Build-It-Solar

June performance for the $1K solar water heating system and 2nd tank heat loss test

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:57:13 -0600

This is the June performance plot for our $1K solar water heating system. In addition, a 2nd tank heat loss test was done.

Legality of harvesting water from your own roof

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:55:34 -0600

Some states have screwy water rights laws that make it illegal to harvest water from your own roof. This is a story of the Colorado law.

Major update on Kevin's $1K solar water heating system

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:53:18 -0600

kevin built a $1K solar water heating system at 55 north latitude in BC. He adds material on the performance of the system, performance of his unique heat exchanger and some other changes to the system.

More examples of $1K solar water heating systems

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:51:47 -0600

Two new examples from people who have built the $1K solar water heating system and taken the time to report on their projects -- thank you!

Who knew there were so many ways to use old tires

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:51:07 -0600

Who knew there were so many ways to reuse old tires.

Long Haul Truck Concept

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:50:00 -0600

A. K. Muthui's concept for a cost and fuel efficient, high capacity, long haul highway truck.

Tank update for the $1K solar water heating system

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:17:06 -0600

This update covers changing to a PEX pipe coil heat exchanger, making some changes to the tank to reduce heat loss, and a complete inspection of the tank after 10 months of service.

DIY grid tie PV system using Enphase micro inverters

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:23:51 -0600

Guy Marsden is in the process of designing and installing a grid tied PV system, and will document the process in detail on his website. Guy plans to use the new Enphase micro inverter system in which each PV panel gets its own inverter. The Enphase system reduces installation labor, and allows easier future expansion. Based on the fine write-ups Guy has done on his other projects, and the fact that he plans to do the full installation himself, this should be a very interesting blog to follow as the project progresses.

Vermont SIP house with solar sand bed heat storage

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:07:39 -0600

This is a modest sized and very energy efficient home in Vermont built by Al Rossetto. The envelope uses SIPs for wall and roof, ICF foundation, and triple glazed windows. Solar heat is stored in a sand bed heat storage unit under the slab. The house gets a 95.3 out of 100 HERS score. Click on the pictures for a bit more detail -- I've asked Al if he can provide more design/construction detail on the house.

Jack's solar workshops for kinds

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:06:46 -0600

Jack has been doing solar workshops for kids and teachers for quite a while, and has documented some of his solar projects for kid here -- my favorite is The Solar Kid Warmer. Jack also has a lot of material on workworking for kids -- the 2nd best hobby in the world.

Sean's plans for making PV panels

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:05:27 -0600

Another good and free source of information on how to make PV panels. Sean uses a vacuum bag technique to seal the PV panel together.

Tank heat loss test for the $1K solar water heating system

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:04:02 -0600

A test to determine heat loss from the 160 gallon solar heated water storage tank. Some thoughts on reducing heat loss.

May performance for the $1K solar water heating system

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 12:41:43 -0600

Solar fraction and daily performance plot for the $1000 Solar Water Heating System for the month of May.

Chad's Solar Home Heating System

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:59:32 -0600

Chad uses 6 4X8ft collectors mounted on his shop to heat his home, which is 200 ft away. The collectors are based on these copper/aluminum collectors with some refinements for Chad's situation. The collectors pivot to allow the tilt to be adjusted.

Using Rain X to keep snow off collectors?

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:58:01 -0600

A suggestion to use Rain X to keep snow and ice off solar collectors. Rain X is a product that is normally applied to windshields to reduce or eliminate the need for windshield wipers.

Kevin's WAY NORTH Solar Water Heating System

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:56:54 -0600

Kevin's system is in Northern BC at 55 degrees latitude, so it will be interesting to see how well it does at this challenging location -- I am optimistic that it will do well. Kevin had limited space for a tank, and worked out a variation on the heat exchanger that requires less space, and looks like it will be very efficient.

Snow accumulation on solar collectors

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:55:23 -0600

Several methods for dealing with snow accumulation on solar collectors.

Pelton wheel turbine design and installation

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:54:19 -0600

This site sells parts for Pelton turbine installation as well as completed turbines. Quite a bit of design and installation material is provided -- most applicable to other Pelton wheels.

Converting a small pickup to an EV

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:53:25 -0600

A nice detailed description of the conversion of a 2001 GMC pickup to full electric operation. Covers the tradeoffs on range, battery capacity, vehicle choice, and provides a bit of detail on the actual conversion process.

Garage door scheme for solar light and heating

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:51:42 -0600

A simple scheme for solar heating and lighting a garage or shop.

A calculator for designing and sizing Electric Vehicle Conversions

Thu, 14 May 2009 12:39:10 -0600

To my untrained eye, this looks like a very useful calculator for designing EV conversions. It has a whole inventory of actual donor cars, motors, controllers, ... You put a car together from these choices, and it then reports the performance for the car you assembled.

Growing Tomatoes in the Solar Heated Stock Tank!

Thu, 14 May 2009 12:37:49 -0600

Steve has worked out an alternative use for his Solar Heated Stock tank for the summer -- a mini-greenhouse for growing tomatoes.

Wind Turbine Buyers Guide

Thu, 14 May 2009 12:36:50 -0600

Home Power magazine article, issue 131, June/July 2009. A very good article from two recognized wind power experts that provides some good and realistic advice for people thinking about a wind turbine . Covers all the basics, and provides a rundown on wind turbine models available in the US/Canada. If you are serious about wanting to install a wind turbine that will generate the amount of energy you expect, and will not be a nightmare to maintain, this article is a must.

April performance for the $1K solar water heating system

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:42:41 -0600

Thermal performance for the $1000 solar water heating system. Solar fraction was 96.6%.

Nice DIY array of concentrating collectors

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:41:44 -0600

A very nice set of ganged, parabolic, tracked, concentrating collectors used to heat water. Can be made with common shop tools.

Solar Water Heating: A Primer

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:38:11 -0600

This is a basic introduction to solar water heating, and provides a description of different types of systems and their pros and cons. A good place to start.

Israeli Microturbine-Based Range-Extended Electric

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:29:57 -0600

An Israeli start-up is working on a range extended electric vehicle (REEV) that uses a small gas turbine for charging the batteries. This type of vehicle is electrically propelled, but an onboard generator is used when the batteries can't provide enough range -- this means no need for a lengthy charging stop on long trips. It is claimed that the gas turbine may use as little as half the fuel of an IC engine for battery charging.

Homemade pipe coil solar pool heater

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:28:58 -0600

A pipe coil style pool heating collector made from 10 mm black irrigation pipe. The collector is piped off the main circulation pump and receives a small fraction of the total pump flow.

Update on solar heated stock water tank

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:27:32 -0600

This solar heated horse watering tank nearly eliminates the need for a wasteful, electrically powered, CO2 producing tank heater.

How to Build a Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater Collecting System

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:26:31 -0600

This is an advanced rainwater and greywater collection system. The system collects rainwater from the roof, and routes it to two 275 gallon tote type tanks in the crawl space. Greywater from the shower is also collected and routed to the same two tanks. A pump is used to extract water from the tanks for landscape watering. All-in-all a very nice system.

2009 update on Don's solar electric scooter conversion

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:25:32 -0600

he scooter still flying. Survived a long winter with only a couple of issues. ...

Some well thought out lesson plans for renewable energy studies

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:24:18 -0600

Rain water gardens to control runoff

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:23:25 -0600

Rain water gardens capture and use storm water that would normally run off your property and cause problems for the storm sewer system

Optimizing the Thermal Conductivity of the Fin to Riser Tube Joint in DIY solar collectors

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:34:00 -0600

Tests and analysis aimed at getting to a cheap, reliable, high performance, and easily constructed connection between solar collector fins and tubes.

Building a 10 ft diameter Piggottt style wind turbine

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:32:40 -0600

A good set of pictures on building the Piggott/Otherpower style wind turbine. Quite a bit of detail in the photos.

Building a Sol-Air solar air heating collector

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:31:50 -0600

Greg provides a detailed description with lots of pictures on the construction of one of these Sol-Air collectors.

Very nice solar space heating retrofit

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:30:38 -0600

This is a detailed description of Jim's solar space heating system. Jim was able to add quite a bit of solar collector area to his existing home in a very aesthetically pleasing way.

March performance for $1K solar water heating system

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:29:42 -0600

Thermal performance plot for March for the $1000 Solar Water Heating System.

A simple, cheap PEX pool heating collector

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:28:49 -0600

This is a nice, simple, cheap pool heating collector you can build that uses PEX tubing for the manifolds and risers, and aluminum heat collection fins. It should be a very efficient collector.

The Mother of All Collector Fin Presses

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:27:16 -0600

Tom and friends are making many hundreds of square feet of solar water heating collector, and have worked out this rather impressive press to form the grooves in the collector fins.

Fran's free homemade clothes washer

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:26:22 -0600

Fran made a very effective washer using a 5 gallon bucket, a length of dowel, and an old plastic plate. Takes about 15 minutes and works well!

Tesla EV Sedan Details

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 15:25:07 -0600

Tesla, the maker of the Tesla Roadster (just below), announced the details on the coming sedan model. Seats up to 5 adults + 2 children, ranges from 160 to 300 miles depending on battery pack, zero to 60 mph in 6 seconds, and a price just under $50K (including $7K fed rebate). Production by Q4, 2011 -- start saving!

First impressions and numbers coming in on 3rd Generation Prius

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:38:50 -0600

Impressions and numbers starting to come in on the 3rd Generation 2010 Prius. My overall impression is that it has some useful improvements in functionality and performance, while at the same time providing a small improvement in fuel economy.

Quick look at collector using CPVC instead of PEX

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:37:33 -0600

A not very successful look at using CPVC instead of PEX-AL-PEX in the $1000 (really $800) solar water heater.

The Appalachian Solar Lumber Kiln

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:04:01 -0600

A well thought out design for a solar lumber drying kiln. The article includes good design, construction, and performance detail

MOFGA Solar Air Heating Collector

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:03:19 -0600

This solar air heating collector utilizes the full south wall of the building. The collector air flow path is horizontal across the full wall width. There are vertical manifolds on the left and right sides. This makes for a simple collector design with straight flow paths that are long enough for a good temperature rise, and that spread the airflow very evenly over the full absorber surface. I think this is a good candidate for full wall collectors, and could be used for home or shop heating as a retrofit or in new construction.

Solar Heated Horse Tank -- Version 2

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:01:54 -0600

New version of the well insulated and solar heated stock watering tank. Avoids the use of electric heaters to prevent ice in tanks.

Ford Fusion Hybrid is out

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:00:43 -0600

The just out Ford Fusion Hybrid gets 41 city/36 hwy. The Fusion hybrid is reported by reviewers to be roomy, comfortable, and quiet.

Strawbale home plans

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:59:49 -0600

Good site on strawbale house construction. They offer plans, strawbale workshops, and design consultation. Quite a bit of interesting information on the site.

A new online guide to all known electric cars

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:59:08 -0600

A new online guide to all known electric cars from the folks at HybridCars.com A really helpful rundown on what's available or soon to be available.

Flow distribution test for our copper/aluminum collector

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 12:03:00 -0600

A test of our DIY collector that uses copper pipes and aluminum fins to determine if the half inch manifolds provide an even distribution of flow to all of the risers.

Battery basics for PV systems

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 12:01:50 -0600

This is a good rundown on the type of batteries normally used in PV systems.

Fran's Use of Subterranean Air to Defeat the Evil Air Conditioner

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:52:05 -0700

Fran shows how he used cool air from his basement to defeat the evil air conditioner.

Feb 2009 Performance for $1K Solar Water Heater

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:51:01 -0700

Performance update for the $1000 Solar Water Heating System.

Practical Solar Heliostat System

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:50:25 -0700

An interesting new commercial heliostat product. The 8 sqft of mirrors are tracked to reflect sunlight on a fixed target using software running on your PC.

Green Wheel -- A new electric bike design from MIT

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:49:33 -0700

A nice simple new electric bike design from MIT. The motor and lithium ion batteries are all packaged in the hub. The handle bar mounted throttle connects to the hub via Bluetooth.

New Stimulus bill Energy Tax Credits

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:48:43 -0700

This is a summary of the Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency from the Energy Star site with the effect of the just passed (Feb 2009) changes included in the stimulus bill.

Book: The Rough Guide to Climate Change

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:47:24 -0700

I found this to be a good and informative book on climate change. It covers the major areas in a fair bit of depth, but is very readable without having a heavy duty science background. Most of the reviews by readers use words like "thoughtful" and "balanced" -- I agree.

California Academy of Sciences

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:46:28 -0700

A really terrific place to take kids (or retired engineer grandfathers) to have fun learning about science. An amazing rain forest bubble, aquariums, green roof, ... lots and lots -- all very well done.

Grey Water Heat Recovery Calculator

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:45:43 -0700

A calculator to estimate the energy savings for installing a gray water heat exchanger. While the calculator only lists Ca cities, you can pick one with about the same ground water temp as your area.

PV Economics Calculator from BP

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:44:45 -0700

This appears to be a good tool for estimating the economic return for installing a PV system for your area. Allows you to change location, size & cost of array, and financing. Shows details on power output, cost savings, and return on your investment.

Indiana Super Insulated Home

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:43:54 -0700

A very nice super insulated home in Indiana. Incorporates R70 cathedral ceilings, R31 walls using cellulose + rigid foam. The south face has two of our thermosyphon collectors integrated into the wall with full insulation behind the collectors.

Optics Experiments On the Cheap

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:42:40 -0700

This is a very clever and simple test setup for experimenting with curved mirror shapes.

Life of Mylar Storm Windows

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:41:29 -0700

Report on the life of inside Mylar Storm Windows

Solar Noon Calculator

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:40:32 -0700

Very handy tool that prints out solar noon for every day of the year for your exact location.

Greenhouse from pop bottles

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:57:03 -0700

This is a greenhouse built by kids with using 2 liter pop bottles. The finished GH could be used for any number of solar heating and growing experiments. A great demonstration of how simple solar can be.

Retrofit Larsen Truss super insulation project

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:55:08 -0700

A very nice Larsen Truss retrofit to the 2nd story of his house. This allowed him to greatly increase the insulation level for the 2nd floor. The new 16 inch thick Larsen Truss walls with no thermal bridging and filled with cellulose provides about R60 + the insulation in the existing wall!

An Interesting New Solar Cooker Design

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:44:41 -0700

This is a cooker design in work from Juan. While its probably not the design you want to build if you just want try solar cooking, it does have a number of unique and interesting ideas. If you are a solar cooking experimenter, you will probably find it very interesting -- I did.

New Honda Insight Hybrid

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:43:43 -0700

This is a designed from the ground up hybrid that is that Honda is expecting to capture a lot of the Hybrid market -- starting price is said to be $18,500. Honda's answer to the success of the Prius.

Multi Drum Heat Storage System

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:43:02 -0700

John Canivan discusses several heat storage schemes, and provides details on a system using multiple poly drums for space heating or DHW thermal storage.

Negotiating group discounts for PV system installations

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:41:44 -0700

The 1BOG organization puts together a group of people in a city who want to install PV systems, and negotiates a group discount.

New Manual for Radiation On Collector

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:40:14 -0700

The Radiation On Collector tool estimates the solar radiation incident on a collector as a function of its orientation. There is now a user manual.

A Simple Concentrating Solar Water Distiller

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 18:45:39 -0700

This is an interesting design for solar water distiller. The mirror is very simple, using aluminized mylar for the reflective surface and a simple and light aluminum frame that is pulled into position using tension wires..

Root Cellar/Cooler in basement

Sat, 3 Jan 2009 08:20:12 -0700

Good article on building a root cellar or cooler in the basement that will keep vegetables fresh through the winter. Good use of insulation and outside venting make this look like a good design to me.

December performance for the $1000 Solar Water Heating System

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:27:05 -0700

Provides detailed performance plot and solar fraction for the month of December for the low cost solar water heating system.

How to Build a Wood Fired Clothes Dryer

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:46:30 -0700

Ray was looking for a way to dry clothes in the winter for his off-grid home. He came up with this design that captures heat from a wood burning boiler or stove chimney so that the only electricity needed for the dryer is motor and controls. He provides full details for converting an electric clothes dryer to use heat from burning.

Heated Water Trough for Livestock --Using the Sun

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:44:54 -0700

Very nicely designed and built insulated and solar heated horse watering tank. Good photos, plans and construction detail. Steven lives in a very cold climate (even colder than mine!), so it will be interesting to see how the tank does over time.

"Homebrew Wind Power" book review

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:44:03 -0700

A very good new book from the two Dans that run the OtherPower.com website (just above). The book gives very detailed instructions on how to build a 10 ft wind turbine. The design of the turbine is one that the Dans have perfected over the years.

Using Google SketchUp for sun on home modeling

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:15:36 -0700

How to use the free Google SketchUp 3D CAD tool to model sun and shadows on your home, including overhang and shading structure design.

$1000 Solar Water Heating System at -20F

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:39:58 -0700

Performance of the $1000 solar water heating system at extreme cold temperatures.

More Power Hogs

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:15:37 -0700

Addition to the list of electricity power hogs.

A good Solar Cooking site

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:14:42 -0700

Link to a good and wide ranging site on solar cooking.

A Very Nice Solar Heated and Well Insulated Stock Watering Tank

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:08:22 -0700

Very nicely done insulated and solar heated stock tank. This design uses a galvanized stock tank as a base and builds an insulating and solar heat collecting structure over the tank.

Earth Bermed Freeze Resistant Stock Watering Tank

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:07:23 -0700

Freeze resistant stock tank design from U of M Extension relies on earth berming and a small trickle of water in very cold weather to prevent freezing.

PEX/Aluminum Solar Collector Efficiency Test

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:05:45 -0700

A test of the efficiency of our low cost solar water heating collector on a cold day.

How to Compare Fuel Use for Two Years

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:03:57 -0700

Explains how to do an apples to apples comparison of fuel use for two years that corrects for differences in the severity of the winters for the two years.

November performance for PEX/Aluminum Solar Water Heater

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:02:57 -0700

More Power Hogs

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 19:39:45 -0700

Added some new items to the "Power Hogs" area. The Power Hogs are major uses of electricity that can easily be controlled, and will cut most peoples electric bills in half.

My neighbor's Outstanding Solar Trellis

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:09:48 -0700

My neighbor has a terrific trellis with vines shading structure. It makes for a great shady place to sit on hot sunny summer days. In the winter with the leaves gone, it provides filtered sun and some solar gain to the window area behind. And, it provides beautiful fall color.

Wood Handbook from Forest Products Lab

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:08:53 -0700

Very good 460 page handbook covering the physical properties of various wood species. Chapter 3 cover thermal properties.

Ghost Mine -- A unique, 90% solar heated, low cost home design

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:50:50 -0700

A unique solar design that uses the basement area as solar collector and for heat storage. This design has provided 90% solar heating in an 8600 Degree Day climate.

Final update on Tom's Wind Turbine -- up and running

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:12:05 -0700

Final installment on Tom's project to install a grid connected, 5 KW Prairie Turbines wind turbine on a home built 140 ft tower.

Update to glazing guide -- add Coroplast

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:10:23 -0700

This is the corrugated plastic material that is commonly used for sign boards. This material is made in a Horticultural grade which has some UV inhibitor, and comes in "natural", which is the color of the polypropylene resin used to make it. This material has been used as a glazing for greenhouses. The greenhouse grade is translucent, and has 73.5% transmittance. It is guaranteed for 3 years.
(now if we could only convince politicians running for office to use this version for their signs, we would have a limitless supply of free glazing every 4 years)

An electric MINI

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:09:41 -0700

BMW is building 500 of these electrically powered MINIs. They should be little hot rods with the equivalent of 200 peak HP. Powered by Li batteries and an advanced AC power plant -- said to have about 150 mile range. They will be leased ($850?/mo) in selected locations, including east coast and west coast cities. BMW is doing this to get real world experience with electric vehicles.

EPA mpg for plug-in hybrids difficult to determine

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:08:15 -0700

New York Times article on what the EPA is going through to try to come up with the EPA gas mileage that will go on the window sticker for the Chevy Volt. Complex because the Volt runs 40 miles on electricity in the batteries with no gasoline use, and after that runs on electricity produced by the onboard IC engine.

EcoRenovator -- DIY energy saving projects

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:19:36 -0700

A personal site with many interesting articles on a wide range of conservation, efficiency, green house gas, and solar projects. Quite a few DIY projects.

New pump for the $1000 solar water heater project

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:04:14 -0700

Description of a new, less expensive pump I am trying in the solar water heating system. This pump promises to provide a very long life, lower cost, and very low power consumption.

Update on DIY i-wall polycarbonate inside storm windows

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:02:20 -0700

These are the R3 inside storm windows we have been using for 3 years. This small update suggests sealing the ends of the panels.

Update on PET bottle Solar Water Heater

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:00:53 -0700

Some more details on the solar water heater that is made from recycled plastic bottles.

Keeping the pipes from freezing when away

Sun, 2 Nov 2008 13:18:58 -0700

Schemes to keep the pipes from freezing when away from home without using fuel.

Freedom's solar heated stock watering tank

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 19:38:33 -0600

A solar heated and well insulated horse watering tank. It provides 140 gallons of water that is protected from freezing by lots of insulation and a solar collector that is built into the south wall of the tank.

October performance for the $1K solar water heater

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:07:15 -0600

A performance plot for the first month of operation of the $1K, 4 season solar water heating system.

Tom's 5.5 KW, 20 ft diameter wind turbine and 140 ft tilt-up tower

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:53:27 -0600

Tom Sullivan's 20 ft diameter, 5.5KW wind turbine and a 140ft tall gin-pole tower. The turbine is Tom's version of a Prairie Technologies 5.5KW, grid tie, AC turbine. The 140 ft tower was completely designed and built by Tom. Quite a project!

Canuckle sun tracker

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:52:24 -0600

Light duty solar trackers that you can make from computer parts and ABS tubing.

Solar Livestock Handbook available again

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:50:54 -0600

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 primarily addresses AG applications of solar, many of the ideas are interesting and and potentially applicable to other solar heating situations.

Bob's Insulated Horse Watering Tank

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:45:10 -0600

This is a fully insulated stock tank with complete how to build it instructions. The insulation should dramatically reduce, and possibly eliminate any need for a tank heater -- depending on climate.

Earthbag Building -- an excellent book

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:44:01 -0600

If you are interested in learning about building with Earthbags, this is the book. It covers the pro/con of Earthbag compared to other earth building techniques, and then goes into a VERY detailed how to go about building an Earthbag building from the foundation up. The authors have many Earthbag buildings under their belts, and the book passes on the kind of detailed build knowledge that takes years to accumulate.

Finding a professional installer

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:42:44 -0600

If you are looking for a professional installer in your area, try this site to find one. Includes customer reviews. Build-It-Solar is mostly about building renewable energy projects yourself, but if you decide you want some help from a pro -- here is a good place to find one.

Kid Wind

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:06:35 -0600

Great site for students (and others) to learn about wind power. Many lessons and hands on experiments.

Updated collector glazing materials overview

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:29:49 -0600

An overview of glazing materials for DIY solar collectors.

Frugal Energy Saving Ideas

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:17:40 -0600

A collection of all the "Frugal" projects and pages on Build-It-Solar -- meaning projects that don't cost much and save a lot. I look for new ideas that are relatively simple to do and have a proven payback. You won't see most of these ideas on the usual "ten tips" type lists. Some of the ideas push the envelope a little, so use some common sense and judgment if you decide to use them.

A nice rain barrel project

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:55:29 -0600

Nice rain barrel project from the Homegrown Evolution site. Provides for controlled overflow and gravity feed from the barrel.

A bit of performance on $1000 water heater

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:53:21 -0600

Plots of first 3 weeks of performance for the $1000, all season solar water heater.

New material on the chispito wind turbine

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:52:04 -0600

New material added on the Chispito small, DIY turbine.

Building a PV and Wind system how-to

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:50:36 -0600

A very good personal website on designing and installing a PV and wind system that is grid tied with battery backup. Lots of detail and helpful information on design, choosing components, installing, wiring, towers, suppliers, permitting, ...

First performance for the Copper/Aluminum prototype collector

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 20:31:54 -0600

Results from the first few days of testing on the solar water heating collector using a hybrid copper and aluminum construction.

Tanks from Tom

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 20:30:58 -0600

A new option for large heat storage tanks from Tom Gocze -- a long time friend of Build-It-Solar. Metal framed, PVC lined tanks with high insulation levels.

Excellent site on designing and building a combined PV and Wind system

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 20:29:19 -0600

A $1000, cold climate, high performance, durable, Domestic Solar Water Heating System

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:27:20 -0600

This is a cut at $1000, cold climate, high performance, long life, low maintenance, and easy to build solar water heating system. It combines one of the two collector designs just above with a very simple drain back scheme. A unique heat exchanger that is inexpensive and very efficient is used.

A low cost, high performance, copper/aluminum collector ($6/sqft)

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:25:53 -0600

This is a cut at a solar water heating collector that offers a combination of high performance with a low cost per sqft, and an easy build. The fin to tube thermal connection is similar to the collector above, but copper is used for the tubing instead of PEX. This provides performance within 4% of an all copper collector in an easy to build package.

A collector using PEX tubing instead of copper ($4/sqft)

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:25:05 -0600

This is a cut at a solar water heating collector that uses PEX tubing instead of copper to convey the heat transfer fluid. The fins are aluminum, and a lot of effort was put into attaining a good thermal bond between the PEX and aluminum. Testing indicates that the collector performs at 84% of and all copper commercial collector at about 1/7th the price.

Small panel tests as a way to compare solar tor designs

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:23:52 -0600

This is a method for comparing the performance of alternative collector designs. It does not require much in the way of instrumentation, and it appears to produce solid results.

Thermal performance of a large plastic pipe coil heat exchanger

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:22:51 -0600

This is a simple test of the thermal effectiveness of a large plastic pipe coil used as a heat exchanger in a solar water heating system.

Effect of vent size on thermosyphon collectors

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:21:56 -0600

This is a test of the effect of changing the size of the the inlet and exit vent for a thermosyphon collector.

Energy Efficiency of different modes of transportation

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:20:51 -0600

Very extensive list of the fuel efficiency of many modes of transportation -- cars, buses, airplanes, ships, ...