter http://www.rebelwolf.com/essn.html

Good article on how the process of making biodiesel fuel works.  An easy to understand explanation of the chemistry involved and the processes used to go from vegetable oil to biodiesel. A good starting point.

Added in Projects->BioFuels        10/31/05          -- Methane calculator and methane generator

Methane Generator Calculator http://biorealis.com/wwwroot/digester_revised.html From Biorealis Systems

A calculator to estimate methane production based on various organic materials inputs.

Biorealis Methane Generator http://biorealis.com/digester/construction.html

Complete plans for a small methane generator.

Added in Projects->BioFuels      10/27/05         -- Very clear biodiesel recipe and other good stuff

Mike Pelly's biodiesel method http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_mike.html http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library.html Part of the Journey to Forever site: http://journeytoforever.org

Nice clear explanation of how to make biodiesel, and some of the chemistry behind it. The Journey To Forever site is very interesting, with a good collection of information on biofuels and many other fine projects.

Added in Projects->BIOFuels        10/27/05        -- A couple papers/articles on Methane generation

Small Biogas Plant Plans Nepal Biogas Plant -- Construction Manual

Another farm size biogas plant with full construction plans.

3 - Cubic Meter BIOgas Plane -- A Construction Manual VITA -- Volunteers in Technical Assistance Full Plans

Very interesting paper on making a family scale BIO gas plant that produces methane from manure. Lots of detail on the design, construction and operation.

Utilizing Natural Design Parameters for Methane Digesters, Al Rutan Energy Self Sufficiency Newsletter http://www.rebelwolf.com/essn.html

Article in ESSN Newsletter by Al Rutan covering the basics of methane generation with information on a small scale methane generator.  The ESSN has carried a number of articles on bio-fuels.

Added in Projects->Sunspaces   10/17/05  --  Very detailed plans for this Solar Shed as free download

Solar Shed http://www.handyhome.com/solarshed.htm

Handy Home Products sells kits for these Solar Sheds, but also provides very, very detailed plans as a free download.  Click on their "Instructions Available" link to get the plans.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes   10/10/05    -- A really fine article on how to design an energy efficient home

The Energy Efficient House Solar Today Magazine Richard Crume

Solar Today Magazine article, Sep/Oct 2005.  Richard describes the process they went through in designing an energy efficient home that incorporates solar passive heating and cooling, solar water heating, and many energy conservation features.  It is the best article of its type I have seen -- highly recommended! Read the full article

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->Guides      -- A great book on designing and living in a "tiny" home

"A Tiny Home To Call Your Own" Patricia Foreman and Andy Lee www.GoodEarthPublications.com

This is a really fine book on all aspects of "tiny homes".  It covers tiny home plans, lifestyles, Do-It-Yourself, clutter control, tiny home communities, and provides many stories from people who built a tiny home and live in it.

Added in Projects->Cooking  10/4/05              -- A really inexpensive food dehydrator

J R Whipple solar dehydrator www.jrwhipple.com/sr/soldehydrate.html

"Made from two cardboard boxes, some clear plastic wrap, and a little tape. You can build a nearly free solar dehydrator. Set it on a stool or chair and face it's solar collector towards the sun, and you have a functional food preservation machine for little work and even less money."

Added in Projects->SpaceHeating  10/3/05   -- You can now download the HomePower article

Solar Barn/Workshop Gary The Home Power Magazine article is now available for download

A simple and inexpensive thermosyphon solar space heater for a garage, barn, or workshop (or maybe for a more finished space with some changes). This project is in the Oct/Nov issue of Home Power Magazine.

Added in Projects->SolarHomes->Construction  10/2/05        -- Another way to build a dome home

Monolithic Dome Homes Monolithic Dome Institute www.monolithic.com/gallery/homes/index.html

Monolithic Dome Homes sells plans, books, equipment and materials for constructing dome homes.  The homes start with an inflatable "air frame", Polyurethane insulation is sprayed inside the air frame, then rebar reinforced shot Crete is applied inside the foam.  The web site provides a lot of information on the process and quite a few pictures of sample homes.

Added in Projects->Vehicles   10/1/05         -- A $7 a month electric car for local trips

The "It" electric car http://www.itiselectric.com/products/index.html

A low speed electric car with a range of about 30 miles.   Operates for about $7 per month.

Added in Projects->Vehicles    9/29/05       -- Life with a Prius

10,000 Miles in the Jelly Bean car Gary

A quick report on life with a Prius

Added in Tools     9/29/05            --- Solar radiation data for designing solar projects

Added in Projects->Conservation       9/28/05      -- Lots of interesting pedal power projects here

Pedal Power Campus Center for Appropriate Technology www.humboldt.edu/~ccat/pedalpower/frames.html

Plans and concepts for a variety of human powered appliances, tools, TV's, ... Lots of good ways to get some exercise! Here is a sample: Pedal Washer

I also added a couple of other items added to the same "Human Powered" area of the Conservation section.

Added in Projects-> Water Pumping    9/28/05        Good article on solar powered water pumping

Build your own solar-powered water pumping station Backwoods Magazine Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago91.html

A good Backwoods Magazine article on sizing and installing a solar powered water pumping system for livestock.

Added in Tools    9/27/05                   Some very nice heat loss calculators

The Thermal Wizard -- A variety of heat loss calculators http://www.thermal-wizard.com/tmwiz/

Heat loss calculators for a variety of gas and liquid flow conditions.

Added in Projects->Space Heating   9/27/05   Nice detailed  plans for two window type solar collector

Mother's "Heat Grabber" Mother Earth News http://www.motherearthnews.com	A nice complete set of plans to build a below window solar collector.  The collector uses a small part of the bottom of an existing window for the entry and exit vents.
Maine Solar Primer "Sun Grabber" Maine Solar Energy Association	Plans for a simple thermosyphon air collector that connects to an existing window. Courtesy of the Main Solar Energy Association

Added In Experimental    9/25/05          Quite a few interesting experimental bicycles

Electric Bicycle Experiments http://electric-bicycle-experiments.com/

A large collection of experimental electric bikes and trikes.  Some with fairly detailed descriptions.

Added In Project->Conservation Added 9/25/05      Simple sun shades to reduce window heat gain

Window Shading Scheme -- from the Econogics site http://www.econogics.com/busys/shadecl.htm

This is a pretty nice way to provide shading of windows on the outside (where it is most effective).  The shade cloth is held in place with magnets and can easily be removed.

Added In Project->Conservation Added 9/25/05      Simple insulating window quilt

Insulating Window Quilt -- from the Econigics site http://www.econogics.com/busys/wnquilt.htm

A simple DIY scheme for making highly effective insulating window quilts.

Added In Project->SolarHomes->I-Did-It       Added 9/17/05    Great story on sustainable living in town

Green Half-Acre -- Off-Grid Country Living-- In the City Risa Buck, photos Pam Lott www.homepower.com Search HP archives for issue 109

Home Power Magazine article, issue 109 A very good article on building and living in a passive solar, off-grid home with extensive gardens and solar water heating.  A half-acre homestead almost in the city.

Added In Projects->Lighting      Added 9/17/05   Guidelines for using solar lighting

Designing with Lighting Chris Herman www.homepower.com Search the HP achieves for issue 109

Home Power Article, Issue 109 Good article on using natural daylighting  in homes.  Good guidance on how to get natural lighting while avoiding overheating.

Added In Projects->Space Heating       Added 9/17/05   A simple way to tap geothermal heat

Geothermal Hot Tubing Michael Hackleman www.homepower.com Search HP archives for issue 109

Home Power Magazine Article, Issue 109 Article on using a geothermal hot spring as a heating source for hot tub and space heating.  The system uses a custom built heat exchanger made from copper pipe coils to transfer heat from the hot spring.

Added In Projects->Water Heating     Added 9/16/05   Another good, simple solar shower

And, yet another solar shower From PB Floyd and the Slingshot newspaper Plans

A simple solar shower made from a few lengths of 3 inch ABS plastic pipe.

Added In Experimental      Added 9/15/05   Very interesting site

Solar Bubble Build www.solarbubblebuild.com/build_images13.php

Pretty detailed description of a building using the soap bubble insulation scheme.

Added In Experimental        Added 9/15/05   The latest in phase change materials for heat storage

Phase Change Materials Homepage http://freespace.virgin.net/m.eckert/index.htm And, from the EERE site: www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/db3.html

The latest on the application of phase change materials for heat storage.

Added In Experimental          Added 9/12/05   A simple and cheap way to build a solar collector

Solar Water Collector from CPVC Pipe CPVC Collector Test

This is a try at a very easy to build and cheap solar flat plate collector that uses CPVC pipe, and extruded alum radiant floor heat spreaders. Mixed results.

Added In Projects->Sunspaces       Added 9/14/05   Two new solar greenhouse guidelines

Greenhouse Management Online www.uark.edu/~mrevans/4703/index.html	A fairly extensive free online class on design and construction, cooling, irrigation, ...
Solar Greenhouses Barbara Bellows http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/solar-gh.html	Good writeup on solar greenhouses.  Covers fundamentals and then goes on to cover a variety of solar greenhouse approaches, including some unusual ones.  Includes an extensive list of references.

Added In Projects->Conservation       Added 9/12/05   Greywater heat exchangers -- don't let the heat go down the drain!

GFX Gray Water Heat Exchanger www.gfxtechnology.com/ This is one brand of gray water heat exchanger.

A well designed gray water heat exchanger can recover a large fraction of the heat that would normally go down the drain in your shower, and some other hot water uses. In a normal shower, you spend a lot of energy heating water from 50F or so up to 100F.  It flows out the shower nozzle, over your bod, and down the drain taking 95% or so of the energy you just spent heating it.  The gray water heat exchanger uses the heat in the drain water to heat the incoming water.

Added In Tools      Added 9/13/05     Greenhouse gas calculator

Added In Projects->SolarHomes->Construction      Added 9/10/05    Nice post on building a SIP house

One Year in A Foam House Foam House

A fairly detailed description of a house built using Thermasteel SIP (Structural Insulated Panels) walls and an ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) foundation.

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