wind, solar and more

[rockhound]

There are many ways to get energy for free,after the intial investment. Solar,wind and hydroelectric are just a few ways.Here is a website where you can buy turned key systems or do it yourself kits,books and components. www.magnet4less.com Also they have water softener magnetic systems. These you can purchase from them or I will tell you how to build your own. Take two large long ceramic magnets,one on each side of water pipe,put in the attraction mode,turn north ends toward you water outlet(spigot),then tape or tie onto pipe. It will break down minerals in your water and and make it softer. Softer water requires less detergent for dishwashing,washing machine and taking a shower-bath. It not only will save you money on cleaners but also the water will taste better and be better for your body. Also when it breaks down the lime,which is a problem in some areas,it will keep your water pipes and heater from accumulating deposits in them. Your entire system will work better. More later. rockhound

 

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[rockhound]

When anticiapting the switch from grid to alternative energy sources or staying grid tied and use alternative energy sources to turn back the meter, you need to assess the total wattage your home needs to operate. Take your largest electric bill,probably during winter heating,it will be stated in KWH,killowatt hours,divide by 1000 to get watts,divide by 30(days),then divide by 24(hours), to give the minimum wattage required to keep your home running.This will tell you how many watts are required to meet your current needs per hour. You then need to add at least 25% to that total for unexpected electrical usage or other add ons that might come later. If you can do it, you can always upgrade to more efficient appliances and lighting. LED lighting used far lees electricity than CFL or incadescent bulbs,which are to be phased out before January 1,2012.Already most stores are pulling or have laready pulled incadescents from their shelfs.All must do so by July 30,2011.I have updated to a tier three refrigerator, tankless water heater, and am using CFL and LED bulbs now. All these things together will bring your total electrical usage down considerably,making it possible to install a smaller solar or wind system, or both, to accomodate your needs. Heat pumps are now far more efficient than when I installed mine. The bottom rated heat pumps now have a higher seer rating than was available when mine was installed.Newer heat pumps and refrigerators use a higher pressure pump and more efficient coolant.more later. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

Watch this short film about solar energy www.greenlightningbolt.blogspot.com/ This will give you a headsup approach if you are considering a solar grid tied system. Some states and utility companies have different policies regarding the buy back electricity program. You can check with yur local electrical supplier for details.Good Luck. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

Check out this new heat pump. www.ezinearticles.com/?Mitsubishi-ecodan Good Luck. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

Before converting over to solar,wind and or any other alternate energy source,you should do an evaluation of your home to see where you can cut back on energy consumed. All things that help you reduce your energy will save you money now,and when buying a system,you can purchase a smaller system and save many thousands of dollars.It costs so much per unit size so a smaller system is far cheaper. Also consider two smaller systems as opposed to one,that way if one goes out you can still produce some power until you can get the other one up and going.It could be the difference between being in the dark or not.More later. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

The sun goes through an eleven year cycle. During each cycle the sun flips its polarity, when that happens it either goes into a low solar flare period or a high one. It went into a low one in 2001, so it is scheduled to go into a high one in 2012. When it does it could cause grave consequences on our planet. Without power everything would go into chaos, just like in Great Britian now, looters would wipe out supplies overnight. Also a comet is passing close on the weekend of September 25, which could disrupt our electrical grid system. This is not a doomsday scenario, but we could have some major bumps as we go along. Scientists have been collecting data, but haven't released any of it yet, and may not. Being prepared is just common sense whether we have any of the afore mentioned disasters. With a few simple steps we can be better prepared to withstand any disruptions in our grid systems and live comfortably until it is restored. According to the severity of the damage, it could take weeks, months or even years to restore the grid to its original capacity if something catastophic were to happen, such as did in 1859. We only require three things, food, shelter and clothing(warmth), food also covers water. Electricity and water are the first things we would lose. Stocking up is hard as most people are just barely getting by as it is, but anything you can safely store is a good hedge against disasters. Dry soup mixes, powdered milk and eggs, cereals, dried fruit and vegetables, grains, some canned meats, beans, rice, all work well if you have access to water. I have a pool, which holds 10,000 gallons of water. When boiled, it is a my resource of drinking and cooking water, also when it rains it replenishes some of it. And I can use it to bathe or flush the toilet as it is. I keep it clean and probably better treated than most municipal water. Any water catch syatem would work, even a simple rain barrel on the end of your gutters. More later. rockhound

 

[mamabear]

Rockhound, thank you for the info & links. It's been yrs since I was involved in soft tech living, but am more than ready to get back into it. & really appreciate your posts. there is so much info out there, it's nice to have specific links to go to.
as for the catastrophic events you are talking about, I have to take them w/ a grain of salt. I'm sure these things are possible, & will someday occur, but we have had these scares many times over. I have always kept emergency food & water stores, as well as candles, flashlights etc. & we have wood heat so I am not to worried. but in the event of a serious solar/cosmic event, well, we shall see. I would miss TN that's for sure.
please keep up the posts. I really enjoy them.

 

[rockhound]

Most people are not aware of what new and inventive products are out here to help us save on our energy bills. Most are not terribly expensive and their cost can be recouped in a shot time. Even just cutting back on electrical consumption can save you up to and maybe more than a months electric bill. With this new found money, there are other things which can be purchased to make even more cuts in consumption. I hope more people will benefit from knowing about the products that are available and can definitely make a difference in our power consumption. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

I was checking out some solar lights today and came across some solar Christmas lights. These were strings of white LED's of dfferent lengths. I read the package label and saw it is powered by a 3.7 volt battery, and charges even in low light conditions. In my sunroom, I am getting ready to build, I will string these up to light tht room at night. If they work really well, then I will design a way to light my house with these lights, or something similar. LED's are mostly not high lux lighting bulbs, but stringing many together should give plenty of light for a room. Also, I can use white, red, and blue as grow lights to extend the hours of light in the winter. I am thinking of making a housing and using them as overhead lighting. Being LED, they should last a long time before needing replacing. I will keep everyone updated to my progress when I get around to doing it. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

For those thinking of going solar, there is a way to save a massive amount of money, if you have the time. Go to www.sunelec.com and look at the solar laminates. You can purchase these cheap and buy the rest of the components reasonable to complete solar panels. There are step by step videos on there that shows the process step by step by step. With some soldering knowledge and some time anyone can build these. Eve without prior knowledge of soldering, you should be able to complete these with a small amount of experimenting. You can practice soldering some other things together to get a feel for it. These are meant for offgrid, battery charging and lighting. You can also go on Ebay and purchase a kit to build one or many. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

Methane Biofuels

For those who have livestock ot those who would like to convert their own manure and garbage into methane, this is one such website with a DIY build. It is not complicated to build a methane producing tank. All you really need are two barrels, one inside the other, upside down, with a pipe out the top for attaching a hose. As the waste decays it builds methane and lifts the inner barrel to the top of the outer one. As you draw off the gas it settles back to the bottom. There are more technical plans available on line. You can also watch a video on you tube, Methane Biodigester How To- You Tube. Everyone produces waste that can be recycled and used to produce methane for heating, or running a generator. This can offset your energy bills. Any food scraps, garden rotten produce, or any fruit will produce methane. All you will need is cow manure to get it started. Cow manure contains the bacteria that will start to break it down. Once started, you can add a small portion everyday. For some more ideas go to http://www.buiditsolar.com/Projects/BioFuel/biofuels.htm Good luck. rockhound

 

[diggemall]

If you're looking to home-brewed alternative energy, you need to check this site out:

http://www.otherpower.com

Takes a little digging, but he basically gives you real good step-by-step instructions right on the site for building your own wind generators..............

Another that I find is a useful reference is

http://energyindependence-rob.blogspot.com/

Great mini-hydro site.


Diggem'

 

[rockhound]

Thanks for the links. Any system we use to offset energy consumption is a plus. Each houshold has its own unique set of circumstances to overcome. Some locations have access to sources others don't, so it makes sense to use what is most readily available in your particular area. Whether wind, solar, hydro, thermal, or distillation and fermentation processes to suplement your energy needs. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

Here is a simple inverter hookup to your battery charging system from solar and or other power source. Use caution when attempting to hookup these systems to avoid fire and or electrical shock. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[rockhound]

For those who have access to running water, there is a water wheel that doubles its power by not only rotating but also transferring wter into a trough to use to water livestock, irrigate fields or use as a another water powered device. The spiral tube uses no power of the wheel to lift the water to any desired height for other uses. Limited only by the size of the wheel itself. Here is the link for those interested. www.earthgarden.com.au/waterwheel.html Good Luck. rockhound

 

[diggemall]

For those who have access to running water, there is a water wheel that doubles its power by not only rotating but also transferring wter into a trough to use to water livestock, irrigate fields or use as a another water powered device. The spiral tube uses no power of the wheel to lift the water to any desired height for other uses. Limited only by the size of the wheel itself.

Hey RH - a clever little device I had never seen before. However, the statement "The spiral tube uses no power of the wheel to lift the water to any desired height " isn't exactly right. (If it were, any size paddle wheel would be able to turn any size / number of coils..............) When it comes to mass and energy, "ain't no free lunches" - there is always a relationship between the amount of ENERGY INPUT and the amount of WORK accomplished.

Nonetheless, pretty cool. If you would like the particulars that would allow you to design one to suit a particular application, check out: http://lurkertech.com/water/pump/tailer/#xtocid21323

Diggem'

 

[rockhound]

I should have said, it doesn't take much energy from the wheel to lift the water. It is as efficient as any water pumping or lifting system made, and more so than most. Anyway, if you have a running water supply, it is free after you recoupe the initial investment to build the wheel or turbine to generate electricity, as well as solar and wind, except for occasional maintenance, and many are now building these systems to become more self sufficient or to use as a backup when the grid goes down. Good Luck. rockhound