rocketstoves - www.ErnieAndErica.info Ianto Evans, Leslie Jackson, Ernie Wisner, Kirk Mobert, Paul Wheaton, and other friends are among the researchers developing efficient, clean-burning, affordable stoves for a variety of heating and cooking needs. This group developed and published the current editions of Rocket Mass Heater, or Rocket Masonry Stove, designs. The technology combines an innovative clean-burning combustion chamber, with an earthen masonry thermal mass, resulting in extraordinary heat capture and low waste from an incredibly small amount of wood. The goals of Rocket Stove researchers include
A Simple DIY Thermosyphon Solar Water Heating System Search The Renewable Energy site for Do-It-Yourselfers System schematic -- Thermosyphon Solar Water Heater Gregory Kloehn: California designer turns a DUMPSTER into into his Brooklyn getaway complete with a toilet, stove and sun deck By Daily Mail Reporter Published: 05:58 GMT, 9 August 2013 | Updated: 11:26 GMT, 9 August 2013 A California designer has turned a $2,000 dumpster into a fully functional home, complete with a bathroom, bed, kitchen and sun deck. Gregory Kloehn converted the dumpster in Brooklyn off of a hunch, and now he uses it whenever he stays in New York. 'It just hit me,' he said on HGTV's show, 'You Live in What?' 'I thought hey, this is the perfect shape for a home.'
Homemade Wind Generator - Renewable Energy Are you headed for the beach or going camping in the mountains? Maybe you live on a boat, visit a remote cabin or you're living off-grid. Electricity is yours for the taking as long as the wind is blowing... And you can get it on the CHEAP with an easy homemade wind generator. Are Your Delicious, Healthy Almonds Killing Bees? Honeybees and almond blooms: mutual dependence Protasov AN/Shutterstock California dominates almond production like Saudi Arabia wishes it dominated oil. More than 80 percent of the almonds consumed on Planet Earth hail from there. Boosted by surging demand from China—overall, 70 percent of the state's output is exported—California's almond groves are expanding. The delicious nut's acreage grew 25 percent between 2006 and 2013. In a previous post, I noted how the almond boom is helping fuel a potentially disastrous water-pumping frenzy in a drought-stricken state.
7 Solar Water Heating System Designs by Michael Hackleman Issue #65 (Rob Harlan is a general and solar contractor with 25 years of experience with solar water heating systems in Mendocino County, California. Rob primarily designs and installs photovoltaic systems today.) MH: Rob, will you give a brief history of the last 30 years of solar-water heating system design and implementation? Rob: Solar-water heating systems got a real boost in the 1970s when tax credits were offered by state and federal programs to help folks make the investment. These systems were intended primarily for domestic hot water, i.e., showers, dishwashing, cooking, and clotheswashing. They were also popular for heating the water in pools and hot tubs.
Top 10 Most Influential Cob Builders It’s time to take a look into the world of natural building by looking at some of the most influential cob builders. You might have heard of some of these people before as they’ve demonstrated their craft and expertise in the field. Many of them you might just be hearing about for the first time. Without further ado, here is my top 10 list of the most influential people in cob building.
Mobile Sun Tracking Solar Power Plant A recent storm with horrific winds took down our electrical power. The outage was widespread, straining the power company to get everyone back online. We were without power for almost 3 days - no heating, no hot water, no refrigeration, no range, no microwave, no lighting. No TV, no WiFi, and no hot coffee in the morning. Solar Hot Water Basics What is Solar Water Heating? Solar water heating collectors capture and retain heat from the sun and transfer this heat to a liquid. Solar thermal heat is trapped using the “greenhouse effect,” in this case is the ability of a reflective surface to transmit short wave radiation and reflect long wave radiation.
Building StrawBale Houses Strawbale houses are cheap, easy to build and can be put up in a relatively short period of time. Strawbale houses are usually made by stacking rows of straw bales with a moisture barrier between the bales and the supporting platform. Building with bales of straw has become very popular and can be seen in many areas of the Southwestern United States. Wonderful Academic And Mother, Emma Orbach Shuns Society And Enjoys A Simple Back To Basics Lifestyle In A Self Built Mud/Straw House... I love this wonderful woman. And unless someone goes to visit her on her property on the lower slopes of Mount Carningli near the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire tells her she'll never know as she shuns all types of technology. And I don't think the postal service delivers. I also admire this wonderful, inspiring mother of three and Oxford graduate with a degree in Chinese and an eccentric childhood for having the guts and the moral fortitude to eschew a life of plenty to be her own person, to walk to the beat of a different drum, to be true to herself and her own values. Emma Orbach has shunned society and I can't say I blame her. She lives in a roundhouse made from mud, straw and horse manure she fashioned herself with her own hands.
Pump and Pipe Sizing for a Solar Water or Space Heating System Search The Renewable Energy site for Do-It-Yourselfers Overview of Sizing the Plumbing and Pump for Solar Collectors The basic underlying requirement is that you want a pump and plumbing system that will push enough heat transfer fluid (typically water) through your solar collectors to efficiently remove the heat that the sun is depositing in them. Too little flow, and the collectors will run hotter and less efficiently, too much flow and you are wasting money on bigger pipes and pumps than the system needs, and using more pump power than you need to. Foraging It’s acorn season in Southern California. I’ve long been interested in acorns, knowing that they were the staple food of the native people who lived here, and I’ve gathered and processed them before. However, once I have the acorn meal, I’ve never known exactly what to do with it. It’s highly nutritious, but I thought (wrongly!) that it was somewhat bland, and all I could do was incorporate acorn meal into baked goods. This weekend, however, I’ve had my eyes opened to the possibilities, thanks to Pascal Baudar and Mia Wasilevich.