My Raised Bed Square Foot Garden
My weekend project - build 2 raised bed, square foot gardens in my very small back yard.
Read More: Square Foot Garden
Peugeot Citroen Air Hybrid
Forget about expensive batteries, Peugeot Citroen is working on a new hybrid that runs on gasoline and compressed air.
Read More: Hybrid Air
VAWT Installed At University
Three Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi locations are now home to 11 vertical-axis wind turbines producing a combined total capacity of 92 kilowatts, making this the largest installation of its kind in the nation. These VAWT went live Sept. 21, 2012.
Read More: Corpus Christi
Read More : DIY VAWT
Solar "Preheater" Air Heater
 This solar air heater is made from just $50 worth or reused materials and provides a very significant heat source.
The solar "preheater" feeds an existing air exchanger in this R2000 home, increasing the input air terperature by 20 Celsius (36F).
Click here for more info on this design plus 3 more do-it-yourself solar air heaters:
Solar Air Heaters
Electric Vehicle EV Battery Reuse
Battery systems in electric vehicles are expected to outlast the vehicles themselves. Thus at the end of the car’s life, the battery system should still retain 70% of it’s storage capacity. These used battery systems would not be strong enough to power another new vehicle but could they be used for home power systems?
Read More: EV Battery Reuse
Read More : Plug-in EVs
Homemade Micro Hydro Generator
Past the "testing" stage, this DIY micro generator is now charging a battery bank for an off-grid cabin. See the video: Homemade micro hydro generator
DIY Solar Pool Heaters
Extend your pool season while saving on heating bills by making your own solar pool heater.
DIY Solar Pool Heater
Solar Panel Installation Overview
 Like most projects, with proper planning, a home solar panel installation does not need to be difficult. Know your limitations and use professional help where needed. Here's an overview of our home solar PV installation.
Solar Panel Installation
DIY Solar Water Heater
 We have several DIY solar projects including solar ovens, solar pool heaters, solar PV panels solar air heaters and batch solar water heaters. We have just added another solar water collector - a bit more involved than a batch water heater or "bread box" water heater. Take a look at this design by Jake Teaters.
Solar Water Heaters
Grow Your Fresh Air With Houseplants
 As we made are homes and workplaces more energy efficient and air tight, the quality of indoor air greatly decreased. Use these houseplants to remove indoor air toxins. Plants are ordered by their ability to remove chemical toxins, how easy they are to grow and their resistance to pests.
Grow Fresh Air
How Home Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Works
Interested in a small solar photovoltaic (PV) project for your home, cottage or camp ground? Here’s a quick overview of how it works and how to setup your own small solar PV system.
How Solar PV Works
Chickens Chickens Chickens
Having mastered the backyard garden, most people wishing to grow or raise more of their own food, add a few chickens to the mix.
Rasing Chickens
Chicken Coops
Chicken Recipes
Green Driveways - Grass Pavers
Green driveways reduce storm water runoffs and the pollution that carries as well as reduces the island heat effect of large dark surfaces.
Green Driveways
VAWT- Ready for Testing
We have finished our first Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). However, we still have concerns about our gearing system. Once we have some test results, we'll be sure to post them here.
DIY VAWT
DIY Solar PV Panels
We take a look at building your own solar PV panels. It's a very nice project - requires soldering skills and a bit of woodworking and you learn lots.
DIY Home Solar Panels
Wind Turbine Furling
You worked hard building your DIY wind turbine and now you look forward to days when the wind blows hard. The power output increases as a CUBE of the increase in wind velocity - a 3 fold increase in wind speed means a 9 fold increase in power output.
Problem is, your DIY wind turbine won't survive very many of those "extreme" wind days. You need a way to protect your wind turbine from high wind damage, while allowing it to still produce power at the top end of it's output curve. You need to FURL your wind turbine in high winds.
Wind Turbine Furling
Build an Axial Flux Alternator for Wind Turbines
DIY Wind Turbines are very popular and usually very quick and simple to build. The permanent magnet D.C. motor has a lot to do, with making this process EASY. However, good D.C. motors (Ametek 30), that produce a workable voltage and current, at low revolutions per minute (rpm) are becoming hard to find. Ebay is loaded will people selling motors for wind turbine projects, that simply WILL NOT WORK at the rpms that a homemade wind turbine can produce.
A homemade axial flux alternator could be your best alternative. While the process to make your own, may seem complex, why not give it a once through. Some of the plans on the internet, show you how to make top of the line jigs and tools, which can be reused many times. If you only want to make one or two alternators, the steps can be simplified.
Homemade Axial Flux Alternator
DC Wind Turbine Motors on eBay - BEWARE
DIY Wind Turbines have become very popular items in the past year. We have DIY plans forboth horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) on this site. And yes, in the beginning we recommended people take a look on eBay for used DC Motors to use in their DIY Wind Turbines.
Unfortunately, as the demand for DC Motors has increased, so has the supply “of inappropriate” motors.
DIY Solar Ovens
2 sets of plans for DIY Solar Ovens - one very portable, one insulated for use in cooler areas - both for under $10.
Box Solar Oven
Windshield Shade Solar Oven
DIY Home Air Pressure Test
7 easy steps to perform your own air pressure test - find and fix those air leaks. Not only reduce your cost to heat & cool your home, but feel more comfortable without the drafts. See more here: DIY Home Air Pressure Test
Cheap & Easy Solar Projects
7 inexpensive, easy solar projects - from easy landscaping to diy solar heating: Easy Solar Projects
11 Money Saving Tips for Tough Times
All 11 of these tips cost NOTHING to implement - start saving today: 11 Money Saving Tips
DIY Wind Turbines
As the price of electricity rises, so does the interest in making your own windmill or wind turbine. We have designs and links for the do it yourself builder for both:
Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT)
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT
The HAWT we have built ourselves. The VAWT will be our next project.
Electric Plug-in Vehicles
Electric plug-in vehicles are available today, that can travel over 100 kms (60 miles) before a recharge, with top speeds exceeding 100 km/h (60 mph). Even greater ranges and speeds are on the horizon.
Read more on Electric Plug-in Vehicles.
How much CO2 does Electric Vehicle produce vs Gasoline Power Vehicle?
Pounds CO2 per kwh of Electrical Production - Listed State by State and Provinces
Just how much Power is in the Wind, for producing electricity? - Wind Turbines
There's just a little bit of math involved, but you can easily figure out how much power a small wind turbine can produce, given the length of the blades and the wind speed. With this information, you'll know if you should listen to that Salesman, or walk away.
How Much Power is in the Wind
Step by step instructions with parts list and tools list. Makes a great science project.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - starting with reduce. Lower your carbon footprint by carefully considering each purchase. Is this a “want” or a “need”. Can I get it in good used condition from someplace else? Does it have minimal packaging.
- Operate your large electrical appliances in off-hours. If you use a dryer, run it in off-peak hours. (using a clothes line is even better)
- Turn down the temperature on your hot water heater.
- Make your own household cleaners. It’s easy and quick. See http://greenterrafirma.com/cleaners.html for recipes.
- Shorten your shower times and take fewer baths. (if you buy a low flow shower head you can greatly reduce your hot water usage and keep those longer showers).
See the full 16+ items here. |
