Rambo Moe's Online Encyclopedia of Survival Knowledge
Solar panels- are they the way of the future? Are they right for you? I have no idea. But this article is meant to be an introduction on the subject, so you can decide for yourself. In a solar power system (also known as a photovoltaic system), power is produced for your home using a 3-part system. Solar panels, usually placed on your roof and facing south in the northern hemisphere, absorb … [Read more...]
This article is a guide to the different types of do-it-yourself, solar power systems you can build for your home. It will cover various methods such as using solar power to create electricity, heat water, cook food and purify water. Each section will introduce a type of solar power system, then link to a guide to building one yourself. SOLAR POWER FOR ELECTRICITY Solar power (photovoltaic) … [Read more...]
Watery Wednesdays continues with a couple of ideas for making your own solar water purifiers. These are both low-cost, low maintenance designs. Used alongside solar cookers, these designs can supply clean water and warm food using only the power of the sun. Let's start with the deluxe version. THE DELUXE MODEL The Case: What You Will Need: First you will need the case to house your water … [Read more...]
This article is a guide to building your own umbrella solar cooker. To learn more about solar cookers and what they do, read this article: SOLAR COOKERS: AN INTRODUCTION. This is the third, and probably most creative, segment of our DIY solar cooker series- how to make a solar cooker out of an umbrella. This cooker utilizes the parabola shape, one of the most effective shapes for solar … [Read more...]
This article is a guide to building your own box solar cooker. To learn more about solar cookers and what they do, read this article: SOLAR COOKERS: AN INTRODUCTION. Box solar cookers tend to be the most effective solar cookers (or at least, the most effective of the cheaper, easier to build kinds). They utilize all the methods (concentrating sunlight, converting light to heat, trapping heat … [Read more...]
This article is a guide to building your own panel solar cooker. To learn more about solar cookers and what they do, read this article: SOLAR COOKERS: AN INTRODUCTION Panel solar cookers are the first form of solar cooker that is truly affordable to the neediest of the world. In 1994, a group of engineers created a model called the CooKit (a truly respectable double entendre), which could be … [Read more...]
Solar cookers are ovens that harness the sun’s rays and use them to create a source of heat. They can be used to heat food or drink, cook food, or sterilize drinking water. Solar cookers are popular in the developing world these days- they can be very inexpensive, some coming as cheap as $5. They don’t require any fuel or electricity, which cuts down on operating costs as well. Since fire … [Read more...]
This article is a guide to building your own solar pool heater. To learn more about solar pool heaters and what they do, read this article: SOLAR POOL WATER HEATERS: AN INTRODUCTION. Pool water heaters are a good way to keep the water in your pool warm. They will allow you to enjoy swimming more in the summer months, and will make swimming possible in the early spring and late fall. There … [Read more...]
Let’s be honest- owning a swimming pool is awesome. Some of us in the developed world have the luxury of our very own swimming pool in our back yards, just for our use. It’s an awesome thing. One complaint, though, that is often is heard about swimming pools is that the water is too cold, which can make for an uncomfortable first few minutes in. Even in the dog days of summer, the water in … [Read more...]
A solar water heating system is the low hanging fruit of energy independence and reducing your carbon footprint. It’s relatively cheap, compared to other alternative energy systems. It is clearly profitable in most cases, paying for itself in only a few years. And if you’re handy and feel like building the solar collector yourself (as this article will teach you to do), you can cut your costs … [Read more...]
