Gorgeous Energy-Absorbing Trap Light Never Needs to be Plugged In What is Geothermal? - Geothermal Resources Council Home > What is Geothermal? > Why Geothermal Geothermal Energy is heat (thermal) derived from the earth (geo) It is the thermal energy contained in the rock and fluid (that fills the fractures and pores within the rock) in the earth's crust. Calculations show that the earth, originating from a completely molten state, would have cooled and become completely solid many thousands of years ago without an energy input in addition to that of the sun. In most areas, this heat reaches the surface in a very diffuse state. The uses to which these resources are applied are also influenced by temperature. Geothermal Power Plants Geothermal power plants use hydrothermal resources that have two common ingredients: water (hydro) and heat (thermal). There are three basic types of geothermal power plants: Dry steam plants use steam piped directly from a geothermal reservoir to turn the generator turbines. Energy 101: Geothermal Heat Pumps (Video: DOE) Videos Note: For more information, see Contacts and Links
Batteries - Lowimpact.orgLow impact living info, training, products & services What are they? They are units containing various combinations of metals and chemicals, between which occur reversible chemical reactions to store and then provide electrical power. Some of the metals and chemicals can be quite nasty and toxic (e.g. cadmium). A single 2-volt, lead-acid traction cell, as used in forklifts (a 24-volt forklift would use 12 of these, and a 48-volt forklift, 24). Although other chemical reactions can provide more electricity, the lead-acid battery is proving to be the most successful, because of its affordability, availability, and the fact that it is so robust. In a discharge situation (when giving out energy), elements of the electrolyte react chemically with elements of the plates to release energy in the form of electrons. Testing the specific gravity of the electrolyte in a cell with a hydrometer. Alessandro Volta (who gave his name to the volt) invented the first electric battery in 1800. There are 3 kinds of lead-acid battery: What are the benefits?
Hybrid Ventilation System - GreenGarageWiki From GreenGarageWiki return to Living Building Design Studio What is It? Hybrid ventilation is a building ventilation system that integrates natural (i.e. passive) and mechanical (i.e. active) ventilation components to create an high efficiency and healthy ventilation system for a building. The rationale for a hybrid type system is to allow the earth's natural systems (e.g. the ground or wind) to do as much of the ventilation work as possible and only when they can not meet the required ventilation levels to resort to high-efficiency mechanical systems to complete the job. Highly efficient ventilation systems are an essential element for reaching net-zero energy goals in buildings, as evidenced by the work of the Passive Haus Institute and ZED Factory. Also known as: hybrid ventilation, passive ventilation, natural ventilation, geo-heating. Why is it Important? A hybrid ventilation system is important to a building's sustainability because it: When to Use It? Sustainability Goals Overview
A pedal powered washing machine - Homestead Notes You need an old washing machine drum and an old bicycle gears. Looks like he built a seat on a frame that attaches to the washing machine drum. Think about building a washing machine like this, a way to wash clothes off grid. My Earth Tube Story I saw my first “earth tube” back in 2004, on a tour of row houses in Darmstadt, Germany — a tour which had been organized by the Passivhaus Institut (PHI) to show international visitors some examples of Passivhaus construction. As a visiting Canadian engineer specializing in residential energy efficiency, this was a novel and, for me, unheard-of way to temper incoming ventilation air from extremes of heat and cold. As Dr.Wolfgang Feist, PHI founder and our tour leader that day, explained, “The efficiencies of this approach are extremely high… These earth tubes generally work very well, but they have to be installed correctly or you can have problems.” Condensation and mold Bad news travels fast, and it only takes one “problem” house to undo a lot of good work. What followed was a lot of bad press. Another approach: brine loops Instead, designers and builders turned towards low-pressure geothermal “brine loops” for preconditioning incoming ventilation air. I built a house with earth tubes
untitled Build-It-Solar Blog: Cristian's Earth Sheltered Passive Solar Home in Romania Cristian is an engineer in Romania, and has designed, built, and lived in this passive solar, earth sheltered house for two years. The house is very carefully laid out to make maximum use of space and and the solar heating and lighting opportunities. The house features:Earth sheltering on three sides with a carefully designed PAHS style insulation umbrella that uses the surrounding earth for thermal storage.Passive solar gain through the south triple glazed windows.Active solar through several Trombe walls integrated into the south wall.An extensive earth tube system that pre-heats incoming fresh air and recovers heat from outgoing stale air.A carefully designed back up wood heating system.Solar water heatingProvisions for solar electricity.The house is located at 45 degrees north latitude and has a serious winter -- the total heating bill for the past two winters has been $70 worth of wood -- about 0.6 cords. All the details on the design and construction of Cristian's home... Gary