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DIY Green Energy ? - 5/10/2010 11:21:49 PM

Aneirin

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From: Tamaris
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Since my visit to an organic farming community a few weeks ago I have sort of been interested in green energy and how we, the DIYers, weekend bodgers can get involved without having to purchase panels and turbines from manufacturers cashing in on the current drive for eco energy. I became interested when I learned of the problem they had with a neighbour who was opposing their plan to erect a wind turbine to supply some of the farm's electrical needs, to which I suggested VAWT turbines which can be positioned closer to the ground and even hidden, they have a nice hedged hill top for that.

I am even more interested now, as I have obtained a wooden shed which will become my workshop for the things I make. Now seeing as it will be sited quite a way away from the house, I have to look into the green energy thing for at least viable lighting. I have been researching the internet and have come up with some good ideas, which I understand can be made quite cheaply and I will be having a go initially for the fun of it, and better understanding. The things I have found on the internet I have passed onto my contacts at the commune, which might very well work for an individual need if not a community need, free hot or at least warm water in a caravan ( trailer) is definately a plus, and that got whilst the sun is shining.

Some interesting articles I have found might be of use to others here ;

http://www.reuk.co.uk/DIY-Solar-Water-Heating-Prototype.htm

http://greenterrafirma.com/vawt-designs.html

http://www.thesolarplan.com/articles/your-own-solar-panel-collector.html

So, my question is;

In this age of we (are told) dwindling and therefore increasingly expensive fossil fuels and the pollution from their use, we are being encouraged to seek green energy, what I would like to know, has anyone here embraced that, have they investigated, or even invested in the green technologies and have any of you gone down the home build route, creating something from hardware store parts ?

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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/11/2010 3:41:00 AM

Termyn8or

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I am going to lose some valued neighbors in about five years. They are buying the farm, literally. I hope to keep in touch with them and possibly buy some produce from them.

I will not stop them - but let me explain that statement. Some other neighbors were getting tired of the yard work and wanted a condo. She is a busybody, a community activist. She actually knows something of what goes on here, but they want me here. And I want them here. I talked them out of moving a few years ago. They are retired, but they still try to keep ther house and yard in pristeen condition. They are getting tired of it and I flat out said that if the get to the point they can't take care of it, I will have it done for them or do it myself. I don't even do that for my own Mother.

But back to the farm. Fuzzy's Dad died not so long ago, and he and his new olady are literally going to buy the farm from his Mother. They will leave her kid here in his old house, which should be paid off or nearly so by that time. He is about 20 now and is a "comrade". Thus we will have a dude here who is cool and a connection for some organiclly grown produce. Maybe run out there a couple times a month.

Even though I hate to see them go, I look forward to going out there. And we are talking one hell of a drive, from Cuyahoga to Noble county Ohio.

And they are contemplating windmills and all that - getting completely off the grid so to speak. That's about as green as it gets I guess and I will not even attempt to talk them out of it. Probably couldn't if I wanted to really. The other neighbors were looking to move into a condo and quit all this working on the yard and all that. They were easy. Even if I wanted to, just how would I talk these people out of it ?

Who knows, I might do it myself one day.

T

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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/11/2010 4:28:04 AM

DesFIP

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The major thing you must look at is that if you aren't producing enough electricity to be totally off the grid, then you need to install an expensive item that will block your electricity from entering the grid, or will smooth it out so there are no surges. Because you don't want to push surges into it that will cause a black out. Talk to your local utility and see what is required. Here, they will buy back the extra electricity you make if you can feed it back to their standards.

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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/11/2010 5:52:15 AM

pahunkboy

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We wont get me started on PPL planned rate increase. Now they want to up the monthly connect fee.

So even if you cut to the bone the increase is disproportionate.

but then this is what you have when you - print dollars.

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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/11/2010 8:06:02 AM

allthatjaz

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We have solar panels as well as a wind generator.
We cycle most places and only use the car for long distance.
Our boat has sails and so the energy we use is the wind.
I think our carbon footprint is smaller than most.

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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/11/2010 8:46:19 AM

Aneirin

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I disagree with this carbon footprint thing and think it is coined to create guilt where it is not necessarily due, but in a way it is a good thing because it makes people think and think about moving away from centralised energy production. Fair enough moving away from centralised anything will expose the fluctuations that are naturally there, but it is a case of learning to live with less emphasis placed upon easier lives and our expectations as we are educated.

Sail is good, it will come back and is doing so more and more often, why not use the free energy in aerodynamics, as even with modern technology a sail can be made more and more efficient for movement and power generation. But what if those sails were created out of a photoelectic or kinetic energy capturing material, a sail can become more than just a aerodynamic structure that uses natural forces for movement.

I suspect as our history is that of sail, it is sail that will become more and more useful in the future. Wind turbines are sail technology and as long as we have air movement, we have the means to move and create energy.

Limitations as we have it, lie in energy storage technology, but perhaps that is nature, nothing lasts forever.

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Everything we are is the result of what we have thought, the mind is everything, what we think, we become - Guatama Buddha

Conservatism is distrust of people tempered by fear - William Gladstone

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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/11/2010 11:49:43 AM

pyroaquatic

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quote:

ORIGINAL: allthatjaz

We have solar panels as well as a wind generator.
We cycle most places and only use the car for long distance.
Our boat has sails and so the energy we use is the wind.
I think our carbon footprint is smaller than most.

I bicycle everywhere. There is a 20:1 benefit to risk ratio when it comes to cycling.

I possess as little as possible. I use a really small towel. I make an attempt to consume as little meat as possible. My entertainment/education costs 17 watts per hour (laptop) or consists of battery free entertainment like Roleplaying (i swear each time i hear or read roleplaying i want to bust out my 20 sided die.) And of course I would have Vertical Wind Turbines and Solar panels.
I plan on constructing A Dome Home. Screw boxes I want ARCS. There are a few methods but I have a solid idea of how I will proceed.

My fence and wind shield would consist of living bamboo. I HAVE to cut that back but the plus side is I get to use bamboo for whatever I need to use it.

The bio-fuel stove (burns little sticks with maximum heat) and refrigerator (not a standard one mind you. Peltier Coolers and water may have something to do with it :D. ) would have to be in a different but connected Dome. That fridge and stove put heat into a house. If people are attempting to cool a house it would be very ineffective. Just like those light bulbs that produce more heat than light.

So we place those things in a bubble separate from the DomeHome.

Excess energy will be stored in two methods. Pumping water upwards and into a cistern would be one battery. When energy is needed just let the water fall onto a turbine (not sure if would be a tesla turbine or one like the VAWTs.) The second method would be compressed air.

Sequestered Carbon and Nitrogen from plants and wood go into the compost pile(which generates heat!). The Half-Composted material goes into the vermipost bin. Worm castings are incredibly rich in everything a healthy plant needs.

Ah the Greenhouse. The garden will not be symmetrical and orderly. Semi-random placed vegetables would benefit from each other in terms of resilience against 'pests' and 'blight'.

Yes I will have chickens and cows. They will not die unless it is of natural causes.

My Style of Living is most definitely an experiment in sustainability.

I have a long way to go. I just need land.

Peace be with you.

~ME

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As your desire is, so is your will.
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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/11/2010 4:36:25 PM

Aneirin

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In my past, a pit house I always wanted, a house sunk into the ground with the roof uppermost,much like the ancients did with their pit houses out of the way of sly winds. The design would be of course round house, as having built an iron age round house from scratch and lived in it for a few weeks, I can see the advantages, a house surrounding a central hearth, everyone benefits not just the hierachy.

Land is as always a problem though, a resource either running out or on sale to the highest bidder, though for my ideas, a bit of woodland will do.

But, what can we do now, personally in our lives without dreams.No point putting off sustainable living because we personally cannot have our dreams.

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Everything we are is the result of what we have thought, the mind is everything, what we think, we become - Guatama Buddha

Conservatism is distrust of people tempered by fear - William Gladstone

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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/12/2010 2:28:58 AM

allthatjaz

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pyroaquatic

Yes I will have chickens and cows. They will not die unless it is of natural causes.

My Style of Living is most definitely an experiment in sustainability.

I have a long way to go. I just need land.

Peace be with you.

~ME

You have some great ideas but forget the cow! Cow 'emissions' are more damaging to our planet than CO2 from cars. Livestock also produce more than 100 other polluting gases and are one of the main causes of acid rain.

I like your idea of living bamboo, though watch the roots because they tend to make the earth unstable. Wood such as spruce may be a little kinder on yourself, as its not so robust.

Before we lived on the boat, we lived in a tepee and although we were still creating far too many gas emissions through the burning of wood, what we did learn was frugality. When water is a precious commodity (we had a well) and when you don't have the things in life like refrigeration, you learn to be precious about your food supplies.
Living on the boat has furthered our understanding in how to survive without all the things in life that we once took for granted.
So much of our life is recycled now. Electricity is a luxury we can't waste, packaging is removed from food before we leave a supermarket and sea water is put through a water maker for our use. We heat our stove with balsa wood and the re-fit of our boat came from re-claimed wood.
When we come into a marina we need to use engine fuel and so most of the time we drop anchor offshore.
I have become a skip diver (my mother would die if she knew!) Its unbelievable what people throw away on marinas. I recently got 2 solar panels and a perfectly good anchor chain from out of a skip!
When I set out on this journey, it wasn't with the intention of becoming an Eco warrior, it just developed over a period of time.
Life isn't tough though, its just more simple and that feels good.

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RE: DIY Green Energy ? - 5/12/2010 3:28:33 AM

DomYngBlk

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I dont do nearly enough and need to get my ass off the mark and make a march toward getting off the grid. Sir Charles Shults III was on CoasttoCoast Am just this morning discussing new types of tabletop energy devices for the home. I believe his Shults Laboratories are commericial with some high effeciency wind devices.

Great discussion. Thanks

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