I bought a second-hand water tank, and mounted them all on a frame screwed through the metal roof, into the timber roof frame. The panels are still going strong 30 years later.

I bought a second-hand water tank, and mounted them all on a frame screwed through the metal roof, into the timber roof frame. The panels are still going strong 30 years later.

While we only need a few litres each of drinking water each day, cooking water should be potable quality, and laundry washing water should be free from impurities that would stain, such as iron deposits. The next quality down would be grey-water for vegetables and fruit trees, but only if it is applies via dripper, and not sprayed. Septic tank effluent is suitable for fruit trees, but must be applied via underground methods, such as gravel trenches, covered with soil. Ornamental plants and trees can use any standard of water in regard to cleanliness, however salt, nutrient, detergent and particulate content can be problems, as they can also be for the other uses.

While we only need a few litres each of drinking water each day, cooking water should be potable quality, and laundry washing water should be free from impurities that would stain, such as iron deposits. The next quality down would be grey-water for vegetables and fruit trees, but only if it is applies via dripper, and not sprayed. Septic tank effluent is suitable for fruit trees, but must be applied via underground methods, such as gravel trenches, covered with soil. Ornamental plants and trees can use any standard of water in regard to cleanliness, however salt, nutrient, detergent and particulate content can be problems, as they can also be for the other uses.

A acre block with a big ornamental garden of deciduous trees and shrubs in a temperate climate requires about 2,000 litres per week in the summer. You can calculate the water demand for a tree using the British Standard BS5837 1991, which gives a formula including the tree type and canopy diameter, the local evaporation rate. The watering frequency depends on the soil type and how much soil is available to each tree. Typically, a small tree takes 20 litres of water a day. Vegetables’ water demand depends very much on the variety and the weather. Partial shading is recommended for some varieties in the heat of summer.

Rainwater is easy to collect in plastic tanks, which are cheap and easy to handle and install, but take up space. Underground tanks are the opposite.

Getting Started
You can calculate the likely rain available using information from your local Meteorological Bureau. They will give you average rainfall each month. For example, in a location like Melbourne, it rains about 600mm each year, with rain pretty much uniform through the year. If your roof area is 200 square metres, and you want to catch it all, and assuming you want to store enough to water your garden for about a month, the tank volume needs to be about 1,000 x 200 x 0.6 / 12 = 10,000 litres. This gives you 10,000 / 30 = 333 litres per day. If you add this to your grey-water, originating from mains water supply, this gives you about 500 litres available for the garden. However, it is less if you use the tank water in the laundry.

Getting Started
You can calculate the likely rain available using information from your local Meteorological Bureau. They will give you average rainfall each month. For example, in a location like Melbourne, it rains about 600mm each year, with rain pretty much uniform through the year. If your roof area is 200 square metres, and you want to catch it all, and assuming you want to store enough to water your garden for about a month, the tank volume needs to be about 1,000 x 200 x 0.6 / 12 = 10,000 litres. This gives you 10,000 / 30 = 333 litres per day. If you add this to your grey-water, originating from mains water supply, this gives you about 500 litres available for the garden. However, it is less if you use the tank water in the laundry.

Becoming Proficient
It may take a while to get all the skills you need, and this is where the net can be useful. There are lots of government authority sites with heaps of information, as well as dedicated societies with lots of technical articles. Just have a go, and get started. The skills will build up as you go.

How Much Experience Is Needed?
You can do most of this sort of work without any experience, except for the electrics, that must be left to a qualified electrician, and any plumbing to do with sewage. Of course, working at heights, doing connections to gutters for example requires good safety practices.

Examples
With my grey-water system, I have a thriving orchard of about 14 trees, providing organic fruit over the summer and autumn. The underground water tank, just coming on line, collected 7,000 litres over one weekend of rain, from a roof area of 200 sq m.

The Best-Kept Secret About Home Water
By zoning your plants in the garden-planning phase, you can optimize your water use, by having the frequent- drinkers all grouped on the same pipe, and the bigger trees on a separate pipe. (I think you should also go for the biggest tank you can afford).

Staying On Top
To keep on top, you need to monitor your usage, to ensure you don’t just use more mains supply water as well as your recycled and harvested water. You need to keep the system clean: flush the drip lines and clean the roof gutters regularly. You also want to cycle the roof water with your recycled water, to reduce the build-up f salts in the soil.

Staying On Top
To keep on top, you need to monitor your usage, to ensure you don’t just use more mains supply water as well as your recycled and harvested water. You need to keep the system clean: flush the drip lines and clean the roof gutters regularly. You also want to cycle the roof water with your recycled water, to reduce the build-up f salts in the soil.

Blocked gutters are a problem, and regular maintenance is needed. Leaf-guard over the gutters is great, but quite expensive. In-line leaf-diverters are a good option. But they also need regular clean-outs.

Tank systems need mosquito-proof inlets and outlets.

ntroduction
The great thing about working to optimize the way you use and collect water for your home, is that you get to feel as though you are doing something practical to improve the environment without making sacrifices, but actually benefiting your household.

Blocked gutters are a problem, and regular maintenance is needed. Leaf-guard over the gutters is great, but quite expensive. In-line leaf-diverters are a good option. But they also need regular clean-outs.

Tank systems need mosquito-proof inlets and outlets.

If you are going to drink rainwater, your roof can’t be zinc-alume, as the aluminium is not good for you. You have to be aware of animal and bird droppings, as well as pollution fallout. A first-flush diverter will help a bit here.

Frank is a civil engineer practicing in the fields of geotechnical and structural engineering. He is a keen organic gardener, and has projects going to re-establish local-provenance flora and trees in local parks.

Looking to find the best deal on Solar Panels, then visit to find the best advice on Solar Power for you.

Originally posted 2010-12-26 09:44:48.

It warms up our faces and grows our food; solar energy is our life blood and gives us most of that we need to live on. Using its potency, however, has escaped the earths populace, or at least until relatively recently. Harnessing our sun’s full potential may be a long way into the future, but until engineering shows us the true possibilities of solar power we can use what we have as a matter of necessity, economic need and personal responsibility.

Maybe you are quite happy with the status quo of today. Maybe you feel all is fine and you don’t feel the need to change a system that’s worked for over a century. If you do, consider a few of these benefits to solar power and you may just recognize its potential in a somewhat more responsible, yet selfish, light.

But What If I don’t really care about the current situation? Perhaps everything in the world is OK as far as you are concerned. The very last thing that you give a damn about are plants, clean air and clean drinking water. Heck, the drinking water turns up every time you turn on a faucet, the heater comes on when it’s cold, the light switch brings you a bright light. What’s there to be concerned about? Consider that this is just the problem. If you don’t care for the state of affairs, the faucet may not bring you pure drinking water, the heater may not go on and the car certainly won’t start. If the earth is kept neat and left to do what it was intended to do, everything will continue to work fine. But get in its way and everything you thought was hunky-dory won’t be for long.

Cost savings – One of the best things about caring for the suns ability to serve its rightful purpose is that it can really save you money in the longer run. Once solar systems are purchased and installed, they cost little, if anything to operate and maintain. In most instances, the government will even help to pay for the upfront costs of installing the system through tax incentives. Additionally, power companies in most regions are required to pay you for energy that you have generated and not used. Yes, you read correctly, the power company will pay you!

Makes Economic Sense – In most instances, 80% of the southern hemisphere can generate enough solar power to run and heat their homes with existing solar systems. This means that whatever is left over goes back to the power grid if you so choose. Just think of your energy meter running backwards. The extra electricity you need for that cloudy day is stored in ever more efficient batteries. Most current users claim that the use of solar energy systems only takes a little thought in energy management.

Off the power grid – Depending upon how you feel about things, another of the best reasons to use photovoltaic solar panels is that you can remove yourself from the ‘grid’ so to speak. Many people do not feel like being a part of the social collective that is interconnectivity. Going sun powered takes you away from this one aspect of community and puts you closer to self reliance which is a great thing.

Versatility – Just because the solar electricity generation systems of today have come a long way in providing electricity, heating and a host of other services there is a long way to go. This is not to indicate, however, that solar energy is not currently versatile in form and function. Photovoltaic Solar systems can currently be formed into thin sheets for car top electric powered cars. They can cover rooftops and not be noticed, unlike those 1960s units. Prices are also coming down, almost as fast as the flat screen TVs of today.

Personal responsibility – Past the cost benefits and environmental benefits that solar electricity brings you should consider using it because you are part of a larger social order that will procreate. Man has not been around for all that long and is doing its best to end its run in one way or another. If you would like to give your children’s children a better chance at continuing the species’ run on this planet, solar energy is one small contribution that you can make all by your self.

One way to reach the goal of accommodating all the comforts of home functioning in good order is by using other sources of power generation like the sun, and not generating nasty things that get in the way of the environment doing its job. Most current sources of power include carbon based fossil fuels such as natural gas which are derived from fossilized plants. Environmentally responsible power, heat and daily transport come from living or energised sources like h2O and O2 molecules. The Sun can be turned directly into useful electricity and used to power your suv, heat your house and provide your light. But to make the process work, you need to be able to see the sun, which means caring for the environment and not getting in its way.

Originally posted 2009-06-22 05:59:02.

Many people are growing more and more energy conscious and there are many reasons for this. For some, there is a sincere need and desire to cut and reduce costs associated with energy expenditures. A home generator can help greatly in this regard since a home generator can provide a viable source of energy. Then, there are more serious and ominous concerns. Namely, a home generator has the ability to provide a home with electricity in the case of a power outage. That is why it is critical to select the right home generator for your house and here are a few points to consider when making such a purchase.

The first important step that you must take is to decide what basic kind of generator you are going to need. They now come in two basic types: stationary and portable. You should have guessed that the stationary one means that you cannot move it and is better used as a backup energy source; portable generators are better suited for situations where a person will use it more on a regular and frequent basis both in and outside of the house. Either way, it is important to really think about this before pulling out any cash; a generator is a major purchase that should be made carefully.

After you determine your basic needs, you need to determine the specs that you will need in a generator, primarily the volume of voltage and watts you need your generator to have. You do not want to purchase a generator that cannot service your energy needs, but you also do not want to purchase one that does more than you need it to do because it is going to cost you. The best thing to do is to determine what items you are going to run on the generator, or if you are going to run your whole house, you can look at an energy bill and determine how much you use. You can also add up the watts and voltage of everything in your house that is currently plugged in or running on your energy. Then purchase a generator that has enough power to provide the service that you need.

You should also consider the kind of fuel that your generator is going to run off of. The majority of home generators are going to run on propane or natural gas. However, there are generators that exist that run off of diesel fuel, though they are largely used for more industrial purposes. Whatever the case may be for you, pick one that best suits the needs of your particular house. You may need a bigger generator if you live in a mansion.

One should also never overlook the benefits of any safety features that may be present. A generator that shuts itself off in the advent of overheating would be an example of a desirable safety feature. Again, safety is important and it should never be overlooked. Of course, there are many other criteria you can employ prior to purchasing a generator. The key here is to select the right generator for your needs.

Originally posted 2009-07-02 05:05:37.

However Scotland isn’t doing this all by themselves a recent report called “Renewables Investments and Jobs” has illustrated that over £2.46 billion has been invested in the UK renewable industry so far and it could boost the job market as well by nearly 12,000 jobs up and down the country.

Yet even though Scotland seems to be getting all the headlines there’s another part of the country quietly working away and it’s actually received a whopping £470 million for its renewable projects; wind turbines, hydroelectricity and solar panels to name a few. Yes the renewable industry is certainly booming in Yorkshire.

In comparison to everywhere else in the UK, Yorkshire has seen has seen a fantastic amount of investment in their renewable energy sector. Especially when you compare it to the £155 million that Northern Ireland received and the £116 million that was invested in East Midlands. Yorkshire received nearly double those figures added together!

The Energy Secretary for the UK Chris Huhne, said: “Renewable energy is not just helping us increase our energy security and reduce our emissions. It is supporting jobs and growth across the country, and giving traditional industrial heartlands the opportunity to thrive again.”

Renewable energy has been like a shining knight in the war against climate change with many people happy to get involved and do their part. The benefit of renewables is that they can take advantage of natural energy sources using equipment like solar panels, heat pumps and wind turbines. The equipment can then take; the heat from the sun or wind in the air and convert it to electricity and heat. Truly amazing!

The reason for Northern regions getting so much investment seems to be mainly down to their more rugged terrain and often changing weather conditions which suit the naturally powered renewable energy gathering devices. However it’s not just the landscape and weather that brings the investors, it is the open arms with which they’re met by the officials in charge.

The massive amount of investment in some northern areas from renewable energy suppliers and overseas has seen a real change in their fortunes with booming micro-economies and revitalized towns it’s no wonder officials are doing all they can to make the investors feel welcome.

This guest post was written by Ross Wilson.

To fool the chickens into thinking it’s daytime and ensure they lay eggs all year round, farmers usually install lights in their chicken coops. The only problem comes in is when a coop is far from the power outlet, and long extension cords have to be used.

This happened at the World Hunger Relief Farm where they had two mobile coops. The coops were used as mobile fertilizers and situated far from any power source.  Initially the folks over at the farm connected long extension cords to power the coop lights, but they suddenly had the urge to make the coops completely mobile and get their chickens off the grid.

They had heard a lot about solar power and how a few small panels could be used to power small appliances.  So they decided to give it a try. And with the help of engineers they installed two small solar panels, charge controllers (batteries), and a small 100 watt inverter.  And to save power they replaced the light bulb with high-tech LED christmas lights that use less than five watts of power.

Anna, one of the students, said, “We mounted the solar panels on the side of the coop and put all the electric components in a five gallon bucket to protect them from the elements. We finished up and left at around 3PM for lunch. When we returned later in the evening it was one of the most hilarious sights ever.”

Apparently all the chickens were huddled around the white christmas lights, clucking in delight, all thinking about laying more eggs. Thanks to the confluence of old and new technologies – animal domestication and modern electronics – the chickens were living off the grid and could enjoy a year-round Christmas.

So, if chickens can do it, then so can you.  And with affordable diy energy solutions, there is no reason anyone cannot enjoy off grid living.

Originally posted 2008-11-16 09:07:49.

The need for alternative fuel sources has been a topic of hot debate and dire concern for decades. It is only as we reach points of energy catastrophe and economic peril that the issue is taken seriously. Researchers and scientists in many countries have been planning for this time with research and practice in wind farms. The United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom have all begun investing in wind technology.

Wind farms are housed both onshore and offshore. Off shore wind farms are a relatively new occurrence with the largest being off the coast of Scotland. The turbines are placed in rows along the ocean floor in shallow waters close to shore. California’s central valley has been home to wind farms for almost 30 years. The wind generated in the central valley is fed into the public energy grid. Because wind is an intermittent energy source it is often used as an energy supplement.

The United Kingdom has taken steps to map a future powered by off shore wind farms. The shelved sea floor off the coast of Great Britain is ideal for the placement of turbines. Massive off shore wind farms have not been built in the U.S. yet. However, the topography of the ocean floor surrounding the United States might be a limiting factor. Gigantic underwater canyons and steep drops will be keeping wind farms off of the U.S. pacific coast.

Off shore wind power generation is more consistent than onshore wind turbines because winds at sea are more consistent, stronger, and the turbines can be much larger. However, offshore wind generated power is only one piece of the wind power puzzle. Benefits of onshore power farms are sources of income for landowners, tax benefits, and job creation.

Wind power has the capacity to produce more than 100 billion kilowatt hours worldwide yearly. The main hindrance to this wind generated power technologies lies in the cost of the turbines. The rate at which the turbines pay themselves off however is faster than any other power producing mechanism.

Interest in wind power is global. Denmark, Australia, India and even Morocco already have wind farms generating portions of their countries power. Many experts in alternative fuels believe that wind power will be an excellent option for fostering independence in developing nations.

Wind generated power projects are generally funded by governments and non governmental organizations world wide. Employment outlooks for this sector are increasing especially with the U.S. President Obama committing more funding to the industries of alternative energy production. The American Wind Energy Associate estimates that 4.8 jobs will be created for every 1 mega watt of wind power installed.

Originally posted 2009-05-05 08:46:30.

You can therefore attract a wide range of birds if you regularly leave food in your garden. Should you complete your garden with solar fountain birdbaths, you will find that the garden attracts even more visitors as birds simply love to lark around water and this can also be entertaining for you to watch.

Solar fountains do not have to be connected up to your mains. This means that you can place them anywhere in your garden, so long as the area chosen receives an abundance of sunlight.

As they are powered directly from the sun, there are no ongoing electric charges to worry about and maintaining them made a great deal more straightforward.

Solar fountains have become increasingly popular over the last few years and manufacturers have responded to this demand by creating an impressive assortment of attractive designs. These days even if your nearest garden center does not stock something you like, you will most probably find something you do like on the internet, and most probably cheaper too.

One thing to bear in mind is the height of the fountain. Even if you don’t own a cat, it is likely that someone nearby does own one, and cats like nothing better than catching birds off guard. Going for a fountain high enough to keep the birds from immediate danger is the ideal.

An idyllic location in which to place a solar fountain birdbath is close to your birds’ feed but at comfortable distance away from your windows. This way you can take pleasure in watching the birds without disturbing them.

The only restrictions on placement are directly under trees as falling leaves and twigs can fall into the solar water fountain and reduce its efficient running.

Check out these home based posts about the solar powered fountain and solar patio lighting.

Originally posted 2010-05-24 17:17:26.

Biodiesel is also a popular topic, and if you grew up around a grandfather or a bunch of uncles who distilled moonshine in the hills of Kentucky, then it may be the perfect option for you. As with solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, however, most of us will not fall into this category.

So what’s left? Well, not all solar energy projects involve tapping into our home’s electric system. In fact, some of the least expensive and most cost-effective projects don’t involve wiring at all. Solar heating and solar hot water can be completely passive systems that dramatically cut down on residential energy consumption.

Passive solar technologies use no fans, motors, pumps or moving parts of any kind. They usually make use of sunlight to provide heat, but solar lighting is also an easy DIY project.

The simplest example of solar heating is the installation of insulated windows on the south side of a house. The winter sun is lower in the sky than the summer sun, so sunlight enters south-facing windows and heats the air inside the home. Insulated glass keeps the heated air inside, and the furnace does not need to run as often to keep the home warm.

In the summer months, the goal is to keep heat out of the home. The summer sun travels a higher arc in the sky, and the roof eve will shade a properly positioned window. Another option is to install a blind to block summer sunlight, or to apply a reflective film treatment to the glass for the summer months.

Some homeowners create a thermal mass by using dark colors or by placing heat-retaining objects in the path of the sunlight. For example, a dark-colored cinderblock wall will absorb solar heat, because of its dark color, and radiate the heat back as the sun sets in the evening. You probably don’t want to place a black cinderblock wall inside your home, but similar approaches can be used. Dark-colored paints on walls that receive direct sunshine will absorb and store more heat than light-colored walls. Dark flooring can have the same effect. The key to this approach is that sunlight must strike the surface. Simply having darkly painted walls in a room will otherwise have no effect.

Solar water heating projects are slightly more complex, but they can still easily be tackled as a DIY project, and they use this same principle of retained heat. Here’s how they work: A black container is placed on the roof of the home, and the cold water supply is piped into it. Water from the container is used to feed into the cold water supply line for the home’s conventional hot water tank. As the container on the roof absorbs the heat from sunshine, the water inside the container is heated. When hot water is drawn from the hot water tank inside the home, it is resupplied with pre-heated water from the solar water tank instead of cold public water. This causes the conventional hot water heater to cycle less frequently and reduces energy costs for the home.

Hot water tanks use a lot of energy through the year, and solar hot water tanks can have a large impact on a residential energy bill. Of course, the example cited above was just to explain how the process works. In order to be effective, special tanks have to be used. These are typically arrays of large black tubes encased in glass sheathes. The glass sheathes are evacuated, like long thermos bottles, and the heat absorbed by the black tubes does not easily radiate back out into the air. Solar hot water tanks often heat water sufficiently that the interior conventional hot water tank does very little work at all.

This article was written by the PR division of Solar Panels UK.

Anyone can install a wind turbine system because there are many things to consider with your home and if you would really like an alternative form of energy installed. It is important to understand if you are in the right location and if you need to make any changes to the property or your home.

First, you have to consider the wind factor and the amount of wind you do get. In order to generate the electricity you will store, you need fast winds. Higher towers may be required since most high winds are at higher levels of the atmosphere. Low winds are ground level winds.

However, many people live in pockets or in spaces where there isn’t any wind at all in their area. They may be up against the side of a mountain or have a lot of trees in the area and there may not be enough wind for this type of system.

When you live in an area that pockets insufficient wind, you should reconsider the form of alternative energy you may use to that of solar power. However, if there is an area on your property that does get sufficient wind, find it and then use it.

After installing your wind turbine system call the electric company and they will send a technician out to your home to install a separate meter to the side of your house or on your property. You will need both meters to measure your energy. One meter is for the electric company and your usage of their power. The other meter displays information concerning the electricity that you store with the wind turbine.

Your wind turbine meter will show you the measurements of energy stored and energy reserve. Using it, the electric company can view the credit amount on your bill and the amount of energy they will buy from you.

There are no worries about any type of wire change or installation, when you install and use wind turbine systems for the home. Some individuals think that if a house has no built in turbine that they cannot install one later. Nothing could be further than the truth. Remember, the only wire changes involve those that the electric company installs outside your home along with your new meter, after you install your new wind turbine system.

There are many factors to consider if you are considering installing a wind turbine system to your home. The many factors that you need to consider include the wind you get at your home and if you are in a bad location, no wiring will need to be done to the home, you will need another meter installed, and you will be required to work closely with the utility company to make it work properly.

Originally posted 2009-05-16 09:35:49.

The company that specializes in plastics, partnered with Swift’s Scottish designer, Renewable Devices, to install the revolutionary small wind turbine in the U.S. households.

What sets the Swift apart from other small wind turbines is the reduced noise it produces. In addition, the turbine can be attached to rooftops instead of towers.  With it’s five blades and “outer diffuser” ring, the company claims vibration is reduced, resulting in only 35 decibels of noise.

With the turbine’s seven foot diameter and two fins to help it face the wind, it can rotate 360 degrees and it automatically shuts down in very strong winds.  All the elements of its unique design allow the Swift to generate up to 1.5 kW of power in 14 mile per hour winds.  This equates to approximately 2000 kilowatt hours per year, which is about a quarter of the electricity consumed by a typical U.S. household.

At a cool $10 000 to be installed, this turbine does not come cheap.  However, the upfront cost is significantly lower when state tax credits of $1000 for households, and $4000 for businesses is taken into account.

According to Jessica Lehti, Cascade’s senior product marketing manager, this Michigan-based plastics company has already installed 9 Swift turbines in America, and still has at least 25 orders to go.

With a customer base split between residential consumers and businesses, the company is in high hopes that it can sell the Swift to anyone with economic or environmental purposes in mind – even while the economy is in turmoil.

But we disagree with Cascade – not anyone is going to fork out $10 000 just so they can help the environment.  Furthermore, the electricity savings realized by households will only cover their investment after 12 years!

Unless people have the money, we are not sure why anyone would want to waste $10 000, when they could easily make their own small wind turbine at home. Although it would be less efficient than commercial ones, if you built enough of them, you could easily make 2000kW hours of power per year.

In fact, many people all over the U.S are making their own power systems at home, and they are showing others how to do it with step-by-step instruction manuals.  We have a list of these manuals in our reviews section if you feel the need to make your own energy at home.

To conclude, as much as we like the commercial Swift wind turbine, it is not affordable enough for average households to install. So, until techology and prices improve, we are better off making our own renewable energy solutions at home.

Originally posted 2008-11-15 19:36:55.