sspence, Author at Living Off the Grid: Free Yourself

Energy

U.S. grants for renewable Energy

Renewables still a tiny share of nation’s energy use

There are various US federal and state and sometimes utility company incentives for installing renewable energy. The benefit is you reduce energy consumption through conservation and the subsidies pay for things like energy efficient lighting, appliances, and insulation. DSIRE USA, a database of State incentives has a list of the net metering rules (grid back feeding — i.e. selling energy back to the grid)) and all the main incentives for each US state. Other countries also have various subsidies as well, and these will be covered in a separate post.

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🔌【Multiple Charging Ports】: 2* Pure Sine Wave AC outlets (110V 350W ), 2* USB-A ports (5V, 3.1A total),1* USB-C port , 2* DC Outputs(12V 8A; 24V 3A) and 1* 12V DC car port to charge your devices, and 1 * 10W wireless charging pad are also equipped. 🔋... read more

120WH CAPACITY: The power station has a power capacity of 120Wh/33,000mAh which the camping power supply can power most electronic devices efficiently. It can fully charge mobile phone 10+ times, the laptop 2 times, the CPAP machine 3 hours (the time...

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120WH CAPACITY: The power station has a power capacity of 120Wh/33,000mAh which the camping power supply can power most electronic devices efficiently. It can fully charge mobile phone 10+ times, the laptop 2 times, the CPAP machine 3 hours (the time... read more

CAMPING BATTERY WITH MOST PORTS - The outdoor backup lithium battery features 2 x AC outlet (110V 600W in total), 2 x USB-A port, 2 x USB-C port, 2 x 10W Wireless Charger, 2 x 12V DC port and 2 x charging port (USB-C, DC). Our portable power generato...

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CAMPING BATTERY WITH MOST PORTS - The outdoor backup lithium

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February 25, 2005 No Comments

Energy

Geodesic Quonset: Inexpensive, Easy DIY Shelter

Geodesic Quonset

Many folks are familiar with the concept of a Geodesic Dome, and the great advantages of strength and minimal materials,

Geodesic Dome

but most have not heard of a Geodesic Quonset, that also brings along many of the same advantages. It’s great for connecting domes, standalone as an emergency shelter, garage, or greenhouse. We built one recently, with a length of 60′, a width of 15′, and a pre-sidewall height of 7.5′. Less than 100 man hours to build, and a materials cost of less than $500 (plastic sheathing) , it’s extremely strong and functional. We built this structure using new 1″x6″ green lumber (1″x4″ was originally specified), but since all the pieces are less than 4′ in length, waste/scrap or recycled lumber would be ideal. All the pieces were screwed together using a power screwdriver and 3″ wood screws, 5 to a connection.

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February 18, 2005 4 Comments

Battery Maintenance

PV panels only provide power when the sun is shining and wind generators only produce when there is sufficient wind, which can be less than 25% of the day. Typically we store power during times of generation in battery packs for use when no generation is possible. In order to keep those batteries at peak performance, and provide long service life, a regimen of maintenance must be observed.

The main things to remember when keeping your batteries in trim is cleanliness of the terminals, proper water levels, and not discharging below the recommended minimums, which in our case is 50%. Proper charging is also important. The best “manual” I have found describing the technologies and methods of care is Bill Darden’s Battery FAQ. There is a section on sulfation, a common battery killer in improperly maintained batteries. A recently purported cure for sulfation can be found at https://www.batterylifesaver.com/. The inventor claims that by dissolving sulfate crystals, he can increase battery life and perfomance.

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

200W Portable Power Station, Powkey 120Wh/33,000mAh Power Bank with AC Outlet, 110V 6 Outputs Solar Generator External Battery Pack with LED Light for Home Use and Outdoor Camping

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10%

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February 16, 2005 No Comments

Community

LOW PRICE SOLAR PANEL

Exponent Flex 5

Coleman’s Exponent Flex 5 solar energy pack recharge your mobile phone and other small items on the move – at a better price than you will find anywhere else.

We have done a deal to get our readers the best possible price on a great little power-pack that will convert solar energy into trickle charge electricity.

The Exponent Flex 5 is a foldable solar charger, the size of a paperback book. It’ll charge your MP3 player, digital camera or GPS in a few hours, wherever you are. Ideal for outdoor lovers, campers and backpackers, it is practical, resistant and waterproof.

Normally retailing for 80, we are offering the Exponent Flex 5 for 65.75 INC post and packing within the UK. Please add 3.50 outside the UK.

powkey Portable Power Station 350W, 260Wh/70,000mAh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V Pure Sine Wave Power Bank with 2 AC Outlets, Portable Generator for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Emergency

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

200W Portable Power Station, Powkey 120Wh/33,000mAh Power Bank with AC Outlet, 110V 6 Outputs Solar Generator External Battery Pack with LED Light for Home Use and Outdoor Camping

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Portable Power Station 600W, Powkey 296Wh Battery Backup with 2 Pure Sine Wave AC Outlets, USB-C PD100W and 2 Wireless Chargers, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Optional) for Outdoor Camping/RVs/Home Use

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February 15, 2005 No Comments

People

Women for a Clean and Healthy America

Keely Shaye Smith

The Environment 2004 kickoff in LA drew a strong slate of celebrity environmental activists including Pierce Brosnan, Melissa Fitzgerald of “West Wing” , and Blythe Danner, star of “Meet the Fockers.” Brosnan’s wife Keely Shaye Smith spent the evening talking to Danner, mother of Gwyneth Paltrow and a new grandmother.

Keely Shaye Smith told the crowd that she had stopped Brosnan’s son from eating tuna fish sandwiches because it elevates mercury levels. It’s about our health and the health of our children.

More Info:

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

200W Portable Power Station, Powkey 120Wh/33,000mAh Power Bank with AC Outlet, 110V 6 Outputs Solar Generator External Battery Pack with LED Light for Home Use and Outdoor Camping

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31% Off ~~$149.99~~ $102.99 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

Portable Power Station 600W, Powkey 296Wh Battery Backup with 2 Pure Sine Wave AC Outlets, USB-C PD100W and 2 Wireless Chargers, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Optional) for Outdoor Camping/RVs/Home Use

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CAMPING BATTERY WITH MOST PORTS - The outdoor backup lithium battery features 2 x AC outlet (110V 600W in total), 2 x USB-A

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February 12, 2005 No Comments

Energy

Beanz meanz Biofuels

Alcohol Still

Ethanol is produced from starch-based grains, including corn, barley, grass straw and fast growing poplar trees, and is a replacement or additive for gasoline. Ethanol is made using a process called fermentation.

Biodiesel Powered Bus

Bio-diesel, a clean burning, renewable diesel fuel substitute or additive, can be made from oil-seed crops, animal fat or vegetable oil. In the US, farmers grow mostly soybeans for bio-diesel, but canola or mustard seed are also viable feed stocks. Used fryer oil can replace about 5% of the diesel fuel used in transportation. Bio-diesel is made by chemically reacting lye and methanol with the animal or vegetable based oils and fats.

More info:

Planting the biofuel seed

Bio-fuel Tutorials

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

200W Portable Power Station, Powkey 120Wh/33,000mAh Power Bank with AC Outlet, 110V 6 Outputs Solar Generator External Battery Pack with LED Light for Home Use and Outdoor Camping

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31% Off ~~$149.99~~ $102.99 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

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February 8, 2005 No Comments

Energy

Geothermal Heating, Cooling & Hot Water

From https://www.hydrodelta.com/:

Horizontal Loop GSHP

Anyone who has a refrigerator

or air conditioner is already familiar with the operation of a geothermal heat pump. Contrary to common belief, cold is not something that is produced, but is a condition that results when heat has been removed. If you remember your high school physics class, you know that heat is produced by a molecular motion. All substances are made up of tiny molecules that are in a state of rapid motion. As the temperature of a substance is increased, the molecular motion increases, and as the temperature decreases, the molecular motion decreases. Molecules move faster on a warm surface than on a cool surface. Heat will flow from a warm substance to a cool substance. Reminder: Second Law of Thermodynamics.

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

200W Portable Power Station, Powkey 120Wh/33,000mAh Power Bank with AC Outlet, 110V 6 Outputs Solar Generator External Battery Pack with LED Light for Home Use and Outdoor Camping

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31% Off ~~$149.99~~ $102.99 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

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February 7, 2005 No Comments

Land

Back to the Land by Charris Ford

Charris Ford (aka the Granola Ayatollah of Canola)

My passion for all things Eco started when I was 18 in the hills of Tennessee, where I spent ten years running the family’s Organic farm, living with solar power home, harvesting rainwater, chopping wood and hauling spring water. I have lived off-grid for nearly 20 years.

I was a student of Permaculture and apprenticed with members of a nearby Amish community. The Amish taught me how to work my team of Belgian horses and they reinforced my love for doing things by hand. My fondest memories of Tennessee are of driving the horse drawn wagon, mowing with a scythe and foraging for wild food & alternative medicine.

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

200W Portable Power Station, Powkey 120Wh/33,000mAh Power Bank with AC Outlet, 110V 6 Outputs Solar Generator External Battery Pack with LED Light for Home Use and Outdoor Camping

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31% Off ~~$149.99~~ $102.99 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

Portable Power Station 600W, Powkey 296Wh Battery Backup with 2 Pure Sine Wave AC Outlets, USB-C PD100W and 2 Wireless Chargers, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Optional) for Outdoor Camping/RVs/Home Use

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February 6, 2005 No Comments

Spirit

Here be Unicorns

Moonrise

Photographer Colin Prior, who took this photograph says: I am fascinated by the fleeting nature of the optical phenomena I observe outdoors, such as rainbows, the Aurora borealis (northern lights) or an eclipse.

During my time in wild places, I have been privileged to witness some great rarities — including a white rainbow, the Earth Shadow, a Brockenspectre, the green flash of a setting sun and the Fata Morgana (a mirage) in the Arctic Circle. Each of these phenomena presents their own
unique photographic challenges and for a photographer, require an
understanding of the factors, which create them.

Rainbows are coloured arcs with a radius of 42 degrees around the antisolar point that appear directly opposite the sun. A fainter secondary arc can occur at 51 degrees and when both primary and secondary are present we have a ‘double rainbow.’ Viewed from an aircraft, a rainbow can inscribe a complete circle not visible at ground level. Rainbows can be found in
unexpected places such as waterfalls or geysers. At the beach we can see ‘surf bows’ and there is a ‘marine bow’ formed from the prow of a ship. Whether it is formed in the spray from your garden hose held at arms length, or in a sheet of rain a few miles away, the angular size of a bow remains the same.

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

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120WH CAPACITY: The power station has a power capacity of 120Wh/33,000mAh which the camping power supply can power most electronic devices efficiently. It can

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February 2, 2005 No Comments

Energy

EVs PHEVs and Hybrids

Don McGrath’s Sparrow

Welcome to the new age of Greener vehicles.

Time was, electric vehicles were promoted as the zero emissions saviours of the future, but the distance they could travel before recharging, and long recharge times led searchers to the hybrid vehicle, combining the advantages of a quiet, zero-emissions electric motor, with the range extending and battery charging capability of a small engine. This seemed to promise a solution, but effective mpg gains weren’t much better than a efficient diesel, batteries were expensive and emissions were still dirty.

Enter the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), a hybrid engine-electric, with the ability to plug in for recharging, cleaner point of use for electric only short trips, and long range capability. Combined with a efficient diesel, and clean burning biodiesel or vegetable oil, this could be the solution the automotive industry has been looking for. For more info, see the following sites:

Alternative Fuel Cars: Plug-In Hybrids and Electric Cars

Hybrids? Some opt to go all-electric

Plug-In Hybrids: State Of Play, History & Players

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Light-Duty Vehicle Research Project (PDF)

How Electric Cars Work

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

200W Portable Power Station, Powkey 120Wh/33,000mAh Power Bank with AC Outlet, 110V 6 Outputs Solar Generator External Battery Pack with LED Light for Home Use and Outdoor Camping

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Portable Power Station 600W, Powkey 296Wh Battery Backup with 2 Pure Sine Wave AC Outlets, USB-C PD100W and 2 Wireless

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January 31, 2005 No Comments

Energy

Waterpower 101

MicroHydro Generator

If your homestead can take advantage of water sources to produce electricity, then you have come to the right place. Here are the ins and outs of water-powered electrical production, from the microhydro web site. The link at the end takes you to the site for more info.

Water poweris as old as civilization . If you live in an old mill or have an upland stream flowing through or close to your property, you probably have a site suitable to generate some or all your domestic power requirements. If there is insufficient power for your needs electrically,you might still be able to use water power to drive a water source heat pump.

The main power requirements are in the winter months, so there should be little or no conflict with other river demands. Adequate provisions may have to be made for migratory fish, and if construction is needed, take care not to dam up the area. Check land drainage upstream of your intake. Construct all schemes in an unobtrusive and environmentally sensitive manner, and where appropriate buy drawings of proven designs.

powkey Portable Power Station 350W, 260Wh/70,000mAh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V Pure Sine Wave Power Bank with 2 AC Outlets, Portable Generator for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Emergency

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$192.98 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

200W Portable Power Station, Powkey 120Wh/33,000mAh Power Bank with AC Outlet, 110V 6 Outputs Solar Generator External Battery Pack with LED Light for Home Use and Outdoor Camping

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31% Off ~~$149.99~~ $102.99 (as of April 18, 2024 14:24 GMT +01:00 - )

Portable Power Station 600W, Powkey 296Wh Battery Backup with 2 Pure Sine Wave AC Outlets, USB-C PD100W and 2 Wireless

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January 26, 2005 1 Comment

sspence

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