How would you react if your neighbor told you she was going to build wind turbines? Pretty impressed? The truth is that it is not difficult to build wind turbines and many homeowners are taking the challenge to build their own wind turbines as a cost-effective means to utilizing renewable energies. It isn’t exactly snap-your-fingers easy to build wind turbines either, but with the proper plans and a motivated builder you can be building wind turbines in no time.
It is definitely your best bet, before setting out to build wind turbines, to purchase an instruction manual or guide to follow. Remember that you get what you pay for when it comes to instructions. Make sure you find a manual that is easy to read with detailed instructions. There are also many online resources and forums to help guide you through your wind turbine building process.
To familiarize yourself with the basics, before you get started on your project to build wind turbines, there are four basic components to wind turbines. To build wind turbines you must be familiar with the towers, the batteries, the turbines and the tail and propeller assembly. The tools generally required to build wind turbines are simple as well, you will need wrenches, a saw and a drill. There may also be a need for additional tools depending on how of the wind turbine you will be building yourself.
One part that you will probably be ordering when you decide to build wind turbines is the motor. The motors on wind turbines do require regular maintenance and oiling for continued efficiency, but this is a small price to pay for the excellent energy these systems provide. In addition to the motor, you are definitely going to need a good-sized workspace. Depending on your target energy output, your propellers or blades could get up to 8 feet in diameter (4 ft blades).
It takes a little work to build wind turbines, but there is really nothing overly complicated about the process and generally the process can be fairly inexpensive once you are operational and your electric bills are dropping each month. Building wind turbines is also a fast growing occupation worldwide as technicians are tough to find. So learn how to build wind turbines for yourself and take advantage of the opportunities free electricity and know how can provide.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Build solar:How to Use Your Roof As a Solar Space Heater
Click Here and stop paying high electric bills
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Use your existing roof and insulation membrane to supply solar heated air to your home. Whenever the roof is heated by the sun the air trapped underneath is naturally heated ,it then rises to the highest point where you can collect it to heat your home. Most metal roofs and some other types of clad roofs have an insulating membrane underneath them,it becomes a very simple, inexpensive, project to automatically harvest this warm air to heat your home at almost zero cost.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Use Your Roof As a Solar Space Heater. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Use Your Roof As a Solar Space Heater
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Use your existing roof and insulation membrane to supply solar heated air to your home. Whenever the roof is heated by the sun the air trapped underneath is naturally heated ,it then rises to the highest point where you can collect it to heat your home. Most metal roofs and some other types of clad roofs have an insulating membrane underneath them,it becomes a very simple, inexpensive, project to automatically harvest this warm air to heat your home at almost zero cost.
Steps
- Access the roof space of your house and make sure that your roof has an insulation membrane under the roofing sheets.
- Locate the top two purlins either side of the roof ridge
- Now tidy up any excess insulation. Use a hand tacker staple gun to neatly secure the insulation to the purlins along the whole length of the ridge.
- When finished each side of the roof should now have insulation running from the gutter to the height of the top purlin.The space between the purlin should be open to the underside of the metal forming the ridge.
- Cut strips of insulation wide enough to fix across the underside of the top two purlins and long enough to run the length of the ridge.
- Fix this insulation to the underside of the top two purlins with your hand tacker, thus forming a header between them. The air between the roof sheeting and the insulation will be heated by the radiation of the sun.It will rise toward this header and collect there.
- Near the center of the ridge fit a suitably sized duct outlet.( if you intend to use a six inch ducted fan then you should use a matching 6 inch duct) Fix it to the underside of the purlins. Seal to the foil using silicone or similar product , making sure that the portion of foil directly under outlet is removed to allow the heated air to flow from the duct.
- Fit a ceiling duct outlet to the ceiling of the area you wish to heat.
- Fit a suitably sized ducted fan somewhere between the duct from the ridge and the duct to the ceiling.Best practice would entail suspending the fan from the roof structure using a heavy duty spring . This will prevent vibration from the fan if it becomes out of balance due to dust building up on its blades)and will insure quiet operation.
- Measure cut and fit two lengths of foil ducting.One to connect your ridge duct to the fan and one to connect the fan to the ceiling duct.
- Fit a thermostatic switch near the duct at the header and position the sensor bulb inside the header near the duct opening. Secure the bulb to the perling.
- Wire the fan to the thermostatic switch so that the fan will only run when the temperature of the air in the header, exceeds the control temperature of the area to be heated.
- Move to the outside of the roof and seal any air gaps between the ridge of the roof and the roof sheeting profile.( you could use expanding foam or a proprietary profile seal.)
- Your heater is ready to use at this stage and it will contribute many hours of free heat during days where the sun shines despite the air temp being cold.
- To really get most benefit the top meter or so of the ridge should be covered with a clear plastic cover. this how to will be amended to include this option.
Tips
- A building incorporating this simple inexpensive and reliable system will provide opportunistic heating, cooling, and ventilation throughout the year and every future year ; turning itself on /off automatically for the cost of running a 60 watt fan .
- This system can be upgraded at any future time by providing part or all of the upper roof surface with a transparent cover of any description, but even without a cover there is significant heat to be gained at no cost.
Warnings
- You will need an electrician to connect your fan and thermostat unless you can access a low voltage ducted fan
Things You'll Need
- Some foil insulation
- Six inch ducted fan
- Foil ducting
- A hand tacker
- Thermostatic switch
- A thermostatic switch to control at room temperature
- length of roof profile seal
Related wikiHows
- How to Landscape With Solar Lighting
- How to Make and Use a Solar Oven
- How to Design and Install a Radiant Floor Heating System
- How to Use Solar Energy to Heat a Pool
- How to Make a Solar Hot Air Balloon
- How to Heat Water Using Solar Energy
Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Use Your Roof As a Solar Space Heater. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Considering Solar Power for Your Home
Click Here to UNPLUG YOUR HOUSE
Written by Cristian Stan
Monday, 23 November 2009
Due to the ever rising cost of electricity and because of environmental issues, many householders are seeking information on the alternatives, particularly solar power generators. This is not a new idea; however, with today's demands on our pocket and our planet's finite resources it is a serious and viable option.
Firstly, it must be said, that one does not have to live in a perpetual sun blessed climate on the equator for the suns ray's to provide free and convenient power. Even some of the world's gloomiest climate areas can benefit from this green energy.
Generally there are two types of solar power generators:
1. Photo-thermal.
2. Photo-voltaic.
Photo-thermal:
Photo thermal solar power generators, as the name suggests, generate heat from the sun's rays. This heat can be utilized to heat ones domestic water supply, central heating system or swimming pool.
These systems work by focusing the sun's energy on to collectors that heat water, the heated water is then circulated or pumped on demand. This type of system can be used on a large industrial scale when the water is heated to high temperatures creating steam, this steam then goes on to turn large turbines to generate electricity, however, we are discussing home use in this article and this method to generate electricity is not practical for the domestic environment.
Providing useable heat from the sun's energy is expensive and some local authorities and governments are funding or subsidizing installations in the interest of reducing carbon emissions.
Photo-voltaic:
Generally people think of solar panels as devices that directly generate electricity; these panels are photo-voltaic and that is exactly what they do. This method of providing free electricity is becoming more available and can be very inexpensive. For example, have a look around your local DIY store and you will find many gadgets and devices for the home and garden that are powered by the sun such as pond pumps, garden lighting, security alarms to name but a few.
Solar power on this scale is becoming very cheap and convenient not only saving money on the electricity itself but on having to install cables to these devices.
Considering powering one's home in its entirety using photo voltaic or solar panels although initially expensive, overtime, will provide free and green electricity and, today, is a serious and viable option.
Other Considerations:
There are considerations than one has to bear in mind before embarking on a large scale solar panel installation.
Check with your local planning office to make sure you are not contravening any local by-laws and obtain any relevant permission. Also make sure your property can withstand the added weight of solar panel arrays before going ahead with a roof or terrace installation.
Large solar installations are not really the realm of the DIY enthusiast and will require experts to calculate the number and size of panels you require for your power needs. There is much information on the Internet also you may be able to get advice from a local solar panel specialist who will be able to design a system for your individual needs.
Click Here to UNPLUG YOUR HOUSE
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com
About The Author:
Visit HomemadeSolarEnergyPanels.Com to learn how to make homemade solar panels, advantages of DIY solar panels and homemade solar energy!
Written by Cristian Stan
Monday, 23 November 2009
Due to the ever rising cost of electricity and because of environmental issues, many householders are seeking information on the alternatives, particularly solar power generators. This is not a new idea; however, with today's demands on our pocket and our planet's finite resources it is a serious and viable option.
Firstly, it must be said, that one does not have to live in a perpetual sun blessed climate on the equator for the suns ray's to provide free and convenient power. Even some of the world's gloomiest climate areas can benefit from this green energy.
Generally there are two types of solar power generators:
1. Photo-thermal.
2. Photo-voltaic.
Photo-thermal:
Photo thermal solar power generators, as the name suggests, generate heat from the sun's rays. This heat can be utilized to heat ones domestic water supply, central heating system or swimming pool.
These systems work by focusing the sun's energy on to collectors that heat water, the heated water is then circulated or pumped on demand. This type of system can be used on a large industrial scale when the water is heated to high temperatures creating steam, this steam then goes on to turn large turbines to generate electricity, however, we are discussing home use in this article and this method to generate electricity is not practical for the domestic environment.
Providing useable heat from the sun's energy is expensive and some local authorities and governments are funding or subsidizing installations in the interest of reducing carbon emissions.
Photo-voltaic:
Generally people think of solar panels as devices that directly generate electricity; these panels are photo-voltaic and that is exactly what they do. This method of providing free electricity is becoming more available and can be very inexpensive. For example, have a look around your local DIY store and you will find many gadgets and devices for the home and garden that are powered by the sun such as pond pumps, garden lighting, security alarms to name but a few.
Solar power on this scale is becoming very cheap and convenient not only saving money on the electricity itself but on having to install cables to these devices.
Considering powering one's home in its entirety using photo voltaic or solar panels although initially expensive, overtime, will provide free and green electricity and, today, is a serious and viable option.
Other Considerations:
There are considerations than one has to bear in mind before embarking on a large scale solar panel installation.
Check with your local planning office to make sure you are not contravening any local by-laws and obtain any relevant permission. Also make sure your property can withstand the added weight of solar panel arrays before going ahead with a roof or terrace installation.
Large solar installations are not really the realm of the DIY enthusiast and will require experts to calculate the number and size of panels you require for your power needs. There is much information on the Internet also you may be able to get advice from a local solar panel specialist who will be able to design a system for your individual needs.
Click Here to UNPLUG YOUR HOUSE
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com
About The Author:
Visit HomemadeSolarEnergyPanels.Com to learn how to make homemade solar panels, advantages of DIY solar panels and homemade solar energy!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
How to Create a Solar Panel
How to Create a Solar Panel
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditClick Here For Your Energy Kit
This article outlines how to build a low-cost solar panel to heat water. It uses components normally available from glazing companies, home improvement and car parts shops.
Steps
- Get a double-glazed unit for the sunlight to pass through. Glaziers and window manufacturers sometimes have scrap units for patio doors or large windows that can be bought very cheaply. Glass with a low-emissivity coating such as Pilkington K glass is ideal.
- Get a single-panel room radiator that is slightly smaller than the glass unit. Scrap yards sometimes have old radiators, or ask a plumber who is refurbishing a central heating system.
- Build a strong wooden box to fit the double-glazed unit. Use 12mm plywood for the back and 150mm x 50mm timber for the sides. Make sure it is deep enough to accommodate 50mm of insulation plus the radiator. The glass should exactly fit the box on three sides but overhang the box on the fourth side so that rain water will drip off the glass when the box is set at an angle.
- If the box will sit on a flat surface build a support so that the box can be installed perpendicular to the sun. In the UK an angle of 35º from horizontal works well.
- Treat the outside of the box to make the wood water resistant.
- Glue aluminum kitchen foil to the plywood inside the box.
- Screw two radiator brackets inside the box to support the radiator.
- Insert a layer of 50mm thermal insulation slabs over the kitchen foil.
- Fit the radiator onto the brackets and drill 20mm holes in the side of the box where the pipes will come out. You can route one pipe inside the box to make both pipes exit the same side of the box if your installation requires it.
- Plumb in the radiator so that two pieces of 15mm copper tube extends 100mm from the outside of the box. Use threaded straight connectors rather than radiator valves to fit pipes that go straight out of the box.
- Spray the front of the radiator matt black using heat resistant paint, such as that used for spraying the radiant parts of coal and gas fires.
- Screw two angle brackets onto the bottom edge of the box and bend them up to stop the glass sliding off the box.
- Run a bead of silicone sealant around the edge of the box and place lengths of electrical tape over the bead so the glass doesn't stick to it.
- Place the glass on the box and leave the silicon to set. This will create an airtight seal between the glass and the box and increase the thermal insulation.
- Screw L section UPVC strips to the three sides where the glass is flush with the box to prevent rain ingress. 45º mitres on the two corner joints makes a smart finish.
- Get rubber engine hose with an internal diameter of 15mm from a car parts shop and attach it to the 15mm copper tube with jubilee clips. If your hose is slightly too big solder straight connectors onto the ends of the tubes to increase their diameter.
- Finished. You now have a solar panel ready to heat water. In order to have a functioning system you will also need a water tank, a water pump and (if the pump does not run on mains electricity) a photovoltaic panel and control unit to power the pump.
Click Here For Your Energy Kit
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create a Solar Panel. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
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