Just How Much Sunshine Is “Enough?”

annual-world-sunny-days

Our personal feeling is that even if you only get a couple of hours of sun a day, you should do at least one or two solar projects.   If your projects are varied enough - some solar, some wind, some alternative fuels - you should still be able to significantly cut down your dependence on the … [Read more...]

Are Permanent Magnets and Neodymium Magnets The Same Thing?

what-are-permanent-magnets

Permanent magnets are different than non-permanent magnets in that they do not lose their magnetism under "normal" circumstances.  They will not lose their magnetism if dropped or exposed long-term to other magnets.  However, they will lose some or all of their magnetism if exposed to temperatures … [Read more...]

What Is A Fresnel Lens?

what-is-a-fresnel-lens

The Fresnel lens was invented in France by Augustin-Jean Fresnel in the late 1700's.  He invented it as a way of magnifying light, allowing the light to be seen over much greater distances.  While employed in France as the Commissioner of Lighthouses, the lens he invented came into popular use in … [Read more...]

How To Cheaply Improve The Performance Of Your Solar Panels

improve-performance-of-solar-panels

Why re-write an article that has already been written with perfectly good information in it?   The beauty of the internet is that all we have to do it link to the article and all you have to do is click the link! With just a few of these items you can find for under $10 each at any discount … [Read more...]

Manure “Output” Per Animal

animal-manure-stats

According to Hobby Farms, the following is the manure output per animal PER DAY.   We thought the numbers were interesting in case you want to consider adopting a farm animal to provide you with manure for a methane digestion system. We also included the Nitrogen, Potassium, and Magnesium … [Read more...]

What Are The Different Kinds Of Solar Power?

kinds-of-solar-power

There are several different kinds of solar "power,"  but they all fit into one of two categories. Solar power is either PASSIVE or ACTIVE in nature.  We've seen a lot of interpretation on the web of what these two categories represent, but when you look back to the original experts that wrote the … [Read more...]

DIY Fins For Solar Water Heater Or Radiant Floors

build-your-own-fins-for-radiant-floors-or-solar

These fins may have a more scientific name, but most of the sites just refer to them as "fins," so we will too.  Their purpose is to distribute the heat to or from the tubing which runs through them.   The fins serve one of two purposes, depending on the application.   In a solar water heater, the … [Read more...]