The goal of this website is to show you how easy it is to build your own solar panels. One of the most difficult tasks you may face is soldering the solar cells. Watch these video tutorials and you will see that it really isn’t hard! If you can solder solar cells, then you can handle the most difficult aspect of making your own solar panel. Watch these solar panel videos to learn just how easy it is to solder solar cells and to make a solar panel!
Should you build your own solar panels, or have a professional contractor install commercially made ones? This article touches on the cost structure of each. It is difficult to calculate the expense of solar panels for every home — there are many variables like days of sunshine per year, distance from the equator, etc. To give an example, we mention a San Francisco Bay home and what you could expect in kilowatt hours from a solar panel installation.
If you’re thinking about doing something as messy as commercial scale worm farming, make sure you do your research before you jump in. In fact, when it comes to worm farming, there have been many scams — typically involving a company selling worms to you and guaranteeing that they will buy them back (but [...]
My last post outlined my idea for vertical farming, i.e. raise chickens, chicken manure goes to hot compost, hot compost goes to worms, worms feed chickens, vermicompost from worms goes to gardening. It also occurred to me that I should define what I mean by vertical farming. Some people define vertical farming as [...]
I’ve recently become a nut for vermiculture (that is — worm farming). Its not just the worms, I’m more considering a completely balanced integrated system that allows you to homestead and micro farm without needing to outsource anything. It provides for itself — from waste management, to fertilizing, etc. An integrated system [...]
I imply (and actually even say) many times on this website that it is easy to make solar panels. What I think would be more accurate to say is “If you are a green enthusiast, love new challenges, think do-it-yourself projects are fun and don’t mind rolling your sleeves up and applying a little elbow grease, it is easy to make solar panels.” In this article discover reasons why you may think it is not easy to build solar panels.
First he sold over 11 million albums. Then he dated Madonna. Today? Vanilla Ice flips homes as he rehabs them DIY style, on his new reality TV show on the DIY Network. Notably, when he improves homes before reselling them, he takes many “go green” options as the homes are improved, such as upgrading to CFL light bulbs or water heaters that waste less electricity.
Not all information available on the internet regarding building solar panels is accurate, or safe. Take for instance this highly popular and highly incorrect article at eHow articles. It ranks #3 in Google, and yet not even one single point raised by this eHow article is accurate. My article dissects this eHow post point-by-point.
Drawing water from the ground to irrigate plants or water animals is a perfect application for solar panels. What are the different types of solar pumps and various methods of storing the water drawn from the ground? Learn this and more in our solar water pump article.
There are several options when it comes to irrigating your garden or farmlands. Is a solar irrigation water pump right for your situation? Read this article and discover the options you have. Watering livestock and your fields or vineyards with a solar powered irrigation pump is the best long-term solution for your water pumping needs. Compares solar pumping to conventional hand pumps, diesel generators and other types of water pumping available today.
If you are into solar panels and power generated through photovoltaic solar cells, chances are you are also interested in wind turbines, assuming there is a good breeze where you live. There is a debate about which is better, vertical axis or conventional horizontal axis, which is better?
Conserving water is good for your wallet, good for society and good for the environment.
Reduce your carbon footprint by taking a cheap moped or motorized bicycle to work or the supermarket, instead of your vehicle. Saving gasoline is good for your wallet as well as the environment. Learn all about electric mopeds in this article discussing electric bike laws, what you can expect from an electric bike for mileage and speed, and where to buy.
Have your cake and eat it too? The cake is homemade solar panels. The eating is net metering. Can you have both at the same time? (Net metering is feeding power into your local power company power grid as storage or to receive compensation if you produce more than you consume). The problem is not qualifying for net metering with homemade solar panels — is there a solution that will allow net metering and a homemade solar panel installation?
You can save big money on your power bills by becoming more efficient in how you heat and cool your home. By limiting yourself to one room, perhaps even a smaller room, and by insulating and using space heating, or air conditioning simply within that room, can easily save you thousands of dollars a year.
The concept of “how long should a solar panel last” has not had enough time to prove itself yet. Many people have the notion that a solar panel will last approximately 25 years — as this is how long manufacturers warranty them for. In calculating the costs of solar panels, many people guesstimate 25 years and even say by 25 years it will only produce at 80% capacity. Read this article and you will find — they may last a bit longer!
October 3 2010, 20 NATO tankers were destroyed in Pakistan. This is a drop in the bucket compared to all the fossil fuel oil that has been destroyed by wars in the past few decades. Plus a mention of one of my more favorite blogs, No Impact Man. Pick up a few ideas from him on going green!