admin answers:

Not all building sites will have enough of a solar or wind resource to make these technologies feasible, or cost-effective. So, integrating site analysis into the construction process can help determine what combination of energy sources are appropriate for a new building.

There are many types of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, including biomass, and geothermal. But by far, the most effective renewable technology is the practice of energy efficiency, and proper resource management. Construction practices that focus on reducing heating, cooling and electric loads and ensuring proper ventilation are key to sustainable living. Once buildings are well insulated, tight and efficient, renewable energy systems can be adequately sized, and produce as much or more than the building needs.

There are a few issues to keep in mind though – first, while renewables are the way to go, the manufacturing processes and transportation costs still produce waste and pollution (embodied energy). Also, we need to transition to a “smart” electric grid that uses modern digital technology and is reliable, efficient and secure. For areas where individual buildings cannot generate all their power due to site restrictions, the local municipality or coops can opt to either buy or generate clean energy from green suppliers, or procure their own power.

I think legislating new construction codes would work well along with subsidies for clean technologies, but hitting the 80% mark may be too aggressive to start. The bottom line is to affect the bottom line ($ in your pocket), and make it attractive to install these technologies. Maybe this could turn out to be like FDR’s New Deal Programs during the Great Depression, where hundreds of thousands of jobs were created to build highways, schools, parks, and other infrastructure-related projects. Analogize to new green jobs in almost all sectors of the economy, but especially construction.

One final major point: remember that over 80% of the real estate inventory in the US is made of older and inefficient buildings…what about those? Retrofitting these buildings has been VERY challenging, with or without the government incentives. Improving older buildings is requires a lot of redesign, and is complicated and expensive.

admin answers:

Of course Gintable is right. If your office has 6 computers and 2 fans and a couple of lights and a router maybe is will be something like 1000W, maybe more, depending exactly what you have. I am assuming you have no electricity, but it is possible this is just for standby when the electricity is off. In that case the inverter/battery system is called a UPS (uninteruptable power system) and you specify it for the time (minutes) you want it to support your equipment until you can get the generator started. Make sure you get a pure sinewave type. For standby I would use a petrol machine as below, as it is too small for a diesel. Some can be automatically started, but very few.

If the inverter takes this power from a 12V battery the result is ridiculous, with 83A drawn from the battery (not counting losses). A large 100AH battery will have a capacity at this current of maybe 30 minutes, but it won’t, because it will get too hot. The losses charging a battery are high, about 1.4 times the energy used. A better battery is made of 100Ah x12V units in series to get a maximum of 10A each. That will be about 96V battery, 8 or 9 of the 12V ones in series. Chosen to match the available inverters round that voltage. If you use solar panels it needs about 3.7KW of panels to recharge the 8 hours of operation in the 4 hours of effective full sun you may have if you are lucky. That is a lot, say 20 panels at maybe 200W per panel. The fuel is zero, but really you need a generator too if there is no reliable other power available.

Th capital cost is high. It will need a significant and expensive battery that needs quite a lot of charge each day. Battery life, 3-10 years depending on quality and how well they are looked after. Solar panels, you hope for 20 years, but the capacity drops over time.

There are certainly issues with a diesel or petrol generator. This size is a bit small for a diesel generator. The single cylinder types are not attractive because they are noisy and have a lot of vibration. The idea of operating in a city area seems unreasonable. Get mains electricity if you possibly can, it is cheaper. The exhaust gas from any engine is deadly, due to the carbon monoxide, but diesels can be better with that. It will need to be exhausted up in the air to help it dissipate. This is more toxic than cyanide gas if you could compare them that way.. Engines can be put in a hole in the ground or a sound proofed building and with good exhaust silencing can be very quiet, even diesels.

A petrol generator can be quiet on its own, and they are made in these smaller sizes. The types that have an inverter in them are more expensive, but save fuel because the engine slows down when the load is lighter. Petrol engines are more expensive to run and probably have a short life compared to a larger smoother operating multi cylinder diesel. There is the greater fuel risk too.

The fuel costs for a 2KVA or 3KVA unit (I wouldn’t get smaller) delivering 1KW approx. Would be something like 150-200g per hour. Call that somewhere around 250 milli-liters of fuel per hour. Doesn’t sound much, but it is 6 liters a day, maybe 2 liters if you only run for 8 hours. The electrical mains will supply that for about 15c per KWh using US or Australian prices. Yours could be different. So for 8 hours a day in Australia it would be 2 liters costing $2.80 against 8KWh costing $1.20, about half.

This is a difficult decision, as there is no clear cut “good” solution except mains electricity, and your situation is not clear either. Look up suitable generators, visit suppliers, get quotes. You will need qualified persons to install any of these systems. You need to consult with an expert who can look into all aspects, including local regulations..

admin answers:

…to mimic or emulate what is found in nature

The last I researched, the pre-industrial world did not plug their cell phones into the grid expecting them to be re-charged, electric street lights, and so forth. Nature has no grid infrastructure that supplies energy for a wide assortment of uses and devices. We humans, on the other hand, are a part of the world’s ecosystems and thus a natural entity or “nature” in our own right.

When you mention “toxic chemicals” do remember that “nature” is full of all sorts of toxins of both the organic and inorganic type. Some are byproducts of an ecosystem’s entiy or an entity’s processes, some simply are, and some are generated or created by an ecosystem’s entity for use as a tool or protective measure. On the other hand, we humans have quite a history of making/using chemicals/compounds/materials which may or may not be found in nature long after we know they are toxic to ourselves, other entities in our ecosystems, and our ecosystems themselves as we know them.

I don’t know the specifics upon which solar power is defined as biomimicry. Certainly plants turn solar power into a different energy force that supports their way of life. Although, I don’t particularly remember even the 1950’s sci-fi flicks addressing the concept of plants powering an electrical or other grid for the sharing of the energy they harness from the sun. I certainly don’t remember Dick Tracy’s wrist phone being charged on a grid powered through photosynthesis! Solar panels do convert the energy from the sun’s rays into a different form for ecosystem use. – They may not be “natural” but the houses and apartments we live in, and their contents, are certainly habitats that most of us require for a happy, healthy life.

admin answers:

Interesting project. Radio shack sells a couple in the form (wires already attatched) that would be easy for a beginner to play with. Go into any store and ask for one and they’ll show you where they are.

The thing you’re going to want to measure is probably current, rather than voltage. The voltage is more or less just a function of the materials the cell is made of (about .5V), while the current is proportional to the solar flux. A cheap multimeter will make this measurement by just putting it across the wires of the cell.

What you should find is that the power coming out of a cell varies with the sine of the angle of incidence.

Electrical power, in watts, is the volts times the amps. So you would multiply .5volts times lets say for example 50milliamps with direct on sun and get 25milliwatts.

Also, you will be measuring the amount of solar energy CONVERTED, not absorbed. To measure the amount absolbed, you would need to know the amoubnt of solar energy incident on the cell, but not reflected, and that isn’t so easy.

admin answers:

You likely don’t have the space to build a nuclear generator and provide adequate shielding. The uranium in a nuclear plant is basically a heat source, used to heat either water or liquid sodium which then drives an electromagnetic turbine. So you need room to put the turbine. Liquid sodium is tricky to handle — it tends to catch fire when exposed to water — and water used in a nuclear plant turns to steam, and requires some containment vessels.

You also need a place for the water or sodium to cool off after it drives the turbine. A commercial water-cooled nuclear plant uses a cooling tower on the order of 100m high (about like a 30-floor building). For residential use you don’t need a 100m tower (nor would the landlord let you install it through your roof) but you will still need some place to let the water or sodium cool.

In 1994 a boy scout who lived near Detroit, Michigan collected americium from smoke detectors and thorium from lantern mantles and built a sort of working nuclear reactor, but the radioactivity spread across his neighborhood and he never got working power out of it. He did, however, attract the attention of the federal government, which took away the radioactive materials and his mother’s tool shed (which had become radioactive) and some other things that had become radioactive.

If you don’t in fact have weapons grade uranium, but only commercial uranium, then you may need to enrich the stuff (meaning to sort out the U-235 from the U-238), because the U-235 is fissionable and the U-238 is not. To do this properly you need the facility to work with uranium hexafluoride (a gas) and in particular to run it through a centrifuge, then to remove the fluorine from the uranium. Fluorine is toxic and corrosive and eats just about everything except fluorspar. It’s difficult to handle and store, and you’ll run into major problems trying to combine it with the uranium and then to dissociate it from the uranium.

Overall you’re going to be much happier spending your money on solar plates. Sorry!

admin answers:

You can do just about anything if you spend enough time,effort AND money .

The real questions are, “Is it practicle? And Is it worth it?”

If you don’t mind having a tank of Cow S hit fermenting in your back yard you can certainly harvest methane to operate a generator. If you are only going to run the generator ocassionally so that you can save less than a dollars worth of electricity, then I am afraid that the economics just don’t make such a project worth it. (There is a reason you don’t see many of these systems in common use)

admin answers:

Uranium is a very heavy metal which can be used as an abundant source of concentrated energy.
Uranium occurs in most rocks in concentrations of 2 to 4 parts per million and is as common in the Earth’s crust as tin, tungsten and molybdenum. Uranium occurs in seawater, and can be recovered from the oceans.
Uranium was discovered in 1789 by Martin Klaproth, a German chemist, in the mineral called pitchblende. It was named after the planet Uranus, which had been discovered eight years earlier.
Uranium was apparently formed in supernova about 6.6 billion years ago. While it is not common in the solar system, today its slow radioactive decay provides the main source of heat inside the Earth, causing convection and continental drift.
The high density of uranium means that it also finds uses in the keels of yachts and as counterweights for aircraft control surfaces, as well as for radiation shielding.
Uranium has a melting point is 1132°C. The chemical symbol for uranium is U.

Uranium is widespread in many rocks, and even in seawater. However, like other metals, it is seldom sufficiently concentrated to be economically recoverable. Where it is, we speak of an orebody. In defining what is ore, assumptions are made about the cost of mining and the market price of the metal. Uranium reserves are therefore calculated as tonnes recoverable up to a certain cost.

Australia’s reasonably assured resources and inferred resources of uranium are 1,673,000 tonnes of uranium recoverable at up to US$130/kg U (well under the market ‘spot’ price), Kazakhstan’s are 651,000 tonnes of uranium and Canada’s are 485,000 tU. Australia’s resources in this category are almost one third of the world’s total, Kazakhstan’s are 12%, Canada’s 9%.

Several countries have significant uranium resources. Apart from the top three, they are in order: Russia, South Africa, Namibia, Brazil, Niger, USA, China, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and India. Other countries have smaller deposits which could be mined if needed.

Kazakhstan is the world’s top uranium producer, followed by Canada and then Australia as the main suppliers of uranium to world markets – now over 50,000 tU per year.

Plutonium-238 has a half-life of 88 years and emits alpha particles. It is a heat source in radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which are used to power some spacecraft. Plutonium-240 has a high rate of spontaneous fission, raising the neutron flux of any sample it is in. The presence of plutonium-240 limits a sample’s usability for weapons or reactor fuel, and determines its grade. Plutonium isotopes are expensive and inconvenient to separate, so particular isotopes are usually manufactured in specialized reactors.

Plutonium was first synthesized in 1940 by a team led by Glenn T. Seaborg and Edwin McMillan at the University of California, Berkeley laboratory by bombarding uranium-238 with deuterons. Trace amounts of plutonium were subsequently discovered in nature. Producing plutonium in useful quantities for the first time was a major part of the Manhattan Project during World War II, which developed the first atomic bombs. The first nuclear test, “Trinity” (July 1945), and the second atomic bomb used to destroy a city (Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945), “Fat Man”, both had cores of plutonium-239. Human radiation experiments studying plutonium were conducted without informed consent, and a number of criticality accidents, some lethal, occurred during and after the war. Disposal of plutonium waste from nuclear power plants and dismantled nuclear weapons built during the Cold War is a nuclear-proliferation and environmental concern. Other sources of plutonium in the environment are fallout from numerous above-ground nuclear tests (now banned).

admin answers:

St. Joseph’s Center deals with Power Supplies. We are happy when focus is given to environment friendly Power Units.
In this regard, one can consider Solar Energy panels (actually called photovoltaic cells) that generate up to 1000 watts of energy per meter squared in sunlight.
Wind turbine generators are useful in open areas of land that have no other use. They generate useful energy that can be stored in lead acid accumulators in remote areas.
Hydroelectric power generators have been the standard source of clean, env. Friendly power for many years. A single dam with a hydel unit can suppy many cities with power.
Tapping power from waves and tide that comes in at the sea shore is another useful source of energy that is being studied today. The British are working on a project in this field.
Movement is a source of power. In the Automatic Wrist Watch, the movement of the hand is converted into a winding force that keeps the watch wound and working throughout the day.
Bacteria convert decaying matter into useful gases that can be used for cooking. In my electronic project for SJRTC in Rajagiri College in Ernakulam of Kerala, India, I was pleased to find natural gas was being used in the hostel mess stoves to prepare meals for us. The natural gas is produced when bacteria ferment the decaying organic materials in an nonaerobic condition.

These are standard and time tested methods of power supply which is non-conventional.

admin answers:

If you can get past the hurdle of having sufficient wind and any local codes or ordinances then it is certainly possible for you to have a wind generator. You can store the electricity in batteries and use a inverter to make AC power for your use.

Unfortunately it probably won’t provide the kind of relief you are hoping for. If you want to look further you could try some websites similar to this one:

http://www.mikeswindmillshop.com/wgenerators.html

admin answers:

Yeah, but it would be a bit costly. You’d need a transfer switch and a fairly large gas or diesel powered generator. But the size of the generator would depend on the type of things you would need to keep running; ie – fridge, deepfreeze, furnace/electric heat, computers. You could also look into a large UPS (Uninterruptable Power Source), its essential just a big bank of car batteries, that , once the power goes out, kicks in and continues to keep your stuff running until the batteries die out. Obviouslt the more batteries the longer tiem you have before it dies too. At least with a generator you could last for as long as you’ve got fuel. It really depends on a lot of things. But these are definately a couple of common options. Also if your living in a more remote area, you may want to consider using an alternate form of power, like a wind generator, or Solar panels. Both could provide simple power for a few key items. Anyways, hope this helps.

Later

admin answers:

Space power satellites have been proposed many times.

It’s bound to be cheaper on the ground, however. If you calculate the area of say, Colorado, that needs to be covered with solar cells to supply all the electricity needs of the USA, you’ll be surprised at how small it is.

admin answers:

Wind, solar and hydropower

admin answers:

Hydroelectric power, or hydroelectricity, is generated by the force of falling water. (Hydro comes from the Greek word for water.) It’s one of the cleanest sources of energy, and it’s also the most reliable and costs the least.

Water is needed to run a hydroelectric power-generating unit. The water is held behind a dam, forming an artificial lake, or reservoir. The force of the water being released from the reservoir through the dam spins the blades of a giant turbine. The turbine is connected to the generator that makes electricity as it spins. After passing through the turbine, the water flows back into the river on the other side of the dam.

Electricity is produced by spinning electromagnets within a generator’s wire coil that creates a flow of electrons. To keep the electromagnets spinning, hydroelectric stations use falling water. Hydroelectric power plants convert the kinetic energy contained in falling water into electricity. The energy in flowing water is ultimately derived from the sun, and is therefore constantly being renewed. Energy contained in sunlight evaporates water from the oceans and deposits it on land in the form of rain. Differences in land elevation result in rainfall runoff, allowing some of the original solar energy to be captured as hydroelectric power. Most hydroelectric stations use either the natural drop of the river or build a dam across the river to raise the water level and provide the drop needed to create a driving force. Water at the higher level (the forebay,) goes through the intake into a pipe, called a penstock, which carries it down to the turbine. The turbine is a type of water wheel that converts the water’s energy into mechanical power. The turbine is connected to a generator, and (4) when the turbine is set in motion it causes the generator to rotate, producing electricity. The falling water, having served its purpose, exits the generating station through the draft tube and the tailrace where it rejoins the river.

At Ontario Power Generation (OPG), hydroelectric generation is their lowest-cost power source, producing approximately 34 terawatt-hours in 2002. OPG operates 36 hydroelectric stations, as well as 29 small hydroelectric plants and 240 dams on 26 river systems. The smallest station has a generating

capacity of just 1 megawatt; the largest more than 1,300 megawatts.

admin answers:

Cost prohibitive,

But why not extract from high ozone cities, and load them on long distance jets and dump them at 37,000 and higher altitude? Again I believe it is cost prohibitive.

This is my help and ideas from Washington, D.C. USA.

admin answers:

Day- People relying on ventilators and other electrical equipment would die. Cars suddenly stopped work while people were driving, more deaths. Riots would start, mobs would gather and cause more death and destruction. Violence would be everywhere, people do not react well to such massive change. World economy falters and slows within a matter of less then a day

Week- More violence an death. Gangs would roam committing crimes the police could not stop. Martial lwa would have taken hold. People would be shot in the street.Since the world economy has come to a sharp halt, no goods come or go. People are starving. Since there are no power plants cold food has rotted. Water treatment plants do not work. Any generators running have most likely stopped unless the have been supplied with gas. Gas is a very hot commodity. Thefts of this and non perishable food would be high. If you live near nuclear power plant I would get away fast. People who needed life saving meds will start to die

Month-More of the same, violence and death. Most already sick people would have died. Others will still be dying. People who maneged to hide out may be all right as long as they have a major stock pile of food and weapons. Injuries and sickness that would have been non life threating could end up in death.

Year- People would be coming to terms with the situation. Of course the nuclear power plants would have melted down and anyone within several miles would be dead, and the death and distruction would be carried even further by the winds. So you better be far away from that. People would have figured how to grow food and barter and trade just like they used to for most of human history. Money would be usless as there would be no bank to back it up.Life wuld not be easy it would be like people who lived 2 centuries ago only without the knowledge those people had to live there life. Infrastructure would start to fail somewhat, roads would crack and weeds would grow. Pipes would burst and buildings would flood. Whole towns would floods from dams bursting, eventually.There would be darkness and despair, violence and more death. The strong would live and the weak would perish just like in nature.

5 years- Things may have gotten better, there may have been a attempt to establish more law. People would learn to communicate as was once done by letters and maybe a telegraph. People would still be dying of things that could have once been saved but I would thin that there may be a attempt at “country medicine” like might have been done centuries ago. I Buildings and man made objects would start to decay w/o human hands to fix them, though for many it would be longer before the fell down. Cars would rust, etc. I would think that people would be tring to make electricity again of couse.Maybe using wind or solar power, if that for whatever reason was impossible life would go on if however limited

Despite having lived without electricity for most of human history people would loose it and not know how to function, at least in the beganning. Some people would figure it out though. Humans are like cockroaches, there always will be some who survive. I would hope the survivers would make a better world but I doubt it. Humans forget history and are far to greedy with the “me, me, me” mentality. There would be less pollution though, and wild animals would be better off

admin answers:

Outdoor works light power source,

so for example you are out on a farm, in the middle of field,
putting up a christmas tree, with no power for lights,

use low wattage lights that only require battery power, LED diodes are used and can light up fairly well,
http://www.brite-lite.com/Products/LEDchristmas.htm

then for power supply you could use automotive battery, the power could hold enough power for all night and then some,
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/3/Batteries.jsp?locale=en

you can look at what they would use on boats at sea for electric power as well,
http://www.canadiantire.ca/search/search_results.jsp?bmForm=form_endeca_search&bmFormID=1293046597301&bmUID=1293046597301&bmIsForm=true&bmPrevTemplate=%2FAST%2Fbrowse%2F4%2FAuto%2F3%2FBatteries.jsp&bmHidden=OMNITURE_FROM&OMNITURE_FROM=Search&bmHidden=event26&event26=true&bmText=quick_search_term&quick_search_term=boat+battery&bmSubmit=quick_search&quick_search=Search&bmHidden=PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441897583&bmHidden=FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672400

there are portable backup booster battery for helping to start cars in the cold, those may be useful
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/3/BatteryAccessories/BatteryBoosting/PRD~0111558P/Motomaster%252B500A%252BBooster%252BPack.jsp?locale=en

if you use automotive emergency worklights those do not require 110 volt /amps the same as houshold bulbs,
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/BulbsSwitchesRelays/AuxiliaryAutoLighting/PRD~0379405P/Cordless%252BAC%25252BDC%252BLamp.jsp?locale=en
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/BulbsSwitchesRelays/AuxiliaryAutoLighting.jsp

Flashlights are portable , for extended amount of time you would want quality batteries, and possibly larger six volt type, or rechargeable’s,
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/SafetySecurity/Flashlights/PRD~0653004P/Garrity%252B6%252Bvolt%252BFloating%252BLantern/CROSSSELL~0542948%20Jobmate%2B18V%2BFlashlight.jsp?locale=en
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/5/SportsRec/Camping/Flashlights/PRD~0542948P/Jobmate%252B18V%252BFlashlight.jsp?locale=en

other idea is to use solar power cells as source of power, much like garden or lights, so they are charged all day, and turn on at sun down , some have batteries, with solar power the source is daily, but may run down over time in cloudy or snowy weather,
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/2/OutdoorLiving/GardenLighting/SolarGardenLights/PRD~0524014P/Westinghouse%252BSolar%252B3X%252BHigh-Output%252BLED%252BSpot%252BLights%25252C%252B2-Pk.jsp?locale=en
http://www.canadiantire.ca/search/search_results.jsp?quick_search_term=Solar+Garden+Lights&searchRefinementEvent=event21&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442204391&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672827&bmUID=1293046105686
..

admin answers:

Actually, check out some of the links on http://www.builditsolar.com

If you are going to do much of the work yourself, you will be sadly disappointed by what is available in print:

Homepower magazine http://www.homepower.com for example, it most often reads like a sales brochure, because “hands on” to a number of people usually means buying most of the system ready made in a kit. Hands on for me is breaking out the soldering iron and doing point to point wiring on components to construct the regulators (often called charge controlelrs.) Too much chaff for a hands on person to find useful. Some of the ads are useful.

Nuts and Volts http://www.nutsvolts.com/ is a bit better, but their topical coverage is far ranging so you do not always get as much as you would like. Spendy, might be better to sheck it out at the bookstores and buy it off the newstand when a decent article appears.

Mother Earth news http://www.motherearthnews.com is pretty good, but the best bang for the buck there is to buy their archives on CD rom, which is 3 disks, broke down by decade. There is a fair amount of substance, sometimes you encounter an article that sought to convert one item over to another, only it would have been much less work and cost for them to have started out from ground level and construct (with used parts) the same thing, which they sought to construct in the first place, a solar charged electric tractor is one specific item I have come to mind as one the author of the article could have done better. You might find the book they published “The Mother Earth News Handbook of Homemade Power,” which is not real good for specifics in some areas, but is good for some ideas if you are good at working from thumbnail sketches, you can fill in the blanks where there are gaps in detail. The book was written more as a “primer” than a complete compillation.

For your wind systems, there is a lot to be found at http://www.lindsaybks.com Hugh Piggott has written a few good books on the home construction of windmills. The LeJay Manual is a good reprint that has a lot of good info for home constructing- down to the wooden propeller profiles. As well as the book “Generator Secrets.”

One of the good sources for materials and tools supplies and systems is Northern Tool http://www.northerntool.com

One thing on propeller materials- never us ABS and never use PVC. As tempting as those can be they break. When they break, the blades will go for a great distance in modest winds. They can kill too.

admin answers:

Get a backup generator with enough fuel to last until power comes back. Keep the freezer door closed. That might mean you can’t sell ice cream to your customers until the power returns. Or you could take an armful of ice cream out of the freezer and have a blackout sale – “I must sell all this ice cream now”.

Solar is a good way to reduce the amount of power you draw from the utility, but it’s not steady enough to be a backup source.

Adding salt to ice reduces its freezing temperature and makes it melt faster. That’s a great way to chill something quickly (like when making ice cream) or melt ice from a road or sidewalk, but not so useful for maintaining cold temperature over time.

admin answers:

This is a question with several differant answers…..

Depending on consuption if its going on a consuming structure co-generating

or a stand alone generation station. The most cost effective would be a hybrid

thermal/photovoltaic

the thermal would heat a closed contained liquid and make steam to turn large turbine.

$150,000US will get u quite the little generator. $1,000,000US u have a major player

my general rule is $15us per sq ft of heating/cooling space.

I am presently puting together the single largest solar project of its kind. Entire subdivisions of low cost modular homes with the entire roof as the mini-generating station. So if u put up say 400 units. When this hole subdivision comes on line u have a major Generating Station.

Maitaining a plant with no moving parts to wear-out, well except to send some one to clean the panels off once every 6 months wound not be much up-keep……

The panels have 20 to 25yr warrenties and 30yr life

some put up in the late 60’s r still generating.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_it_cost_to_build_and_maintain_a_power_plant_for_generating_electricity_with_solar_energy#ixzz1eVJOFNPl

admin answers:

Hey Wm, a 250 watt Hi Energy Discharge light? Is that outdoors for security? You said 3 to 18 hours per day, so I guess you’re thinking indoors. You can make a lot better use of lighting indoors if you use task lighting instead of whole house. I’ve wired a number of barns and outbuildings for friends and myself with solar, but we never use such a large light bulb.

For discussion, let’s assume that HiD will be on 6 hours per day. 250 watts X 6 = 1.5 kwh per day. If you have average solar insolation of 4 hours per day, then in theory you would need 400 watts of solar. In reality, there are always some losses at the battery, and inverter, plus you need to have extra to recover from several days of clouds. Something closer to 600 watts would be more accurate. Next question is how many days without good sun will you need the light? Let’s say three for example, (This is called “Days of Autonomy,”) Your battery will need 4 days worth, or 6 kwh. You could pull this off with 6 golf cart batteries, just barely.

If you’re wondering about cost, 600 watts of solar will probably run $2,000 USD, the batteries another $600, and maybe $ 200 for parts and an inexpensive inverter. Kind of expensive for one light bulb. The barns I’ve wired use 4 golf cart batteries and one 120 watt panel. Since the panel has a maximum current of 7 amps and the batteries hold 440 amp hours, we don’t need a charge controller. The rule of thumb is nothing over 2% of the battery AH capacity, so 440 AH X 2% = 8.8 amps maximum solar current. You can read more about this in Richard Perez’s book, I’ll list it below. Then we use a 750 watt modified sine wave inverter to run a few circuits of 18 watt CF outdoor spot lamps in standard sockets. This makes the entire project easy to wire up, with parts that can be purchased inexpensively off the shelf. And since we have a couple long strings of spot lamps in 2 places, plus a couple work area lights, and maybe a trouble light on a long cord, we don’t need 1.5 kwh per day, it’s more like one third that amount. The panel, batteries, inverter and other wiring parts cost less than $1000 USD. Then, in the daytime, we also have the ability to run small hand tools with the same inverter, like a drill or hand saw. Also, at night, we can plug in several strings of LED Christmas lights for partys, or whatever. You just can’t run these things all night every night. Another advantage of using 12 volts as the battery bank voltage is if you run low, you can recharge with a vehicle and jumper cables for a spell, or a small generator. So you have more flexibility with less cost.

Another consideration is low voltage LED lights. Our home uses small 12 volt strips under the kitchen cabinets, and in the bedrooms. They use very small amounts of power, maybe 1 or 2 watts per string, never burn out, and don’t cost any more than 20 watt hockey puck lights with holagen bulbs. There are lots of possibilities, but I’d think twice about that behemoth of a light you’re planning on using. I’ll list some good sources below to check out. Take care Wm, Rudydoo

admin answers:

It work work but compare the sun the to the flash light. Which one gives off more light, the sun by alot. Solar panels work by converting the protons in the light to electricity. I think either way I asked the same question to my teacher when we learned about solar panels and the problem is the flash light just would give off enough light to power anything, even powering itself. Even if you got a bigger light your just wasting more energy than you gaining. But I know it’s a cool thought, it possible in the future if they get better lights, hope I answered your question. Keep it real

admin answers:

They used solar for both residential and commercial water heating systems, space heating, and to dry crops and lumbers, also to distribute solar powered electricity to power homes in remote areas.

admin answers:

I’m currently building a windmill, and just finished a solar setup for my garage. It’s really a practice run. We have some property in Hawaii that is off-grid and I’m planning to build there next year. The solar cell for the garage charges a deep cycle battery that I got from the local golf course (its out of a golf cart). And it holds enough juice to keep the lights going. I’m currently trying to add some load to it to see how much drain I can put on it.

The nice thing about the windmill, is that when the sun isn’t out, the wind is still blowing so the battery will charge 24 hours a day when I finish. You can build the generator from a car alternator, but I just bought it from eBay for 80 bucks. I do want to try to make my own, but I was feeling lazy,,,lol.

I got the instructions from

http://www.off-grid-wind-solar.com

admin answers:

Because Hawaii has a lot of sun, our solar powered phones are located on the side of roads in case someone has car trouble.

We also have combination solar/wind generator lights installed at the Hanauma Bay parking lot.

admin answers:

Generator is a vague word. Assuming you are using it to mean motor-generator sets which have a gas or diesel engine driving an alternator.

No, you can’t charge a motor generator set, it runs on gasoline or diesel fuel, you can’t convert sunlight or electricity to fuel.

But, you can use excess power during the day to charge batteries that can be later used to supply power. Note that battery storage can be expensive, and needs a lot of space and maintenance.

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admin answers:

Yes. There are ways including wind, gravitational (rain falling into spouts, turning generators). You can also heat your water by taking aluminum/tin foil and shaping it into a semi-circle by hand and aiming the sunlight at your hot water pipes.

admin answers:

There are some cars that already do this, but it is not piratical for commercial uses.

admin answers:

Hey turingschild,

I think you have a good idea there. I am also interested in solar energy. I just saw a film called “A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash” and agree that oil will soon run out. My interest in energy is purely investment oriented. Energy stocks make up the greatest portion of my portfolio. And year-over-year, the energy stocks have outperformed all of my other holdings (including real estate stocks and physical real estate).

In my profession, I get to analyze real estate investments and figure out how the investment will perform in short-term and long-term durations.

My answer to your question is this, analyze all factors leading to the purchase of solar products. You will want to find information about the following:
physical boundaries of your particular location
size of location
population
population growth
employment rate
incomes
disposable incomes
housing costs
busiest retail locations in your particular location
any competition?
Where are the hardware stores?
Can you open close to a home depot or Lowe’s?
Will they end up carrying the same products you want to carry?
Where can the current population go to purchase solar products?
How is your pricing compared to online stores
what’s your marketing and advertising plan?
Do you think just having a store open is enough?
Can you use the press to get publicity?
Can you work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week?

These are variable I try to figure out when I analyze an investment. I also do a sensitivity test by guesstimating the expenses and then increasing all expense items to see what the worst case scenario would be.

Hope that helps.

admin answers:

.
I think solar power will one day be perfectly feasible and able to power devices which require a lot less power then they do currently (think of the different power requirement for light between an incandescent lightbulb and quantum dots for example).

I think the insane part, though, is when people assume that you can somehow force solar and wind on to the country and world as a whole when it is nowhere near at the stage when it can supply the electricity we need. Nuclear is the only sensible way to go for power at this moment, unless you want to go back to coal.
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When solar and wind can compete genuinely, then they will win naturally.
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admin answers:

Yes, that is how battery based solar systems work. The charge controller manages putting the energy from the solar panels in the battery, while the inverter converts it to AC and allows appliances to run off it.

If you are interested in learning more about solar electricity, check out the free video on the AltE Store. Http://www.altestore.com/store/Books-Classes-Educational-Videos/Educational-Videos/Educational-Video-Solar-Electricity-Basics/p6053/. No catch, it’s free.

admin answers:

More watts is more power, because watts are a measure of power. Most solar panels produce the right voltage to charge a car battery, but you should really have a charge controller too. See the source for some ideas.

admin answers:

I’m a huge fan of solar, but if your purpose is just to cover yourself during a power outage, I would suggest that you just get a gasoline-powered generator from a hardware store (some are less than $100), and run that to a power strip. If outages are frequent or long, you might want to get a better built generator. That will cost several hundred dollars, but will still be less expensive than the equivalent solar. Keep a 5-gallon can of gas handy, and you can have power for days.

admin answers:

I would recommend looking into a combination system that uses solar and wind power and possibly a back-up diesel generator. All with a battery bank for storing power during times of low production. Do you need 6000w a month or is this a daily requirement? That would be a huge difference in the size of the system you would need. If it is only 6000w a month that could be handled easily by a reasonably priced system.

Some companies will ship to overseas locations so you could possibly order the system over the internet.

Here is a listing of suppliers by country
http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byP/solar/byB/wholesale/byGeo/byC/byC.shtml

admin answers:

You must have:

•Your electricity supply with the company to which you wish to sell back electricity (in most cases).
•A renewable generator installed with annual generation greater than 500kWh (a 1.4kW domestic wind turbine could have an annual output of 2000kWh) and accredited by OFGEM to receive ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates) See www.ofgem.gov.uk
•Compliance from your local distribution company for connection of the renewable generator to the national grid.
•An OFGEM approved gross generation meter that measures all the output of your system,
•An export meter to register the amount of electricity you feed into the electricity network. (£75 plus VAT)
•A special inverter (called a Windy Boy) to synchronise the varying voltage from your wind turbine to the stable grid supply. This is individually programmed on-site to optimise power exported to the grid and to ensure network safety by disconnecting if the grid fails.

admin answers:

Look at www.dol.gov, and it will give you a wealth of information. Especially under the Occupational Outlook Handbook. It will give you the education needed, job outlook until 2014, salary, work conditons, hiring companies, etc. We need more alternative energy available and I want to commend you for looking into this field. Good luck and Peace.

admin answers:

It depends on your interests. Electrical engineering (including power transmission) and software engineering are used in this field, but it might take awhile to get a job with an energy-related company. Obviously chemical engineering is a big part of developing cheap but efficient solar panels. But if quantum mechanics and differential equations scare you too much (they are quite learnable with the right background, attitude and teachers), then there are options outside of engineering.

Architecture is needed to actually design buildings to incorporate passive and active solar energy. A lot of time would also be spent on HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and building materials, just as important for a green building.

You could also go into sales or business fields and then pick your industry afterward.

admin answers:

The one EV car I currently have (have 2 vehicles that run on hydrogen also) I converted from a vw bug and is free to charge. As I live completely off the grid all my electricity comes from solar panels and 2 wind generators, which I also built.

However I did charge up at Costco in Carlsbad California (I actually only drove up there to fill up) if I remember right it was around $2.00

Not sure if you’re interesting in doing it yourself, but I’d be willing to walk you step by step threw the conversion. I’ve converted 3 of my own cars (a datsun truck, ford ban, and a vw bug) and a few for neighbors. I’ve also converted cars to run on hydrogen, ethanol and biodiesel, by far EV is the easiest.

If you’re interested here’s what it would entitle…

– The engine compartment is first cleaned out of any gasoline components.
– Electric components are then installed in exchange.
– A battery bank is built and incorporated.
– Existing starter and driving systems are connected.
– Turn the key, step on the gas pedal sending more energy to the electric motor, & thus more power to the drive system, which in return creates more speed, more acceleration.
– The system has normal automotive top speeds and acceleration, typical to the vehicle your modifying. If your top speed was 85 mph and your acceleration was 1 mile per min, then this will be what your left with after the conversion.

The methods are extremely simple, making the process possible for anyone, everyone, ANYWHERE.

Typical tools, hardware & supplies are used, making access to parts available for all.

Electric Conversions can be easily accomplished in ANY model vehicle, even tractors, Generators, types of machinery, etc.

Project lengths range from 1 day to 1 month.
If you’re interested I wrote a guide on it which is available at www agua-luna com

My last EV conversion ran me about $1400. Everything is available online. I have a how to do it yourself guide available at www agua-luna com that will walk you step by step through the process. If you have ANY questions feel free to contact me through the site. Here’s a list of what you’d need…

Advanced DC Motor
The motor is an 8″ Advanced DC series-wound motor. It weighs 107 pounds and is rated at 68 peak horsepower. These motors are available in several sizes.

Adaptor plate
The adaptor plate mates the motor to the transmission. It is constructed of 1/2 inch aluminum and is pre-drilled with bolt hole patterns for both the motor and transmission. An aluminum spacer is also used for proper spacing between the shafts of the transmission and motor. Adaptor plates are available for many cars.

DC Motor Controller
The controller regulates current going to the motor. It is a solid-state device that uses a pulse width modulator (PWM) that sends short bursts of current to the motor at a rate of 15 kHz. Controllers are available from both Curtis and DCP.

Potbox (Potentiometer)
The potbox is a 5K ohm throttle between the controller and the accelerator, similar to the way a sewing machine pedal works. The potbox’s lever arm is attached to the existing accelerator cable.

Main Contactor
An electric relay that serves the same purpose as the ignition switch in a gas car. When the key is turned to the start position, the contactor closes the circuit to allow current to flow to the controller.

Circuit Breaker
A safety device that shuts down power for servicing or during an emergency. The circuit breaker is installed under the hood and can be switched both off and on from the drivers seat with an extension or cable.

Main Fuse
The main fuse protect the system from high voltage spikes. A fuse should be installed at each battery box or group of batteries.

Shunt
A shunt is placed in series within the wiring as a means to connect meters. Shunts are available in different sizes for both high and low power configurations.

Charger interlock
A relay that keeps the circuit open so nobody will inadvertantly drive off with the charge cord plugged into the car.

DC/DC Converter
The DC/DC converter is similar in function to a gas car’s alternator. It charges the 12 volt accessory battery by chopping voltage from the main battery pack down to 13.5 volts.

If you interested I offer several DIY alternative guides to walk you step by step threw EV conversion process at agua-luna com or

www agua-luna com
Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin
Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular Peop

admin answers:

The one EV car we currently have (have 2 vehicles that run on hydrogen also, 1 Ethanol & 1 Biodiesel) we converted from a vw bug & is free to charge. As The Ranch is completely off the grid all electricity comes from solar panels & wind generators, which we also built ourselves.

However I did charge up at Costco charging station in Carlsbad California (I actually only drove up there to fill up) if I remember right it was around $2.00

Not sure if you’re interesting in doing it yourself, but I’d be willing to walk you step by step threw the conversion. I’ve converted 3 of my own cars (a datsun truck, ford van, & a vw bug) & a few for neighbors. I’ve also converted cars to run on hydrogen, ethanol & biodiesel, by far EV is the easiest.

If you’re interested here’s what it would entitle…

– The engine compartment is first cleaned out of any gasoline components.
– Electric components are then installed in exchange.
– A battery bank is built & incorporated.
– Existing starter & driving systems are connected.
– Turn the key, step on the gas pedal sending more energy to the electric motor, & thus more power to the drive system, which in return creates more speed, more acceleration.
– The system has normal automotive top speeds & acceleration, typical to the vehicle your modifying. If your top speed was 85 mph & your acceleration was 1 mile per min, then this will be what your left with after the conversion.

The methods are extremely simple, making the process possible for anyone, everyone, ANYWHERE.

Typical tools, hardware & supplies are used, making access to parts available for all.

Electric Conversions can be easily accomplished in ANY model vehicle, even tractors, Generators, types of machinery, etc.

Project lengths range from 1 day to 1 month.
If you’re interested I wrote a guide on it which is available at www agua-luna com

My last EV conversion ran me about $1400. Everything is available online. Here’s a list of what you’d need…

Advanced DC Motor
The motor is an 8″ Advanced DC series-wound motor. It weighs 107 pounds & is rated at 68 peak horsepower. These motors are available in several sizes.

Adaptor plate
The adaptor plate mates the motor to the transmission. It is constructed of 1/2 inch aluminum & is pre-drilled with bolt hole patterns for both the motor & transmission. An aluminum spacer is also used for proper spacing between the shafts of the transmission & motor. Adaptor plates are available for many cars.

DC Motor Controller
The controller regulates current going to the motor. It is a solid-state device that uses a pulse width modulator (PWM) that sends short bursts of current to the motor at a rate of 15 kHz. Controllers are available from both Curtis & DCP.

Potbox (Potentiometer)
The potbox is a 5K ohm throttle between the controller & the accelerator, similar to the way a sewing machine pedal works. The potbox’s lever arm is attached to the existing accelerator cable.

Main Contactor
An electric relay that serves the same purpose as the ignition switch in a gas car. When the key is turned to the start position, the contactor closes the circuit to allow current to flow to the controller.

Circuit Breaker
A safety device that shuts down power for servicing or during an emergency. The circuit breaker is installed under the hood & can be switched both off & on from the drivers seat with an extension or cable.

Main Fuse
The main fuse protect the system from high voltage spikes. A fuse should be installed at each battery box or group of batteries.

Shunt
A shunt is placed in series within the wiring as a means to connect meters. Shunts are available in different sizes for both high & low power configurations.

Charger interlock
A relay that keeps the circuit open so nobody will inadvertently drive off with the charge cord plugged into the car.

DC/DC Converter
The DC/DC converter is similar in function to a gas car’s alternator. It charges the 12 volt accessory battery by chopping voltage from the main battery pack down to 13.5 volts.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online & on-site workshops, seminars & internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

admin answers:

Electric motors produce mechanical power from electrical power. If the power is 1hp, the power is 746 watts. The motor needs more than 746 watts of electrical power to produce 746 watts of mechanical power. However it only produces 746 watts of mechanical power if it is driving a load that needs that power.

The motor bike spark plug may require 10-15000V certainly, but that is not electrical power, it is only voltage. Electrical power has 2 components, voltage and current. The current in the spark may be only 2 milliamps. Thus the peak power is 10,000V x 0.002A = 20W. Additionally that is only for a brief part of the time. There is just one spark every 2 revolutions of the engine, maybe 25 sparks a second, so a spark is a small percentage of the time. The energy (in watt-seconds) is very small.

If the motorbike has a battery, it is charged by a small generator on the motorbike. This is 6V or 12V battery, a far more suitable source of power to drive an electric motor. However this battery would usually be too small for a 1 or 2 hp motor.

Working out the power for the motor, lets say 1000W of electrical power is needed to produce 746W (one hp) of mechanical power. With a 12V battery the current = 1000W / 12V = 83A. You need a battery that can deliver 83A per hp for as long as you wish to run the motor. You need something to charge that battery. An 80Ah battery would run for 1 hour in theory, but more like 20 minutes in practice. You would use a higher voltage and bigger battery for better efficiency, maybe a 24V battery and motor. It is possible to charge this battery using solar panels or a home generator. However it is more efficient (cheaper) to run the suitable motor directly from the generator, than to use the generator to charge the battery and run a motor.

You are asking a lot of questions, good to learn, but you should explain the big picture, what you actually want to do. What is the motor for? How long to run? What power source is available? Power from electricity suppliers is usually the cheapest.

admin answers:

The big “hidden” problem with wind and solar power generation is that we can’t store electricity in the amounts necessary to keep everything going when the wind stops or sun goes down. This means that when the wind stops blowing or the sun is hidden by clouds (or at night), some other means of production of electricity has to exist. We cannot run cities and factories on batteries charged when it’s windy or when the sun is shining. This means that EITHER we have to maintain the “old, polluting” systems such as coal, gas, water and nuclear OR we have to DO WITHOUT through rationing via brownouts, blackouts, use restrictions, etc.

Assume that you live in an area that uses 1000Mw of power. Right now, you have two coal fired plants and a hydroelectric plant (dammed river & generators) to produce the 1000Mw needed. Joe Thompson, billionaire, decides to start a wind farm. At peak capacity, his 1000 wind turbines produce 500Mw of power. So, when the wind turbines are running at full capacity, one coal plant can be shut down and the other can go to 75%. This allows for 1000Mw of power to be fed to the electric grid. Without shutting down the coal plants, there would be more electricity on the grid than demand, which is a no-no.
Now, the wind stops for a few days. The coal plants kick back in and go to 100% production to maintain the 1000Mw on the local grid.

Since the coal plants are unable to be profitable at 0% and 75%, the owners of the coal plants shut them down and stop producing. The hydroelectric and wind production are all that remain. Joe Billionaire builds enough wind turbines to replace the coal plants (while the wind is blowing). Everything is green, until the wind stops and the amount of power available drops to 0 (or whatever the hydro plant is producing).
Then, everything stops and everyone is in the dark.

Power supplies HAVE to be stable. Nuclear, Coal, Gas, and hydroelectric have been and can continue to be stable steady suppliers. Wind and solar will ALWAYS be temperamental and will require backup production by the sources they’re supposed to replace. If those backup sources have to be maintained, the price of electricity from “free” wind will skyrocket. Having idle power facilities is like having a Ferrari in your driveway as a backup car for when your Prius breaks down. It still has to be washed, insured, and paid for, but you get nothing out of it. Eventually, you get rid of the Ferrari. Then your Prius breaks and you walk.