Land

Energy

Geodesic Quonset: Inexpensive, Easy DIY Shelter

Geodesic Quonset
Geodesic Quonset

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

Geodesic Dome
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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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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Community

LOW PRICE SOLAR PANEL

Exponent Flex 5
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.









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A FUNDING body in the Lake District which helps businesses go off-grid, has 250,000 of grants to hand out before the summer.

The Energy for Enterprise grants scheme in the North-East is drawing to a close within the next few months, and any left-over money is returned to Brussels. Energy for Enterprise is aimed at installing renewable energy for rural and market town businesses .…

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Energy

Beanz meanz Biofuels

Alcohol Still
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
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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Energy

Geothermal Heating, Cooling & Hot Water

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

Horizontal Loop GSHP
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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Land

Back to the Land by Charris Ford

Charris Ford (aka the Granola Ayatollah of Canola)
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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Land

Daryl Hannah’s Tipi

Hannah and her tipi
Daryl Hannah outside her Tipi (Jeff Lipsky)

Actress Daryl Hannah gave us an in-depth interview about her Rocky Mountain hideaway and why she likes to go off-grid. We will publish the whole interview next week, and meanwhile here is one of Daryl’s favorite photos of herself. I have a nice picture of me in front of my Tipi, she told us. You can’t really see my face that well, but I like it.

The shot was taken by ace portrait photographer Jeff Lipsky, and we think its totally stylish. Although if Daryl likes it, that’s good enough for us.

Keep coming back to the site to read the interview with Daryl in a few days, plus another exclusive photo.…

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Energy

Waterpower 101

dessin_sentierseng-2515140
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.…

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Energy

Photo-Voltaics (PV)

Burbank Resident Robert Beher on the roof with his 2 kW solar PV system
Burbank Resident Robert Beher on the roof with his 2 kW solar PV system

Here on our off-grid homestead, we use PV panels as part of our energy solution. PV takes the energy in the sun’s light, and converts it directly to DC electricity for battery charging. A inverter then takes the low voltage DC, and converts it to 120vac house current. In other countries, it may be converted to 220vac. The number of PV panels you need is determined by your electrical usage, and the part of the world you live in. We get 2.5 full sun hours a day, another area might get 6, so they would need fewer panels than we do for the same load. A good beginner’s tutorial can be found here . It’s a PDF, and requires Adobe Acrobat.…

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Energy

Convert your gas car to electric

Electric Car conversion
Electric Car conversion

Victor Tikhonov converted a Honda from gasoline to DC Electric. A few years later, he upgraded it to a AC Electric propulsion system. Everything he modified, from removing the engine, installing the electric motor, control and instrumentation systems, adapting existing accessories, to performance testing is laid out for all to observe, and hopefully replicate with their own vehicles. Since electricity can be generated with solar panels and wind generators, a electric vehicle is an appropriate addition to the off-grid home.

The Conversion

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