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Added in Projects -> Biofuels 2/28/07 Heating water with a wood stove
| Heating Water With a Wood Stove http://www.woodheat.org/dhw/dhw.htm
|
 This
excellent article on domestic water heating with a wood stove provides
descriptions of several good systems, and covers the features a good system
should have.It also provides safety information which is MANDATORY READING for anyone adding water heating to a wood stove. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 2/28/07 Dual pane Mylar film storm windows
|
Dual Pane Mylar Film Inside Storm Windows
|
 Picture
plans for making an dual pane inside storm window with an R value of 2.
The Mylar is quite clear, and the thermal performance with two panes is about twice as good as a typical single pane storm window. |
Updated in Projects -> Conservation 2/27/07 Bubble wrap window insulation life report
|
Bubble
Wrap Window Insulation Gary New Installation Instruction Sheet (8/15/06) Added a report on bubble wrap life from Doug 2/27/07 AND, The Card Board Shutter |
 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.
|
Updated in Projects -> Wind 2/25/07 A great site for DIY windmill information
| DIY Windmills from The Back Shed www.thebackshed.com/windmill/default.asp
(updated 2/25/07) |
 This
is a terrific site for build it yourself windmill information, and getting
better all the time. It includes very detailed pictu re
plans for a moderate size windmill based on the Fisher Paykel motor.
The plans use standard steel sections, and a require a minimum in the way of
special tools. |
Updated in Projects -> Solar Vehicles 2/23/07 Good place to start looking for electric transport
|
Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) http://www.electric-bikes.com/lev.htm
This is a good place to start looking for a small efficient electric vehicle. |
 A great
site for unbiased 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 -> Water 2/22/07 Overview of waterless (composting) toilets
| Waterless Toilets www.greenhouse.gov.au
|
 A
good overview write up on two types of composting toilets.Covers continuous composting and batch composting toilets including some pros and cons of each. |
Added in Projects-> Water 2/22/07 "The Composting Toilet System Book"
| The Composting Toilet System Book. David Del Porto and Carol Steinfeld Widely available |
 Very
good book on composting toilets. History, types of, how they work, how
to take care of them, owners stories. And, enough detail to build some of the designs. Also, a good chapter on greywater treatment and recycling. |
Added in Projects -> Water 2/22/07 Clivusmultrum Composting Toilet
| Clivusmultrum Composting Toilets www.clivusmultrum.com/proj_residential.shtml
|
 With
this toilet, the composting container goes in the basement and can serve
more than one toilet. This is a well established design that has been in use for several decades. The book "The New Autonomous House", Vale gives an extensive description of installing and living with this toilet -- nearly all favorable. |
Added in Projects -> PV 2/21/07 Introduction to Off-Grid PV systems
|
Taking the Plunge!
An Off-the-Grid Home Tour to Learn the Basics of a Renewable Energy System,
William Kemp (pdf)
|
 A
good primer on what's involved in planning for an living in an off-grid home
with solar electricity generation. A lot of emphasis on the conservation steps needed to get demand down. Not a lot of hands-on, but a very good introduction. |
Added in References -> Pipe and Duct Tools 2/20/07 Online pressure drop calculator
| Pipe Pressure Drop Online
Calculator
|
 Nice
online pressure drop calculator. Handles a wide variety of situations.Also figures loss for bends, orifices, nozzles, ... |
Added in Projects -> Hydro 2/19/07 A Turgo wheel micro hydro system
| Aspen Hollow Micro-Hydro System
Aspen Micro Hydro System Description: Turgo spoons, runners, nozzles,.. for sale: |
 Quite
a bit of detailed information on sizing, designing and building a Turgo
wheel micro hydro system, as well as what appear to be reasonably priced
parts to build such a system.Note the unusual inlet that requires minimal stream disturbance. The information is kind of spread around, so look around carefully. |
Updated the Site Map 2/16/07 Site Map
|
Updated and revamped the Site Map I am told that this is the easiest way to find stuff in this slightly disorganized place. |
Added in Projects -> Water 2/15/07 Natural Swimming Pools
| Taking the Plunge Naturally, Permaculture Magazine
www.permaculture.co.uk/mag/Articles/Swimming.html Mother Earth News Article: |
 These
beautiful swimming pools clean themselves naturally (no chemicals).
Less impact, less energy, nicer looking, less expensive to build and
maintain. |
Added in Projects -> Water 2/15/07 Water Pasteurization Indicator
| Water Pasteurization Indicator Indicates when water has reached a high enough temperature to kill harmful microbes. http://solarwapi.blogspot.com/
|
 "The
reusable WAPI (Water Pasteurization Indicator) is a simple, low cost device
containing a special soy wax that helps users determine when water has
reached pasteurization temperatures. The wax melts at the same temperature
as the water is pasteurized."
|
Updated in Projects -> Hydro 2/15/07 Undershot water wheel
| Undershot Water Wheel
This is the paper that was used in designing this water wheel: Update 2/15/07 -- some email questions answered. |
 This
efficient undershot waterwheel looks like its been part of the scenery for a
hundred years. Full details on how it was built. |
Added in Experimental 2/15/07 Roof cooling sprinkler system
|
Roof Sprinkler Cooling System, John
|
 Roof
sprinkler system lowers roof temperature and cooling bills by keeping the
roof cooler through water evaporation. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 2/14/07 Making Your Own Interior Storm Windows
|
Making Your Own Interior Storm Windows, From Paul
|
 Paul
provides a good detailed set of instructions on how to design, build, and
install inside Acrylic storm windows. |
Added in Projects -> Wood Burning 2/12/07 A Hybrid Masonry Stove
| Hybrid Masonry Stove http://geopathfinder.com/9597.html
|
 "we
used a style common in Germany, the hybrid masonry stove. It uses a steel or
cast iron stove for the firebox but wraps masonry around the metal on 4 or 5
sides, excluding the loading door and, optionally, a cook-top. We added a
large masonry chamber behind the stove to allow flue gases to circulate
through some extra mass, boosting the total masonry weight to 2 tons." |
Added in Projects->Solar Homes -> Construction 2/12/07 Unusual strawbale wall construction
|
An Unusual Strawbale Construction Technique http://geopathfinder.com/9535.html
|
 This
super insulated, solar and wood heated home uses an unusual Strawbale wall
construction.Quite a bit of how-to detail. |
Added in Projects -> Water 2/12/07 A rainwater harvesting system
|
Rainwater Harvesting
http://geopathfinder.com/9566.html
|
 Pretty
complete story on a rainwater harvesting system in use since 1984.Quite a bit of how to build and how to use such a system. |
Added in Projects -> Water 2/10/07 New section on water
|
How to
catch water, conserve water, and reuse water |
Added in Projects -> Wind 2/10/07 An 11KW Home Built Wind Turbine
| Prototype 11 KW Wind Turbine
Plans for 11 KW Wind Turbine (pdf)
|
 What
appears to be a very professionally designed, large, home built wind
turbine. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Water Pumping 2/10/07 Guide to water pumping windmills
| Wind Pumping, From Practical Action.org
|
 A
guide to wind mill water pumping. Characteristics of mechanical vs
electric powered water pumps. Some design and sizing information. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Water Pumping 2/10/07 Guide to solar (PV) ater pumping
| Solar (Photovoltaic) Water
Pumping, From Practical Action .org
|
 Some
good information on selecting and sizing a PV powered water pumping systems.
Covers types of systems vs depth and flow required. |
Updated in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Examples 2/9/07 More information on Balcomb Sunspace Home
|
BalComb Sunspace Home Recent Solar Today Article featuring Balcomb House (pdf) |
  A well know solar passive design with an integrated sunspace. Built in 1976. 89% solar heated in the 7000 deg-day New Mexico climate. The links to the left provide fairly detailed information on the home. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Examples 2/9/07 The Mobile Hermitage
| The Mobile Hermitage |
  Site
with quite a bit of detail on the "Mobile Hermitage" -- a very small
transportable home. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Vehicles 2/8/07 Kevin's Solar Electric Bicycle
|
Kevins Electric Bike with Solar Mud Guards
|
 Kevin
built an electric. Maximum speed is about 25mph, and the range is
about 12 miles -- more if you
pedal some.And, the PV panels double as mud guards. More ... |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 2/8/07 Build a ferro cement tank
| Ferro Cement Tanks http://ferrocement.com/tankBook/indici.en.html
|
 Quite
a detailed free online book on how to construct a ferro cement water tank. |
Added in Projects -> Educational 2/7/07 Renewable energy demonstration trailer
|
SunChaser Education Program, New Mexico Solar Energy Association The "SunChaser" trailer: And, an even more portable "kit": |
 This
is a neat program that uses a trailer full of displays of renewable energy
applications. The trailer makes visits on request. This program is probably limited to NM, but you could start one in your state. The NMSEA website also has some good solar labs for students. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 2/7/07 Insulating a sliding glass door
|
Insulating a
Sliding Glass Door
Gary |
 This
describes an easy way to cut the heat loss through a sliding glass door in
half while still maintaining the sliding door function.The payback period in cold climates is about one half of a heating season. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 2/7/07 Added the Card Board Shutter to the bubble wrap window insul
|
Bubble
Wrap Window Insulation Gary New Installation Instruction Sheet
(8/15/06) AND, The Card
Board Shutter |
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 -> Conservation 2/6/07 A mixer for high ceilings
|
Preventing Stratification With High Ceilings Heat Harvester:
|
 Homes
or buildings with high ceilings can result in lots of hot air near the
ceiling. The "Heat Harvester" (or a ceiling fan) can keep the air
mixed up and save some heat.Note that high ceilings don't always result in stratification, so check to make sure you really need one of these here ... |
Added in Projects -> Lighting 2/6/07 A new product that provides lighting and ventilation
|
SunCatcher -- Solar Lighting and Ventilation
|
 An
interesting new product that provides both solar daylighting and
ventilation. |
Added in Projects -> Wood Drying 2/3/07 Great site for solar wood drying information
|
Virginia Tech Solar Kiln
|
 This
is a really excellent resource for wood drying information. Including plans for what looks like a very well thought out solar wood drying kiln. |
Added in References -> Climatic 2/2/07 Easy to use and free degree-day tools
| Energy CAP Free Weather Data Tools http://www.energycap.com/weather/
|
 A
nice set of free web tools that give heating and cooling degree day
information for 1200 locations.Provides historic, current, and even near term degree day forecasts. Very easy to use. Note that the default balance point temperature is 55F -- you can change it to the more usual 65F if you wish. |
Updated in Projects -> Solar Vehicles 2/1/07 Added source for lawnmower motors
|
Converting A Gas Lawn Mower To Solar Charged Electric Power, Guy Marsden http://www.arttec.net/Solar_Mower/index.html
Potential cheap source for electric lawnmower motors
... |
 Guy
shows in detail how he converted a noisy polluting gas mower into a solar
charged electric mower.Guy's website has a wealth of information on solar
space and water heating, conservation, ... |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 2/1/07 Plans for Inside storm windows
|
Plans Inside Storm Window
Another inside storm window how-to:
|
 Plans
for a simple inside storm window made from poly film.Clear
vinyl film might give a little more clear a view. |
Added in Projects -> Sunspaces 1/31/07 Kiva's Strawbale Greenhouse
| Kiva's Straw Bale Greenhouse
|
 Very
nice and complete set of plans and pictures for a 10 by 12 foot greenhouse.
Includes the use of 2 walls constructed from strawbales.
|
Added in Projects -> Solar Vehicles 1/30/07 Convert gas lawn mower to solar
|
Converting A Gas Lawn Mower To Solar Charged Electric Power, Guy Marsden http://www.arttec.net/Solar_Mower/index.html
|
Guy
shows in detail how he converted a noisy polluting gas mower into a solar
charged electric mower. Guy's website has a wealth of information on solar
space and water heating, conservation, ... |
Added in Projects -> Solar Vehicles 1/30 07 Convert gas lawn mower to solar
|
Solar Charged Lawnmower From Appropedia.org www.appropedia.org/Solar_Charged_Lawnmower
|
 Appropedia
article describes converting a gas mower to a solar electric motor.Provides some useful information for any project that needs a fair amount of power (1 hp) run from solar electricity. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Design Examples 1/29/07 Balcomb Sunspace Home
|
BalComb Sunspace Home Recent Solar Today Article featuring Balcomb House (pdf) http://www.motherearthnews.com
|
A well know solar passive design with an integrated sunspace. Built in 1976. 89% solar heated in the 7000 deg-day New Mexico climate. The links to the left provide fairly detailed information on the home. (I believe there is quite a bit more material published on this home -- if you know of other material, please let me know) |
Added in References -> Measurments 1/28/07 Measuring water flow rates
|
Using the DLJ Water
Meter for Flow Measurement
|
 An
example of using these water meters to measure and log flow rate and total
flow of water (including hot water). |
Added in References -> Glazing 1/27/07 Thin film glazing materials
|
Teflon, Tefzel, and Tedlar
|
These products from DuPont may may
be a good choice in thin films for an inner layer of glazing for solar
collectors. If you know of a good source for these films in small quantities, please let me know -- Gary. |
Added in References -> All Around Solar References 1/23/07 Living With Ed -- TV series
| TV Series: Living With Ed HGTV http://livingwithed.net/index.asp
|
TV series about
 Ed
and Rachelle Begley's life in their small simple home. Covers solar
electric, electric car, bicycles, food growing, recycling ... Not what you expect from a well know Hollywood actor. The things I find most appealing about this series is that 1) Ed "walks the walk" -- this is not an hour a week TV exercise, this is how they live. 2) its not preachy -- in fact, its all done with a good sense of humor, 3) the things Ed has done and the projects he tackles are generally sound and well thought out, not just the usual TV "looks cool" stuff. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 1/23/07 The Thomason Trickle collector
|
The Thomason
Trickle Collector
|
  Dr. Harry Thomason invented the simple solar collector that heats water by trickling it down the channels of a corrugated roof under glazing. This very simple collector is used in a number of residential and commercial building. He also invented an number of other solar heating and cooling concepts. These descriptions of Dr. Thomason's patents and related articles provide quite a bit of design information. (thanks to Nick Pine for providing these) |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 1/22/07 No waste Electric Tea Kettle
| ECO Electric Tda Kettle
Available under the toastess Brand in the US: |
 An
electric tea kettle that boils exactly as much water as you need -- not two
or three times as much.It would be nice if more manufacturers paid attention to the details like this -- it takes a lot of energy to boil water. (thanks to Vanya for suggesting this) If you avoid boiling 6 cups of water a day, this adds up to 1.2 KWH per day, or 430 KWH per year and 900 lbs of CO2 if your electricity comes from a coal powered plant |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 1/21/07 Reflector/Shades by Steve Baer
| Reflector/Shades, Steve Baer, Zomeworks Corporation http://zomeworks.com/tech/tech.html
|
 A
good paper by Steve Baer reviewing the use of seasonally moveable reflectors
to increase solar heat gain in the winter, and reduce unwanted heat gain in
the summer.A nice mix of solar physics and practical how-to that Steve has gained in the building of many of these types of reflector systems over the years. |
Added in Projects -> Biofuels 1/20/07 Biofuel burner
|
Journey to Forevers's Forced-Air BioFuel Heater
|
 From
Journey to Forever: Plans and design information on burners that will burn
biodiesel and/or WVO.Quite a bit of design information and experiences with prototypes. |
Added in References -> Conservation -> "I Did It" 1/20/07 Camerons "Lazy" approach to energy saving
| "Lazy" approach to conservation
still works http://cameronmiller.net/energy-savings/
|
 Cameron
describes his "lazy" approach to energy conservation.
The approach may be lazy, but his gas bill is still down about 40% |
Updated in References -> Collector Ratings 1/17/07 Added "How to use SRCC ratings"
| Solar Collector and Certification
Corporation
|
 The SRCC provides independent certification, rating, and performance data for solar collectors and for solar water heating systems. Download the "Directory of SRCC Certified Solar Collectors" to get detailed performance data under various service conditions for dozens and dozens of collectors. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 1/17/07 Dry Stack book
|
Dry Stacked Construction Handbook, Lynn Graves
http://www.drystacked.com/jumpstart.html
|
 A
promising looking book on Dry Stack Concrete construction.It appears to still be a few days away from being available. Many photos of dry stack construction on this page: |
Updated in Projects -> Space Heating 1/16/07 Update on the Solar Shed project -- !First Heat!
| The Solar Shed for House Heating
Gary Updated 1/15/07 -- !First Heat! |
 This
is the setup I use to solar heat my house. It uses 240 sqft of solar
water heating collectors mounted on a new garden shed. Heat is stored
in a 500 gallon tank that lives in the shed. Heated water is piped to
the house as required via insulated underground pipes.Excruciating detail is provided :) |
Added in Projects > PV 1/12/07 Installing a grid tied PV system
| Video: Photovoltiaic Power -- One Homeowners Solution |
 Pretty
good home owner video on planning for and installing a small, grid tied PV
system.There is a long intro on the benefits of PV, followed by some detail on the installation. |
Updated in Projects -> Spaceheating 1/11/07 Added the Alternative to Building Your Own Doors.
|
Garage/Workshop Sunspace -- Full Details ...
Gary |
Home Power Magazine article -- issue 117 Feb/Mar 07. This is a simple way to turn your garage into a delightful solar heated and lighted workshop or studio. My all-time favorite Do-It-Yourself solar project!
An Alternative to Building Your Own Doors: Here is a variation on this scheme suggested by Ed that uses commercially available doors instead to the home made doors . Details ... |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 1/10/07 Sealing attic pull-down stair opening
|
DIY version of "Attic Tent"
|
 Here
is an easy to build means to cut heat loss through the pull down attic
stairway opening. |
Added in Projects -> Wind 1/9/07 Skystream Wind Turbine
| Skystream 3.7 Wind Turbine from
Southwest Windpower http://www.windenergy.com/index_wind.htm
|
 This
is kind of the opposite of Do-It-Yourself, but I thought it was interesting.The Skystream is a 12 ft diameter turbine that is designed for grid connected residential use. It comes as a package that includes all the electronics and grid tie inverter. Kind of a plug-and-play wind turbine. It claims to be designed to fit into residential areas -- low noise, street lamp type tower, ... About $7000 plus installation. It is said to produce 400 KWH per month in winds averaging 12.3 mph. |
Added in Projects -> Experimental 1/9/07 Seasonal thermal storage community
| Drake Landing -- Community
with Solar Seasonal Storage for Water and Space Heating
Brochure: Photos: |
 New
Alberta community uses 2300 sq meters of solar thermal collectors to collect
heat in the summer for use in the winter. Heat is stored in a field of
144 boreholes, and distributed by a common heating loop serving the 52
houses. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> I Did It 1/8/07 Building and living in an Earthship
|
Allen and Pat's Eartship http://www.gradyallengooch.com/
|
 A
great story about building and living in a 900 sqft Earthship in the Zuni
mountains of New Mexico.Quite a bit of detail. |
Added in
Projects ->
Conservation -> "I Did It" 1/7/07
Solar EV and conservation story
& Projects -> Solar
Vehicles -> Conversions
|
Solar Electricity at Home..., Kevin Johnson For now, this article is a free download on the HP home page. If its no longer available on the home page, search the archives for Issue 117 |
 Home
Power magazine article, issue 117.This is quite an amazing story. Kevin details how his family has 1) cut their transportation energy use to about 5 KWH per day by using an electric vehicle conversion, and 2) their home electricity use to about 5 KWH per day through conservation. All of this energy is supplied by all of this energy is supplied by a 2.9 KW grid tied PV system. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Space Heating 1/7/07 A Simple solar space heating and lighting project
|
Garage/Workshop Sunspace -- Full Details ...
Gary |
Home Power Magazine article -- issue 117 Feb/Mar 07. This is a simple way to turn your garage into a delightful solar heated and lighted workshop or studio. My all-time favorite Do-It-Yourself solar project! 9/22/06 -- Completely updated from earlier description. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation -> "I Did It" 1/6/07 Low energy consumption life style in Japan
| The Land of Rising Conservation,
NY Times
|
 Good NY Times article explaining why per household energy consumption in Japan is less than half the US. |
Added in Projects -> Water Heating 1/3/07 A large drainback water heating system
| Large Drainback System for 16 Unit
Appartment Full Details... |
 A
really nicely done large drainback domestic water heating system that serves
a 16 unit apartment building in Philadelphia.
|
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Plans 1/3/07
|
Tiny Houses: or How to Get Away From It All, Lester Walker
|
 Another
book on tiny homes that gets very enthusiastic reviews.Amazon.com provides excerpts and table of contents as well as reviews. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Plans 1/2/07 Tumbleweed Tiny Homes
|
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses.htm
|
 Some
well thought out small homes. Sizes range for less than 100 sqft up to
about 500 sqft. All of them contain all the essentials. Most can be transported on the highway -- if you don't like the neighbors, you can just move. Jay sells plans as well as completed homes. |
Added in Projects -> Biofuels 1/2/07 Wood furnace pollution
| Outside Wood Furnace Pollution and
Regulation
|
 There
is increasing reaction to smoke from outside wood burning furnaces,
especially in urban and suburban areas. Something to investigate
before you buy.Hopefully the manufacturers of these furnaces will respond with some fixes. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes-> Construction 12/30/06 Argriboard SIPs
|
ArgiBoard http://www.agriboard.com/index.htm
ORNL test of Agriboard R value:
|
 Agriboard
is a SIP that uses compressed straw for the core instead of the usual foam
insulation board.Compared to conventional SIPs, it appears to have greater strength, higher fire resistance, and more thermal mass, but less R value for a given thickness. The panels can be either 4 or 8 inches thick. The use of straw for the core and engineered lumber should reduce CO2 emissions compared to conventional construction. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes-> Construction 12/29/06 Engineered lumber "I" studs
| The Steijger Solar
House Home page for the house: ------ Details on wall system used in this house:
|
 A
very interesting solar home in the UK. Features include super insulation, passive solar design with an attached sunspace, heat recovery ventilation, efficient wood heating, 1300 gallon rain water tank, and a 1KW solar electric system. All packaged in a very open and appealing floor plan. The walls are nearly 10 inches thick and use engineered "I" beams with thin webs for studs -- this provides very high R values and low thermal bridging compared to conventional studs. Blown in cellulose is used for insulation. The total energy use is about 4000 KWH per year -- about 1/4 of this is supplied by the current PV rig, with more planned. Many pictures are provided. The house is located in Sheffield/Nottingham/Derby triangle. |
Added in Projects -> Wind 12/27/06 Mike's $140 wind turbine
| How I home-built an electricity producing Wind
turbine www.mdpub.com/Wind_Turbine/index.html
|
 Mike
shows the details on how he built his 4 ft wind turbine using a
surplus DC motor for the generator. Full details a re
provided on the construction, as well as a number of useful design
information links. Total cost was $140. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> "I Did It" 12/25/06 A great solar home in the Netherlands
| The Steijger Solar
House Home page for the house:
|
 A
very interesting solar home in the UK. Features include super insulation, passive solar design with an attached sunspace, heat recovery ventilation, efficient wood heating, 1300 gallon rain water tank, and a 1KW solar electric system. All packaged in a very open and appealing floor plan. The walls are nearly 10 inches thick and use engineered "I" beams with thin webs for studs -- this provides very high R values and low thermal bridging compared to conventional studs. Blown in cellulose is used for insulation. The total energy use is about 4000 KWH per year -- about 1/4 of this is supplied by the current PV rig. Many pictures are provided. The house is located in Sheffield/Nottingham/Derby triangle. |
Added in Projects -> Greenhouses & Sunspaces 12/22/06 Earth Tube greenhouse cooling
|
Performance of Greenhouse Coupled to Earth-Tube-Heat-Exchanger in
Closed-Loop Mode, G. Sharan, H. Prakash, R. Jadhav Download Report (220K pdf)
|
 Report
on the use of earth tubes for greenhouse cooling in a hot and humid location
in India.While this is a larger installation than most of us would need, it provides useful design material and results. The 2nd paper reports on an experiment done with a smaller earth tube -- detailed results are provided. |
Updated in Projects -> Conservation 12/22/06 Update on home power monitors
| Power Cost Monitor: http://www.save-electricity.ca/display.html
TED Power
Monitor:
|
Two Whole House Power Monitors: Power Cost Monitor:  These
easy to install power meters tell you how much electricity your house is
using (and has used).
|
Added in Projects -> Water Pumping 12/21/06 Added some suppliers for windmill pumps
| Suppliers of Windmill Water Pumps, from WindEnergy.org Aeromotor: Ferguson Windmills Company: Oasis Water Pumping Windmill: How the Windmill pumps work: |
 These
are some commercial sources for the traditional windmill driven water pump.
In these pumps, a high torque, low speed wind rotor directly drives a
mechanical linkage to a pump located at the bottom of the well bore.
 These windmill pumps are simple and have been in common use for 120 years. |
Added in Projects -> Lighting 12/21/06 Heliostat Lighting
|
Heliostat Lighting Commercial Products: Some ideas for home built heliostats from Duane at RedRok.com: |
 A
heliostat is a mirror that reflects light onto a fixed target by tracking
the sun. The target can be a window on the north, east, or west side
of the house. The result is great solar daylighting for normally dark
rooms. If the mirror was large enough, some useful heat could be
provided as well. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 12/20/06 DIY Stucco sprayer for strawbale or drystack
|
Stucco Sprayer Plans http://www.johnkingsley.ca/strawbale/index.html How-To from seller of stucco sprayers:
|
 A
stucco (mud) sprayer is said to make spraying the stucco for strawbale or
the bonding for dry stack blocks much faster and less tiring.Here are some plans to make one that look pretty simple. |
Added in Projects -> Interesting Projects 12/19.06 Heliostat lights up town square
| Mirror gives Italian Village Its Place in the Sun |
 "ROME
(Reuters) - A village in the Italian Alps is finally basking in winter
sunlight thanks to a giant mirror installed on a mountain top to reflect the
sun's rays into the main square."They use a heliostat to reflect sun into the town square. I've thought about doing this (on a much smaller scale) to reflect light into my east facing living room windows. |
Added in Projects -> Wood Drying 12/18/06 Solar wood drying kiln
| Constructing and Operating A Small Solar-Heater Lumber Dryer, Paul Bois, National Wood Drying Specialist |
 Plans
for a solar wood drying kiln. This is 2nd generation design that has
been tested and produces good results. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 12/17/06 Update on ganged solar collectors
| Ganged Forced Air Solar Collectors Updated 12/17/06 |
 Nicely
done set of home built solar air collectors with a well thought out way to
join collectors. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation and Lighting 12/14/06 Added some material on lighting
| Efficient Lighting
EERE on Types of Lighting This is our families estimated saving in energy and GHG's for going to
CFL's: |
 It
is a just plain no-brainer to use fluorescents and compact fluorescents.
They are far more efficient, last much much longer, and will save you a ton
of money and greenhouse gas emissions. Most utility companies offer some form of rebate program for buying CFL's -- making it even more of a no-brainer! |
| Daylighting
|
 Using
daylighting not only provides better and more pleasant lighting, it saves
energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
|
| LED Holiday Lights Almost all of the usual places that sell holiday lights now sell the LED lights. Prices still vary a lot, so it worth shopping around. We got ours a Costco for about $10 per string.
|
 LED
holiday lights are safer (no heat), last a very long time, and look
great. They also use much less energy and significantly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. The energy saving can be 90% or more.A typical 100 light LED string uses less than 4 watts! They have an expected lifetime of 20+ years. With the LED holiday light prices dropping, the payback period can be as small as a season or two (considering both lower operating cost and longer life). |
Added in Projects -> Pool Heating 12/14/06 Cheap solar hot tub
| Build Your Own Solar Hot Tub, Robert Herman www.hotspringsenthusiast.com/SolarTub.asp
|
 A
fairly detailed article on building your own solar heated hot tube.The author used a stock tank and a used solar collector to keep the total cost down to $100. The collector is hooked up as a simple thermosyphon, so that no controls or pumps are needed. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 12/13/06 Attic tent
|
Attic Tent http://www.attictent.com/product.htm
|
 Pull
down attic stairways are notorious for air leaks. This $200 commercial
product seals up the attic stairway in what looks like an effective way.
It seems like a DIY version would also be possible. If you do a home made one, please let me know. Or, maybe you have an alternative way of sealing? |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Design Examples 12/12/06 A dome home
|
Dreamhill Dome Project www.dreamhillresearch.com/dome/index.htm
|
 Quite
a detailed description of an ambitious dome home that is under construction.Lots of detailed pictures on construction to date. Fairly detailed plans for the dome. |
Updated in Projects -> Pool Heating 12/11/06 Updated pool heating info from FSEC
| FESC Solar Pool Heating, Florida Solar Energy Center
|
 The
FSEC is a very good source of pool heating information.They cover collector sizing, economics, system installation, and provide collector and system ratings based on FSEC testing. While aimed at Florida residents, the information is widely applicable. |
Added in Projects -> Cooking 12/11/06 The mother Of All solar cookers
| Large, Concentrating Cooking
Collector with Storage Barli Development Institute http://www.geocities.com Another Version in Nepal David Delaney article on the Scheffler heliostat cooker design |
 An
impressively large concentrating community Solar Cooker. These
Scheffler heliostats concentrate the sun onto a fixed cooking vessel, or
onto a heat storage device that provides for cooking after sunset. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 12/9/06 Ganged solar air collectors
| Ganged Forced Air Solar Collectors
|
Nicely
done set of home built solar air collectors with a well thought out way to
join collectors. |
Added in Projects -> Water Heating 12/9/06 Solar stock tank heater
|
Sun Tanks http://www.horsesonly.com/amesco/info.htm
|
 This
is a commercial product to keep water tanks for stock from freezing.Seems
like a build-it-yourself one would be pretty easy? |
Added in Projects -> Biofuels 12/8/06 Cow manure to electricity
| Cows Power Plan for Alternative
Fuel, USA Today
|
 Dairy
farm uses cow manure to make methane that power a generator producing
electricity to sell to grid.Reduces green house gas emissions, provides some added income, and "green" electric power. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Vehicles 12/8/06 Solar supplemented Prius
|
Solar Prius Solar Electric Vehicles |
 A
kit offered by SEV that includes additional battery capacity and a solar
array that is custom fitted for a Prius roof. It allows all electric
operation for up to 20 miles, and is claimed to improve fuel economy by 17
to 29%. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 12/8/06 Bicycle powered cloths washing
| http://homelessdave.com/hdwashingman.htm
|
 Quite
an interesting article and plans for a bicycle powered spin water extractor
for cloths washing. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 12/5/06 Another good Strawbale construction site
|
Huff 'n' Puff Strawbale Workshop Site http://www.glassford.com.au/Index.htm
|
 Huff
'n' Puff runs workshops on Strawbale construction. There website has
lots of good, practical construction detail on Strawbale construction,
including some design ideas I've not seen elsewhere. |
Added in Projects -> Hydro 12/5/06 Added the design paper by reference
| Undershot Water Wheel
This is the paper that was used in designing this water wheel:
|
This
efficient undershot waterwheel looks like its been part of the scenery for a
hundred years. Full details on how it was built. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Examples I get a lot of emails from people in warm and humid climates asking about techniques that are effective in reducing energy costs for these difficult climates. This study provides some really good guidance on what actually works in these climates.
| Lakeland, Florida -- Side by Side
Test, Florida Solar Energy Center Comparison of energy of a home designed with many energy efficiency features to a same size conventional construction home.
|
 This
is a very detailed and carefully done study of two houses of the same size
in Lakeland Florida. One house was built conventionally, and the other
was equipped with a wide array of features to reduce energy consumption,
including: reflective roof, internal duct system, thermal mass inside
insulation, high efficiency and properly sized AC, well designed
overhangs, and optimal windows. The measured energy consumption was 70% less on the house with low energy use features. A solar PV system offset and additional 22%, bringing the net energy use to near zero. The reports provide quite a bit of detail on the saving achieved by each energy efficient design feature. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 12/1/06 Brian's motorhome bike
|
Motorhome Bike
From Bike Portland and Treehugger |
 Brian's
amazing homemade motorhome bike."Amazingly, the guy claims to have ridden this contraption all over the U.S. and down to Mexico" |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 12/1/06 Strawbale home workshop pictures
|
The Straw Bale Building Association -- Workshop Pictures
www.strawbalebuildingassociation.org.uk/g17.html
|
 A
pretty detailed set of pictures with descriptions showing the construction
of a Strawbale home in the UK. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 11/30/06 "Build Your Own Electric Vehicle"
|
Build Your Won Electric Vehicle, Bob Brant, TAB Books, 1994
|
 Quite
a good book on converting an existing car or truck to electric
operation. My reaction after reading this was that it looks a lot more straightforward and practical than I thought it would be. Part of this is due to the inherent simplicity of electric cars compared to gas engine cars. The book provides quite a bit of design information, as well as a detailed how-to on the actual conversion. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 11/30/06 GM plug-in hybrid
|
Saturn Vue Green Line will offer 2-mode and plug-in hybrid technology
|
 GM
has committed to introducing several new hybrid cars over the next couple
years, including the first production plug-in hybrid. The plug-in will
have an about 10 mile all electric range.Finally some signs of life from Detroit. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 11/28/06 Real time power cost monitor
| Power Cost Monitor http://www.save-electricity.ca/display.html
|
This
easy to install power meter tells you how much electricity your house is
using (and has used). The idea being that getting instant feedback when you turn on lights, appliances, ... will help you cut down on electricity use. Kind of like driving a Prius and seeing what your current mpg is all the time. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 11/28/06 Moisture in Strawbale walls
|
Moisture in Strawbale Walls
|
Some moisture measurements within completed Strawbale walls. |
Added in Projects -> Hydro 11/27/06 A nice home built undershot water wheel
| Undershot Water Wheel
|
This
efficient undershot waterwheel looks like its been part of the scenery for a
hundred years. Full details on how it was built. |
Added in References -> Other DIY 11/27/06 Nice story & pictures on building Alaska cabin
|
Building Our Log Cabin www.alaskaantlerworks.com/Alaska_cabin.htm
|
 Nice
story and set of pictures about building a log cabin in Alaska. |
Added in Experimental 11/26/06 An interesting concentrating PV design
|
Sunflower 250 -- Concentrating PV, Energy Innovations
www.energyinnovations.com/sunflower250.html
|
 An
interesting concentrating PV design. First deliveries for early 2007."Now standing at a little over five feet square and five feet high, the 25X Sunflower™ is able to meet our targets for both energy generation and cost. Each of the 25 1'x1' mirrors is separately aligned, and yet all are attached to and moved together by an undercarriage controlled by just two motors. The receiver is approximately the size of one mirror and contains a collection of small cells that are wired together to produce electricity. It is backed by fins that dissipate heat and keep the cells operating within 30°C of ambient temperature at all times." |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 11/25/06 EFI energy conservation supplies
| EFI -- Energy Federation
Incorporated
|
 EFI
supplies a wide variety of energy conservation products at what appear to be
reasonable prices -- including this "Comfy Critter Draft Dodger". Lights, sealers, thermostats, meters,... Some nice kid products on the Educational page. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 11/24/06 Simple heat storage tank
| STSS EPDM Lined Tanks
STSS web site:
Heat Storage Tanks
|
 These
heat storage tanks are made by STSS Co, Inc.(Sven Tjernagel Solar Systems) stsscoinc@comcast.net "Our tanks are actually fully manufactured then placed in a crate 19 inches wide for shipment. Our customers receive a complete tank, and there is no need for them to do any assembly. Tanks can be uncrated and ready for water in 30 minutes." |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 11/19/06 Another simple way to save electricity and GHG
| 24 Hour Timers to Turn Stuff Off at
Night (or whenever)
|
 Use
an inexpensive 24 hour timer to turn off things that you don't want to run
at night.You can also plug a power strip into the timer, and turn off multiple items with one timer, or some timers have more than one outlet. Turning off 15 watts for 12 hrs a day, 365 days a year is worth 70 KWH -- about $7, and 140 lbs of CO2. |
Updated Projects -> Space Heating 11/19/06 Bragging a little about our solar barn article
|
Solar Barn/Workshop Gary This project is the cover story in Mother Earth News Dec/Jan 2006/7 issue and was in the Oct/Nov 2005 issue of Home Power Magazine. |
 A
simple and inexpensive thermosyphon solar space heater for a garage, barn,
or workshop (or maybe for a more finished space with some changes).
At current propane prices, the project has a one year payback.
|
Added in Projects -> Conservation 11/17/06 Mini Power Minder
| Mini Power Minder for PC's
|
 This
device allows you to automatically turn off all of your PC peripherals
(printer, scanner, ...) when you turn off the PC. $15 |
Added in Projects-BioFuels and Projects->Sunspaces 11/17/06 Heating greenhouse with compost
|
The Composting Greenhouse At New Alchemy Institute - A Report On Two Years
of Operation and Monitoring, Bruce Fulford Heating a greenhouse with compost The Report (pdf)
|
 Very
extensive and detailed report on heating a greenhouse with compost.
Two years worth of testing on design and type of compost issues. |
Added in Projects -> Wind 11/16/06 Added a small listing of wind turbine suppliers
| quietrevolution Wind Turbines http://www.quietrevolution.co.uk/index.htm
|
 A
new vertical axis design that is targeted for urban locations. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 11/15/06 Solar Livestock Housing Handbook
|
Solar Livestock Housing Handbook, MWPS-23, Iowa State University
|
 This
90 page page book goes through a solar 101 course, and then goes on to cover
the design and sizing of several types of solar collectors, and then gives
fairly detailed descriptions of 11 solar collector examples. While it addresses AG applications of solar, many of the ideas are interesting and and potentially applicable to other solar heating situations. All for a mere 300 pennies! Well worth having if you are interested in solar heating. |
Added in Experimental -> Tests 11/14/06 Solar Radiant Floor heat spreader plates
|
Radiant Floor Heat Spreader Plates Test
|
 A
little test to determine how best to install heat spreader plates for
radiant floors. |
Added in Projects -> BioFuels 11/13/06 A simple Methane generator
| Turning Waste Into Fuel -- Methane
Biodigester Basics, Ilan Adler www.HomePower.com |
 Home
Power Magazine article, Issue 116.Good practical article on how designing biodigesters that produce methane fuel. Details on how to build a simple one from poly tubing. |
Added in Projects -> Wind 11/13/06 Anatomy of a Wind Turbine
| Anatomy of A Wind Turbine, Ian Woofenden, Hugh Piggott, Search the Home Power archives for issue 116. |
 Home
Power Magazine article, issue 116A good basics article explaining the internals of a wind turbine. Good to understand whether you want to build one or buy one. |
Added/Updated in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Plans 11/13/06 Sun Plans HP Article
| Sun Plans
Designing Your Place in the Sun, |
 Good
site for passive solar plans. Offers info on a number of plans online,
and a SunPlans book.
|
Updated in Projects -> Conservation 11/12/06 Grey Water Heat Exhanger
| GFX 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 Projects -> Space Heating 11/12/06 Solar Air Collectors
|
Solar Hot Air System Design, Chuck Marken, Home Power Magazine issue 98, and 99
www.solarminnesota.org/heatbuilding/hpsolarhotair1.pdf Made available by Solar Minnesota: |
 A
good two part Home Power article on designing and installing solar heating
air collectors.Solar air collectors offer a simple way to get free solar heat -- less complex and easier to build and install than solar water collectors. |
Added in Projects -> PV 11/10/06 Simple PV tacking/concentrating system
|
Field Test Results of the Archimedes Photovoltaic V=Trough Concentrator
System, Klotz, Mohring, Gruel, Sherborne, Bruton, Albella, and Tzanetakis Archimedes Paper (pdf)
|
 Very
good paper with results on testing a simple scheme that uses one axis
tracking coupled with high acceptance angle V troughs to provide average
daily concentrations around of around 2. Simple aluminum cooling
fins are used to keep cell temperature comparable to non-concentrating
commercial PV panels.(My thanks to Greg for suggesting this) |
Updated in Frugal Projects 11/8/06 Updated and added material and fixed link
This has got to be just about the most cost effective solar heating scheme there is -- low initial cost, and payback in months.
|
Low-Cost Versatile Hoop Houses for Home Heating George DeVault Mother Earth News http://www.motherearthnews.com
More information on this concept from the William Shurcliff book:
If you liked this Shurcliff idea, then have a look at lots more of his ideas
here -- this is my all time favorite solar book:
|
 Mother
Earth News Article, Issue 196Good article on building and using “hoop house” greenhouses, which provide a very low cost per sqft greenhouse. Some construction detail. This technique could also be used for inexpensive sunspace for generating solar heat for your house. Many other construction variations here: Sunspaces Comment: This type of sunspace can be built very inexpensively, and can provide substantial heat to an attached house, and some plant growing space for some of the year. The best idea for transferring the maximum amount of heat to an attached house is to 1) build the sunspace large, 2) include very little thermal mass in the sunspace, 3) transfer heat during the day, and close off house to sunspace connection at night, and 4) do something to keep the sunspace floor from absorbing heat (e.g. garden bark covered with black poly). The sunspace can also be built as a quarter of a cylinder against the house's south wall, rather than the full half cylinder version shown above. |
Added in Projects -> BioFuels 11/7/06 Wood for Home Heating
| Wood For Home Heating, FNR-79, Purdue University www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-79.html
|
 Lots
of good information on wood burning. Heating value compared to other
fuels, payback, wood burning and cutting hints. |
Added in References -> Measurements 11/7/06 Inexpensive water flow measurement
|
www.watermeters.com -- home of the dlj meter
|
 They
sell a wide variety of water meters, including hot water meters, and meters
that also output a pulse count for loggers. As low as $45.(thanks to Chuck for suggesting this) |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 11/7/06 London goes to diesel hybrid buses
|
London Plans for Hybrid Bus Expansion
|
 London
plans to convert its entire fleet of 8000 buses to diesel hybrids by 2012.
The diesel hybrids generate 40% less CO2. |
Added in Projects -> Educational 11/7/06 Solar Energy Coloring Book
| Solar Energy Coloring Book, Texas Solar Energy Society, www.txses.org The coloring book (pdf)
|
 Quite
a neat solar energy coloring book!!From the Texas Solar Energy Society |
Several new additions to References -> Measurements 11/7/06 Measuring Solar Intensity
| Measuring Solar
Radiation -- A Cheap Solar Radiation Meter http://chuck-wright.com/projects/pv-measure.html
|
 How
to understand, build, calibrate and use a Pyranometer based on an
inexpensive PV cell.From Chuck Wright's website -- other interesting solar projects, and renewable energy project data logging systems: http://chuck-wright.com/projects.html |
| Onset Pendant
Light Meter
|
 This
compact and self contained logger measures light intensity in lumens/ft^2
and temperature. It will handle full sunlight, and you could
correlate lumens/ft^2 to watts/m^2 to get a rough idea of solar intensity.
It has an internal battery, and requires no connection to computer during
logging. Case is a bit like a small pill bottle, and is water
resistant. Price is about $40, but you also need the coupler and
software, which add many dollars -- so this option might be best if you have
or plan to use other Onset loggers. |
| Apogee
Pyranometer
http://www.apogee-inst.com/pyr_spec.htm
|
 I
finally bit the bullet and got an Apogee Pyranometer in order to be able to
measure sun intensity accurately. The Apogee outputs 2 mv per watt/m^2
of solar radiation (so about 2 volts for full sun). It is factory
calibrated to 5%, and cosine corrected. About $180 (ouch). It
works well with the Onset logger which will convert the voltage readings
directly to watt/m^2. So far, I have been quite happy with it, and
have a number of projects planed for it.Shown here set up to determine if the corrugations on SunTuf glazing reduce its transmission Details ... |
Added in Projects -> Wood Drying 11/7/06 Design information on wood drying kilns
|
Wood Industry Fact Sheet -- Solar Drying Basics, West Virginia University
Extension Service Details (pdf) |
 Good
and straightforward design information for building successful solar wood
drying kilns.From the West Virginia University Extension Service |
Added in Projects -> Wood Drying 11/7/06 Two wood drying kiln designs from AU
|
A couple large scale solar wood drying kilns
|
 A
couple of interesting large scale wood drying kilns from AU. The first
seems like it might be adaptable to a combined kiln/greenhouse/sunspace in a
single structure? |
Added in Projects -> Water Heating 11/7/06 Thermosyphoning water heater with long track record
|
A Solar Water Heater That Has Stood the Test of Time, Lindsey Roke Full Details (pdf)
|
An interesting thermosyphon solar water heater from New Zealand. Built
in the 60's, it has a long track record of good service. The article refers to
SILFOSSING -- this is: |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 11/6/06 A nice homemade thermal storage tank
| 1000 liter Homemade Thermal Storage
Tank http://users.telenet.be/hagim/zonne_energie/hot%20water%20storage.htm
|
 A
nice DIY thermal storage tank from Kris's solar energy webstie.Aluminum
frame, plywood sites, and custom made liner. |
Added in Projects -> Water Heating 11/6/06 Homemade heat exchangers for copper tubing
| Soft Copper Coil Heat Exchangers From Kris's website http://users.telenet.be/hagim/zonne_energie/heat exchanger.htm
|
 Some
good pictures on Kris's website showing how to make heat exchanger coils
from soft copper tubing. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 11/6/06 Duct sealing process works from inside ducts
|
More on Duct Sealing AeroSEAL Duct Sealing System http://www.aeroseal.com/index.html
|
 This
is a process for sealing ducts that works for the inside. It will
reach areas of the duct system that are built into walls or otherwise
inaccessible. Here is a comment from the Greenbuilding Discussion
Group (
http://www.buildinggreen.com/elists/gb_signup.cfm ): |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 11/5/06 Bicycle Powered Generator
| Bicycle Powered Generator http://users.erols.com/mshaver/bikegen.htm
|
 Instructions
on how to make a bicycle powered generator from a training stand.Also includes information on what kinds of electrical loads can be powered. Get exercise and learn how valuable electricity really is :) |
Added in Projects -> Pool Heating, and Projects->Space Heating 11/5/06 Wood Fired tub heater
| Woodstoves for Tub Heating (or for
heating thermal storage tank?)
Chofu: supplier (one of many):
Snorkel and Scuba Underwater Woodstoves:
|
 Chofu:
This
is a simple, wood fired heater for soaking tubs. It uses a simple thermosyphon system to circulate heated water (no pumps, no electricity). The full stainless steel case is a water jacket for efficient heat transfer.  Snorkel
& Scuba: These wood stoves for heating tubs actually live in the tub
water, so heat transfer is directly from the stove walls to the water.
(Thanks to Wolfgang for suggesting this!) |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> "I Did It" 11/5/06 Life in and Earthship
|
Life In an Earthship, Ellen Craig, Mother Earth News http://www.motherearthnews.com
|
 Mother
Earth News, issue 209, April/May 2005Interesting article on building and
living in an Earthship in Colorado. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 11/5/06 The case for electric cars
|
Why We Need Electric Cars, Steve Heckeroth, Mother Earth News http://www.motherearthnews.com
|
 Mother
Earth News, Oct/Nov 2006, issue 218.Good article on electric cars -- makes a good case for electric vehicles and plug in hybrids. Shows that even with electric cars and plug in hybrids charged from the largely fossil fuel powered electric grid that a significant reduction in green house gases results. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 11/4/06 Gas pilot light energy consumption
| Gas Pilot Light energy use
|
 Article
studying gas use by pilots on gas fireplaces. A gas fireplace pilot
(and probably other gas pilots) use 7.3 therms of gas if left on all year,
and almost 100 lbs of greenhouse gas.Turning off pilots on gas appliances that are not going to be in use for a while would be a good way to save some energy and reduce greenhouse has emissions. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 11/2/06 Energy Star "Yardstick" calculator
| Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick
|
 A
helpful and easy to use Energy Star calculator you can use to see how your
homes energy efficiency compares to others in your area. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 11/2/06 Top 100 green cars
|
Top 100 Green Cars
Top 100
|
 A quick way to browse the 100 most green cars, as rated by Environmental Defense. The green rating depends mostly on fuel economy, but takes a number of other factors into account. |
Added in References -> Plumbing, pipes, & pumps 11/1/06 Grundfos HVAC Tech Manual
|
Grundfos HVAC Technical Guide HVAC Technical guide (6 MB pdf)
|
 The
HVAC Technical guide provides a lot of good design information on
selecting the right pump for your requirements. Explains pump
curves, flow relationships, static head requirements, ... |
Added in Projects ->Vehicles 10/31/06 MIT efficient engine
|
MIT's pint-sized car engine promises high efficiency, lost cost --
Ethanol empowers little engine that could Massachusetts Institute of
Technology news office
|
Article from MIT Tech Talk on a gasoline engine that uses direct injection
of Ethanol to suppress knocking under high power demand situations. Claim is that this allows a much smaller, higher compression, turbo charged gas engine to power a car, with injection of Ethanol only when high power is demanded. The claim is that this could reduce fuel consumption by 30%, which is comparable to hybrids, but at a much lower cost. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 10/31/06 Strawbale bathouse
|
The Bathhouse, Joe Schwartz and Ben Root, Home Power Magazine http://www.homepower.com/files/bathhouse.pdf If you don't find it at the link above, then search the Home Power
archives for issue 63 and 64 |
 Home
Power Magazine, issue 63, 64This is a really nice pair of articles on designing and building a strawbale bathhouse facility (including Turd Tower.) Lots of good planning, design, and construction detail. |
Updated in Projects -> Space Heating 10/31/06 Updated Solar Shed
| The Solar Shed for House Heating Solar Shed Collector Venting Update Gary Updated the section on collector venting at stagnation. People who are thinking about polycarbonate glazed collectors of this type should be sure to read this. |
 This
is the setup I use to solar heat my house. It uses 240 sqft of solar
water heating collectors mounted on a new garden shed. Heat is stored
in a 500 gallon tank that lives in the shed. Heated water is piped to
the house as required via insulated underground pipes.Excruciating detail is provided :) |
Added/Updated in Projects -> Spaceheating 10/28/06 EPDM lined plywood heat storage tank
| Homemade EPDM lined plywood tanks
Gary
|
 Plywood
tanks lined with an EPDM membrane are good to about 180F, and are reported
to last 10 to 20 years or even longer before liner replacement is needed.
The tank frame can be made from lumber and plywood, but the loads are high
for even not so large tanks, so be careful. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 10/27/06 Solar heating house with collectors on outbuilding
| The Solar Shed for House Heating
Gary A fairly extensive update on Solar Shed project -- collectors and storage tank details. |
This
is the setup I use to solar heat my house. It uses 240 sqft of solar
water heating collectors mounted on a new garden shed. Heat is stored
in a 500 gallon tank that lives in the shed. Heated water is piped to
the house as required via insulated underground pipes. Excruciating detail is provided :) |
Added in Projects -> Hydro 10/26/06 A small micro-hydro project
| Homebrew Hydro Electric, Hydro Electric Experiment with Direct Drive Alternator From Otherpower.com http://www.otherpower.com/scotthydro1.html
|
 This
is good series of pictures that show in detail the building of a completely
home made small Banki turbine. This setup works with very modest flow and head, to produce a small, but useful amount of electricity. |
Added in Projects -> Waterheating, etc. 10/26/06 Water heating from compost + greenhouse
|
Composting Greenhouse with Straw Bale Foundation, From Experiments in
Sustainable Urban Living http://ersson.sustainabilitylane.com/greenhse.htm This uses surplus heat from a large compost pile under the greenhouse floor to heat water for the house. You get water heating and greenhouse space with the same structure!
|
 This
is a pretty slick idea for heating water with heat generated from compost,
as well as providing greenhouse space.The thing that intrigues me is that you can apparently have working greenhouse space above the heat generating compost pile? I'd like to hear from anyone with composting experience on how workable this all seems? Gary The author provides more information and an even simpler scheme here: |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 10/22/06 Guys Sustainable Living
| Guy Marsden -- Sustainable Living www.arttec.net/SustainableLiving/index.html
|
 A
very nice personal site with Guy's program for saving energy and a more
sustainable lifestyle -- all very well explained. Several good DIY solar energy projects with very good detial. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 10/21/06 Radiantec solar floor heating manuals
| Radiantec -- radiant floor heating
systems
http://www.radiantec.com/installation.htm
|
 Radiantec
provides a several useful manuals on the design and installation of radiant
floor heating systems, including systems with solar heat sources. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating, and solar homes 10/20/06 Daycreek solar heating system
|
Daycreek.com Solar Heating System http://daycreek.com/dc/html/house_specs.htm The www.Daycreek.com main page provides access to quite a bit of interesting solar material. |
 This
is an interesting cordwood home with a very interesting active solar heating
system that uses 400 sqft of solar water collectors to circulate solar
heated fluid through a 100 ton sand bed below the house floor.A fairly detailed description of the system is provided. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Examples 10/16/06 The ultimate small/portable home
|
The Snail Shell System
|
 Just
could not pass this up.I think I would need a window. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 10/16/06 Paul's solar space heating system
| Paul's House Heating -- Solar Shed
|
 A
solar hot water heating system with capacity for future space heating.
Collectors are mounted on new storage shed with hot water piped to house. A well done system at a very low cost. Details here... |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 10/14/06 A REALLY simple thermal storage tank
| Eric's Thermal Storage Tank
|
 A
REALLY simple thermal storage tank scheme |
Added in Projects -> Water Heating 10/12/06 Solar water heating pump/HX package
| SolarH20t -- Solar hot water
pdf on the pump/HX packaged unit:
|
 Solar
components for water and pool heating. They make a SolVelox that is a single package that allows your current hot water tank to be used in a solar water heating system (pictured). Packages pumps, heat exchanger, valves, and controller in one unit. Note that there will be some overall loss in system efficiency using only one tank for both storage and backup heating of water, but this may be a worthwhile tradeoff for the simplicity. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 10/10/06 Solar Powered Car Kit
|
SUNN - Solar Powered Car Kit Prototype: Kit Info:
|
 A
two person, 25 mph, 12 mile range Neighborhood Electric Vehicle.Solar panel on the hood for charging the battery. Plans and a parts kit are to be available in the spring. |
Added in Projects -> Cooling 10/9/06 Mist cooling for large outdoor areas
|
Mist Cooling For Large Outdoor
Areas
|
 A
very simple mist cooler for large outdoor areas. Intended for cows,
but I don't think they will mind if you use their idea. |
Added in Projects -> Water Heating 10/8/06 Installing Butler Solar water heating system
| Installing My Solar Domestic Hot
Water Heating System, Guy Marsden www.arttec.net/SolarDHW/4_Collectors/index.htm
|
 This
is a really excellent blog style article on installing a solar water heating
system that uses the Butler "Solar Wand" heat exchanger. Lots of good pictures and details on the whole process. |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 10/8/06 "Solarizing Your Present Home", Carter
|
Solarizing Your Present Home -- Practical Solar Heating Systems You Can
Build, edited by Joe Carter, Rodale Press, 1981 Out of print, but readily available at libraries and online used book places . |
 A
good book covering a range of possibilities for retrofitting solar space
heating to your home. The 670 page book covers a large number of
projects in good detail.
More information...
|
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Design Examples 10/8/06 Bio-Solar home in Thailand
|
Bio-Solar House in Thailand Jan Krikke, Architecture Week
|
From the Architecture Week article:
 "It's
an environmental dream: a self-reliant house that produces its own
electricity, water, and cooking gas. Solar energy powers the
air-conditioning, lights, and household appliances. Rain, dew, and
condensation from the cooling system produce enough water for a family of
four. Recycled water irrigates the garden, and surplus electricity is sold
to the power company or used to drive an electric car 30 miles (50
kilometers) a day." |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 10/7/06 Macolm Wells website
|
Malcolm Wells dot Com http://www.malcolmwells.com/index.html
|
 Malcolm
Wells is known as the father of underground architecture.The home page says: "This site is dedicated to the promotion and discussion of: * underground buildings, * earth-sheltered architecture, * eco-friendly design, and * energy-efficient houses ... particularly the ideas of pioneer architect Malcolm Wells." |
Added in Projects -> Space Heating 10/7/06 Large water/heat storage tank
| Build a 6,500 gallon concrete water tank for
$1500, Dorothy Ainsworth, Mother Earth News
www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ainsworth101.html
|
 Detailed description of the construction of a large concrete water storage tank. With the addition of insulation, this tank could probably be used as a large thermal storage tank. |
Updated in Projects -> Water Heating 10/7/06 Updated the "Basics" article links - added one
| A Solar Hot Water Primer Ken Olson www.homepower.com/files/olson84.pdf Same article available from the Arizona Solar Center here A higher level overview from HP: Solar Hot Water Simplified, John Patterson homepower.com/files/beginner/SolarHotWaterBasics.pdf These articles may be available as a free downloads at the links above; if not, search the HomePower achieves for issue 84 and 107, and order them. www.homepower.com |
 Home Power magazine article, issue 84A very
good overview of the types of solar domestic hot water heating system that
are available. Pro and cons of each. Some system sizing and installation
information. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation -> Human Power 10/4/06 Cyclean bicycle powered washing machine
| Cyclean -- Pedal Powered
Washer/Dryer http://cyclean.biz/mainmenu.html
|
 Get
exercise and do the wash at the same time.Plans to make one are promised -- its says. |
Added in Projects -> Pool Heating 10/3/06 Solar pool heating install tutorial from FSEC
| Solar Pool Heating System
Installation Florida Solar Energy Center Solar Pool Heating Installation
|
 Good
tutorial from the FSEC on installing a solar pool heater. Quite a bit
of how-to detail.Colder climates may require some changes for freeze protection if not drained. |
Added in Projects -> Water Heating 10/3/06 Install tutorial from FSEC
|
Solar Water Heating system Installation, Florida Solar Education Center
|
 This
is a detailed step by step tutorial for installing a solar water
heating system. A lot of good detail on things like roof penetrations, control wiring, ... This covers ONLY the type of heating systems used in warm climates that need little freeze protection, so you will need additional information (above) for cold climates. |
Added in Projects -> Water Heating 10/1/06 "By Example" batch water heater
| By Example Batch Water Heater www.byexample.com/projects/current/batch_collector/
|
 This
is a pretty detailed story on the building process for a batch hot water
heater. I think one of the most valuable things is it passes on some things NOT to do -- things they tried that failed. |
Added in Projects->Vehicles 9/29/06
|
Jerry's Electric Car Conversion
and,
|
 Very
well done personal site on converting a gas powered Mazda car to run on
electricity. The description is very detailed and covers all the design and build issues encountered in detail. If you want a feel for what's involved in a conversion, this is the one. |
Added in Projects->PV 9/29/06 Grid tied PV system
|
Mick and Janet's Photovoltaic Solar System
|
 Nice
personal website describing a grid tied PV installation. Provides over
a year of performance data. Pictures of installation with good detail
on panel mounting. |
Updated in Projects->Solar Heating 9/28/06 Added some updates
Solar Air Heating Systems Steve Kornher with Andy Zaugg
|
Updated this entry to include some new
collector cross sections from Andy Zaugg See the Table of
Contents -- Chapter 8.
|
Added in Projects->Vehicles 9/28/06 Vectrix high performance electric scooter
|
Vectrix Electric Scooter
|
 A
electric scooter to be on sale in early 2007. Top speed 62 mph, 0-50
in 6.8 sec, up to 68 mile range. Regenerative braking. It looks
like a well thought out design that is new from the bottom up.The website has quite a bit of information, and also includes some interesting planned projects, as in a hybrid version. About $8000. |
Added in Projects->Solar Homes-> Design Examples 9/26/06 Colorado Green Home
|
Home Green Home, Laurie Stone www.HomePower.com The article is currently a free download from the home page -- titled "green". If you miss this, search the achieves for issue 115, and download it for small fee. |
 Home
Power Magazine, issue 115, Oct/Nov 06.A very good article describing a Colorado home that is not only very energy efficient, but is constructed with a strong emphasis on green and local materials, and within a budget. |
Added in Projects->Solar Homes-> Design Examples 9/26/06 Cornell Solar Decathlon video
|
Cornell Solar Decathlon House Video Tour
|
 Pretty
good video of the Cornell entry to the Solar Decathlon.
A fairly complete description of the features that make the house energy efficient and earth friendly. |
Added in Projects->Frugal 9/25/06 Saving Electricity website
| Added a few more items to the Frugal Projects page | These are inexpensive solar heating, cooling, and conservation projects that have short paybacks. |
Added in Projects->Conservation 9/25/06 Saving Electricity website
| Saving Electricity, Michael Bluejay http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/
|
 This
is a good site on saving electricity. It provides in depth
information on what uses electricity, how much it uses, ideas for saving,
and good ways to estimate how much you will save for each idea. |
Added in Projects->Educational 9/24/06 The Green House at the NBM
|
Green House at the National Building Museum www.nbm.org/Exhibits/greenHouse2/greenHouse.htm
|
 This
looks like an interesting set of green building exhibits with some hands-on.If you find yourself in DC, check it out. |
Added in Project->Solar Homes->Plans 9/24/06 MK Solar Prefabricated Solar Homes
| MK Solar -- Michelle Kaufmann
Designs
|
 MK
Solar designs and builds prefabricated green, solar home homes.The website gives some fairly complete descriptions of several of their designs. What makes these houses "Green"? |
Added in Projects->Vehicles 9/23/06 Moonbeam -- a DIY 100+mpg car
|
"Moonbeam" -- a DIY 100+mpg car
|
 Homemade
car made from motorcycles and a lot of time and thought.Quite a bit of information on building it. |
Updated in Projects->Space Heating 9/22/06 Solar heated and lighted Workshop/Studio
|
Garage/Workshop Sunspace
Gary |
This
is simple way to turn your garage into a delightful solar heated and lighted
workshop or studio. My all-time favorite solar project! 9/22/06 -- Completely updated from earlier description. |
Added in Projects->BioFuels 9/22/06 Farm made soy bean oil press
| They're Doubling The Value Of Their
Soybean Crop, Walder Mfg. From Farm Show Magazine www.farmshow.com/issues/30/05/300506.asp
|
 Fairly
good description of a farmer made press that extracts about 1 gallon of oil
per bushel of soy beans, and leaves a high quality protien meal. The
system uses two presses to get a better oil yield and higher quality meal.
From Farm Show Magazine |
Added in Projects->Space Heating 9/21/06 Wayne's solar air collector
|
Wayne's Solar Air Collector
|
 A
new idea in solar air collectors. Their website currently shows enough pictures to get a good idea how to build it, and promises more information soon. A little more info here. |
Added in Projects->Conservation->"I Did It"
| Iver's Energy Saving Projects
|
 This is a good rundown on a set of energy saving projects that Iver did. They are all fairly simple, but they really add up. Iver recently estimated that his energy saving per year come up to $3018 per year at today's energy prices! |
Added in Projects->Solar Homes -> "I Did It" 9/20/06 Doug's Solar Home
| Experiences Living On
Solar, Doug Kalmer
|
 Doug
describes his direct gain, passive solar home. The home was built in 1982,
and has been serving his family well. Doug is very active on the Yahoo HomeEnergy forum if you have questions. |
Added in Projects->Solar Space Heating 9/20/06 Simple and cheap solar shop heater
| Very Inexpensive Solar Shop Heater, Don R. and George Waterman http://www.motherearthnews.com
|
 Mother
Earth News article, Issue 48, Nov/Dec 1977 describes a very simple collector
for heating a shop.The cost is kept down to almost nothing by using poly film glazing and some scrounged parts. If you can scrounge the blower from an old furnace and find some used lumber, this collector probably takes the prize for lowest cost per square foot -- about 10 cents per sqft. The payback period where I live is well under a month! |
Added in PV 9/20/06 Build your own PV panel
|
Homemade Solar Panels Post on Fieldlines
|
 This
is a fairly detailed post on the Fieldlines forum describing how to build
your own PV panels from individual solar cells.I would think twice about whether this is worth the time and effort, but if you are determined to roll your own PV panel, this looks like a pretty well thought out way to go. |
Added in Solar Vehicles 9/20/06 Solar Bug Update
|
Solar Bug Update: The Solar Bug is going into production.
|
 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. |
Added in Solar PV 9/20/06 Passive PV array tracker
| Mother's Super-Simple Solar Tracker Dennis Burkholder http://www.motherearthnews.com
|
 Mother
Earth News Article, Issue 48, Nov/Dec 1977.This article provides some how-to information on designing and building solar array trackers that use canisters of refrigerant to passively track the sun. This is similar to the very popular ZomeWorks trackers. Several designs are discussed. The trackers in the article use Freon -- in a new design you would, of course, have to substitute a different refrigerant. |
Added in Sunspaces 9/20/06 Picture plans for a Passive Solar Greenhouse
|
Passive Solar Greenhouse www.irisherbal.com/psg/content/process.html
|
 A
good series of picture plans for a passive solar greenhouse. The
greenhouse uses Strawbale construction for the non-glazed walls, an
insulated foundation, and incorporates a cistern in the design. Very
nice. |
Added in Solar Homes -> "I Did It" Homes 9/19/06 "Scrap House"
| Scrap House
|
 An
entertaining video on a house built entirely from scrap materials.
Makes the serious point that REUSING is much more effective than recycling,
and there are tons and tons of opportunities out there to use scarp
materials creatively. |
Added in References 9/17/06 Climate Change articles and references
| A list of articles and books on climate change |
Added a small section listing articles and books that provide (I think) a
clear description of the global climate change problem and some potential
solutions.
|
Added on the Home Page 9/17/06 Fall Projects to save heating fuel
| Fall Projects to Save Fuel This Winter | Added a list of potential energy and fuel saving projects to get busy on this fall. |
Added in Projects->PV 8/31/06 Big Belly solar trash bin
|
"Big Belly" solar powered trash bin http://www.seahorsepower.com/products.php
|
"Big Belly" is a trash bin with built in compaction. It is solar
powered and requires no power connection. |
Added in References->Environment 8/31/06 California first state to cap GHG emissions
| California legislature caps greenhouse gas emissions |
 California
caps greenhouse gas emissions. 25% reduction by 2020.Good Job CA!
|
Added in Projects->Vehicles 8/30/06 3100 mpg car
|
UBC 3100 mpg car www.physorg.com/news70040977.html
|
 Winner
(by a wide margin) of the
SAE Super Mileage
Contest 3145 miles per US gallon!“We achieved this level of efficiency by optimizing many aspects of the vehicle design, including: aerodynamics, light-weight construction, a small displacement engine (54 cc), and conservative driving habits,” says Team Captain Kevin Li. |
Added in Projects->Cooling 8/29/06 Sun Screens that are similar to bug screens
Sun "Screens"
| Sun Screens
An article on this product: www.energyrefuge.com/archives/solar_screens.htm The screen material from Phifer: Another supplier of solar screening material: |
 This
seems like a pretty good idea for reducing summer heat gain on windows.
The shades block up to 90% of sunlight, and mount in vinyl frames (like bug
screens). It looks like they would work on a wide variety of windows,
including ones that would be difficult to handle with other shading
techniques. They do the shading on the outside, where its most effect.
It seems like a DIY version could be worked out. The Phifer SunTex material is said to be available at some home centers. Frames could probably be made from the same material that home centers sell for making insect screens. |
Added in Projects->Vehicles 8/29/06 Added Video to Plug In Hybrid info
|
CalCars.org -- Plug in Hybrids
A video from Science Channel on Plug In Prius:
|
 A
group working on developing the plug in hybrid -- a hybrid that plugs into
the grid (or PV) at night to extend its range on batteries. The video gives a good overall description of the concept. One might wonder how clean charging the car from the electric grid really is given that most electricity is coal plant generated. The material on the CalCars website states that its cleaner than a conventional hybrid. |
Added in Experimental 8/28/06 Corrugated Glazing transmittance
| Transmittance of
Corrugated Glazing
|
 Do
the corrugations in corrugated glazing (e.g. SunTuf glazing) reduce the
solar transmittance compared to flat glazing?Here is a little to test to find out. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 8/28/06 Scuderi Engine Hybrid
|
Scuderi Engine
|
 A
new engine design that separates compression and combustion into
separate paired cylinders. This may offer some advantages in
efficiency (claim is that a 30mpg car becomes 40 mpg car), and the
possibility of a compressed air hybrid at a lower cost. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 8/26/06 Hybrid technology test bed mini
|
PML's In-Wheel Motor, Plug-in Hybrid Mini http://www.greencarcongress.com
|
 A
new hybrid technology testbed.Motors in wheels, 21 KWH lithium-polymer battery pack, 200 mile range as electric, 930 mile range as gas hybrid. Zero to 62 mph in 5 seconds. 250cc engine. Traction control and anti-skid built into each wheel. 80 mpg? |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 8/26/06 Cute Energy Star Commercial
| Energy Star
A cute Energy Star Commercial: |
 Energy ratings and energy use for appliances.
Energy advice and online audit for homes. Energy star appliances
and homes.In my view, the Energy Star program could be more aggressive, but its certainly a good place to start. For example, they have no plans to require more efficient refrigerators until 2012 at the earliest -- let them know you would like to see a more aggressive approach. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 8/21/06 Ducts in Conditioned Space
|
HVAC Ducts in Conditioned Space
|
 Heating
and cooling ducts running through attics and crawl spaces typically lose
about 15 to 30% of the heat or "coolth" they carry to these unconditioned
areas. By including the furnace and ducts in the conditioned space, and larger energy saving can be acieved. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Construction 8/21/06 Home Run Plumbing
|
"Home Run" Plumbing
|
 Home
run plumbing systems run small diameter PEX tubing to each fixture from a
central location. Result is less installation labor, less waiting for
hot water at fixture, and significant energy saving.Planning the plumbing system to shorten the runs for the manifold to the fixtures also pays big dividends in not wasting hot water. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Plans 8/16/06 Downloadable Passive Solar Home Plans
| Passive Solar Homes -- 91 new
award-winning, energy-conserving single family home plans, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1982 |
.jpg) This
is (I think) a really interesting and useful collection of passive solar
home plans. They came out of a competition that HUD sponsored in 1982 for passive solar home designs. These 91 award winning plans were selected from more than 500 entries by builders, designers, and architects. This was a very active time in passive solar home design, and the plans show a high level of innovation -- a great source for solar home design ideas. This is the first 30 -- rest to come as time allows. |
Added in Projects -> Conservation 8/16/06 Ice dams and wet attics
|
Attic Venting, Attic Moisture and Ice Dams, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
|
 Good
fact sheet on what to do about wet attics and ice dams. |
Added in Projects -> Solar Homes -> Plans 8/16/06 Downloadable Passive Solar Home Plans
| Passive Solar Homes -- 91 new
award-winning, energy-conserving single family home plans, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1982
|
This
is (I think) a really interesting and useful collection of passive solar
home plans. They came out of a competition that HUD sponsored in 1982 for passive solar home designs. These 91 award winning plans were selected from more than 500 entries by builders, designers, and architects. This was a very active time in passive solar home design, and the plans show a high level of innovation -- a great source for solar home design ideas. This is the first 30 -- rest to come as time allows. |
Added in Projects -> Sunspaces 8/15/06 Greenhouse construction tip sheets
| Construction and Greenhouse Tip
Sheets, Charlie's Greenhouse
|
 Some
useful tip sheets and building and using greenhouses. |
Added in Projects->Conservation 8/15/06 Bubble wrap window insulation instructions
|
Bubble
Wrap Window Insulation Gary New Installation Instruction Sheet (8/15/06) |
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 -> Solar Homes -> Construction 8/12/06 External insulation over massive walls
|
Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EFIS) Robert Thomas EFIS site --
provides several helpful downloads on EFIS (the FAQ is very good), industry
information, and EFIS suppliers. EFIS suppliers -- Each of these sites provide quite a bit of design and
installation detail |
 EFIS
provides a way to insulate on the outside of dry stack concrete (or other)
structures. This places the insulation outside the thermal mass, where
it can be effective in smoothing out temperature variations, and in
absorbing solar gain through windows (see entries above).The links in the left panel provide information on the various EFIS systems, and details on how they are installed. EFIS offers a wide variety of outside finishes for different looks. EFIS systems could also be used to retrofit insulation to existing structures. There have been moisture and mold problems with some EFIS installations, so be sure that you select a EFIS contractor with a proven track record in your area. |
Added in Projects -> Vehicles 8/11/06 Solar electric bicycle plans
|
Solar Electric Bicycle Project
|
 An
electrically assisted bike with onboard 5 watt PV panel for solar charging.
|
Added in Projects->Vehicles 8/9/06 Hybrid schoolbus
|
Hybrid School Buses http://www.hybridschoolbus.org/ Hybrid Drivetrain Maker:
|
 "11
states are first in the nation to receive hybrid school buses""40 percent increase in fuel efficiency" So, maybe city buses, garbage trucks, ... are coming? |
Added in References 8/5/06 "Half" -- a program to reduce GHG and energy bills
Half -- reduce
green house gas emissions and energy use by one half
|
Half is our families program to try to reduce our energy use and green house
gas emissions by one half. The half pages show: how we are progressing, the 23 energy saving projects we are doing to get there, what we are spending on these projects, and what we are saving on our energy bills. You might find something here that you can use in your energy plan. |
Added in Projects -> Cooling 8/5/06 Small space solar evap cooler
|
Turbo Kool Evaporative Cooler
Install Manual (pdf) |
 This
is a small 12 VDC evaporative cooler that is intended for RVs, construction
equipment, ... but might work well in any small space. The fan draws 4 amps, and the company says it will run directly off a 60 watt solar panel. |
Added in Projects -> Bio Fuels 8/2/06 BioMass Cooking Stoves
| BioMass Cooking Stoves www.repp.org/discussiongroups/resources/stoves/
|
 "This
site exists to help people develop better stoves for cooking with biomass
fuels in developing regions"Especially good section on efficient
stove design. |
Home
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Pool Heating
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For Kids
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Contact/About
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Copyright 2005 by Gary Reys
New
article in Home Power by Sun Plans architect Coleman gives solar design
guides and shows 6 nice sample plans to fit a variety of situations.
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.
