Build-It-Solar

Wild Blue -- wind generator kits and parts

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:39:14 -0600

WindBlue sells full windmill kits as well as a selection of parts to make windmills -- including alternators, blades, tails, charge controllers, ...

Test -- Effect of edge gaps on thermal shades

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:38:00 -0600

This is an excerpt from the very good book Thermal Shutters and Shades, by Dr. William Shurcliff He did some tests to determine how critical it is for insulating shutters to fit the window precisely. He covers various combinations of edge gaps and face gaps between the shutter and the window.

Making your own PV panels

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:37:01 -0600

Some updates and new links to plans to make your own solar electric (PV) panels.

Serpentine collector drain back test

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:36:15 -0600

This is a quick test to evaluate how see how well a serpentine plumbed solar collector will drain back once the pump is stopped. Basically the tests attempt to determine if a serpentine collector can be used in a drain back system.

A Reflective shade that looks good

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:35:07 -0600

This is basically a way to place a reflective (Reflectix) barrier behind a solar screen. The advantage being that it blocks essentially all the solar radiation while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing look. It even provides a little more R value to reduce conduction losses.

Ecomodder -- vehicle mods to improve fuel economy

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:34:05 -0600

The Ecomodder site has user submitted projects ranging from simple tips and mods to some very ambitious projects. Lots of detail on some of them. Lots of interesting material.

Giant, cheap solar air heating collector

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:25:10 -0600

This is a very large (2000 sf!) and very cheap solar collector that is intended for grain drying. The plans are not going to be of direct use to many people, but the design is very interesting and has features that might be useful in a large and cheap space heating collector.

MTD collector stagnation test results

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:23:15 -0600

Richard provides the results from the stagnation (no flow) test he has been running on his Modified Trickle Down solar collector design.

Hot Water, Cold Beer

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:22:14 -0600

Doug's homemade heat pump that efficiently cools his beer kegs and heats domestic hot water. Its a heat pump that pumps heat out of the beer and into the domestic hot water tank.

Masonry heater design/build article

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:20:47 -0600

A nice and detailed Fine Homebuilding article on designing and building a masonry heater. These heaters provide a very clean (hot) burn and the masonry retains heat and radiates to the room for hours.

EV conversion -- 130 miles range on 7.2 KWH!

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:07:34 -0600

Nap Pepin's EV, which is based on the BugE electric vehicle, uses an 38 hp AC motor and lithium batteries. It achieves 56 watt-hrs per mile, and a 130 mile range on just 7.2 KWH.

NEW metal version of the Modified Trickle Down solar heating collector

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:28:41 -0600

These are two new versions of the Thomason Trickle Down Collector from Richard Heiliger. They use less expensive materials, are easier to build, and are likely to be more efficient.

Ken's low-tech cabin

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:27:21 -0600

Some interesting low-tech ideas for cabin living, including solar showers, simple solar lighting, and rain harvesting -- plus a lot of fun and interesting things to do at a cabin.

Build a DC powered VERY efficient Refrigerator

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:37:33 -0600

This is a really nicely done homemade refrigerator that uses a refrigerator kit intended for custom refrigerators on boats. It uses only 100 KWH a year!

Durable and inexpensive homemade solar air heating collector

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:34:34 -0600

This is a 60 sqft solar air heating collector built to the design recommended in the very good "Solar Air Heating Systems" book. It should have a very long life, and was inexpensive to build.

Roof PV system installation guidelines

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:41:22 -0600

A Power Point set of guidelines for roof mounted PV installations. Some good planning, design, and installation detail.

Lowering AC bills dramatically through roof changes

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:39:53 -0600

This is an excellent paper that compares the attic temperatures for 6 different roof constructions. Following the findings of this study can have a major impact on your cooling costs.

Honda "Home Energy Station" makes Hydrogen at home for Honda FCX fuel cell car

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:06:26 -0600

The "Home Energy Station" is interesting -- A home station that makes Hydrogen from NG, and uses waste heat for space heating. Its puzzling that this only achieves a "30% reduction in CO2 compared to home with IC engine car and electric heat"? Seems like it should do much better?

Inspector Guidelines for PV Systems

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:05:07 -0600

This is a very helpful set of guidelines on PV system equipment, and particularly on wiring of PV systems.
I found it helpful in both the planning of the details of the component locations and the wiring, and as a good checklist on what inspectors will be looking for.

Grid-Tie PV System

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:03:21 -0600

An article in Backwoods Home magazine by Jeff Yago on a grid tie system with some useful design and install information. Note how simple the modern grid-tie inverters make these systems.

A new video out about the making of the SolarBug -- An affordable solar electric car being built right here in Bozeman, MT

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:59:02 -0600

The SolarBug is a 2 passenger electric vehicle with batteries charged by roof mounted PV panels.
The new video is about Steve Titus (the inventor/builder), and the making of the SolarBug.

A Cold-Climate Case Study for Affordable Zero Energy Homes from Building America

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:57:21 -0600

A 1250 sqft Habitat for Humanity home done as a Building America study home.
The design attempts to achieve net zero source energy use in an affordable package that is easy for home owners to live with.

Solar PV System Install Guide

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:56:07 -0600

This is a pretty good and detailed installation tutorial for PV installers. Its about the most readable thing I have found that provides enough detail to be useful in installing your own system.

Cheap PV array trackers from satellite dishes

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:54:34 -0600

Duane at RedRok.com offers a $35 tracker that can drive a simple satellite dish linear screw actuator to make an inexpensive tracker for PV and other applications. The page gives examples of many systems using the RedRok tracker.

Solar collector glazing material comparison

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:33:08 -0600

A comparison of glazing materials suitable for DIY solar heating collectors.

The Power Hogs

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:31:54 -0600

A short summary of the things that use the most electricity in your house and how to drastically reduce this usage.

Update on converting gas mower to solar

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:30:28 -0600

This is an update on Lee's very popular project that converts a gas mower to a solar charged electric mower.

"Juice from Juice"

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:28:09 -0600

A neat experiment for students from the Exploratorium Teachers Institute. Demonstrates how a solar cell can be made from fruit juice.

Beer can solar air heating collector

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:26:24 -0600

An English translation is now available for the Hungarian designed solar air heating collector made for aluminum beer cans.