Anyone here working on renewable energy projects?

[SiliconWolf]

One of my friends has recently bought some property in the Dominican Republic and is trying to use his land and a couple of related businesses that he owns to create some renewable energy projects. He has already started manufacturing solar-powered ovens to sell to the local population (who often spend a big chunk of their income on propane for cooking) and he is starting to get into biodiesel (from used cooking oil, at first) and even landfill gas (he owns a garbage dump, of all things). He also owns some other property which he wants to turn into an eco-tourism center and a nature preserve. We have talked about looking into concentrating solar power or other renewables which could be used to take his property off-grid. I have been down there to see his property once and I might return there for a month or so at the end of the year to experiment with some of these projects myself.

Is anyone else here working on projects like this? I would like to find anyone who knows more about this sort of thing to compare notes.

[drewjmore]

I'm strictly in concept-mode on several automotive-alternator-based wind generator arrangements. I trying to convince my better half to let me design an intensive green roof for our house. I have several (still merely concepts) sterling-cycle engine designs. If your friend wants some ideas for homebuilt-type projects, I've got a millions of them, so to speak.

[StrengthAndHonour]

Nothing in production.

I'm toying with a solar panel-Lighting idea. I've got an issue with the batteries though. They don't seem very environment friendly to me. I was investigating electrolysis+hydrogen, but the stuff used as membrane is expensive (Nafion 117; $100 for 12 by 12 inch) and difficult to get.

[sourdough]

heres some links you may be interested in
www.windside.com
www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html
www.homepower.com

[nygreenguy]

One of my friends has recently bought some property in the Dominican Republic and is trying to use his land and a couple of related businesses that he owns to create some renewable energy projects. He has already started manufacturing solar-powered ovens to sell to the local population (who often spend a big chunk of their income on propane for cooking) and he is starting to get into biodiesel (from used cooking oil, at first) and even landfill gas (he owns a garbage dump, of all things). He also owns some other property which he wants to turn into an eco-tourism center and a nature preserve. We have talked about looking into concentrating solar power or other renewables which could be used to take his property off-grid. I have been down there to see his property once and I might return there for a month or so at the end of the year to experiment with some of these projects myself.

Is anyone else here working on projects like this? I would like to find anyone who knows more about this sort of thing to compare notes.


wow wolf, im also in central NY and occasionally Illinois. Well, at NIU, there are the Dr. Vogl's who do EXACTLY this in foreign countries.

They have a couple of organizations you can use to contact them, Im quite sure they would be more than willing to help.

Solar Solutions (http://www.solarsolutionsseen.com/index.htm)

Illinois Renewable Energy Association (http://www.illinoisrenew.org/) has a fair every late summer to showcase all of this stuff and to give pointers and how-to's. If your in town, GO!

[dimensionality]

i'm building an adams motor to generate free energy. my theory is to scale it up via the fibonacci sequence to optimise antigravity effects as well.

[drewjmore]

i'm building an adams motor to generate free energy. my theory is to scale it up via the fibonacci sequence to optimise antigravity effects as well.

I'll let you borrow my flux capacitor!

[SiliconWolf]

Thanks for the links everyone. There's lots of information out there. Almost too much because I find myself wanting to do everything.

I am interested in Stirling engines, but I think they're a little beyond my ability right now. I'm not actually an engineer, despite sometimes pretending to be one. I've seen a few interesting ideas in the field of concentrating PV that might not be quite as efficient but would be a lot easier to implement.

Keep the ideas coming.

[Sarcasmo]

I just found a 2hp 120vDC treadmill motor (FREEBIE!) that I'm going to use for a wind generator. I have also intend on getting some solar panels to use in conjunction so I can have my barn, garage and aquaponics greenhouse off grid.
I also have a nice stream nearby with good head for possible hydro experiments.

[Clivedurdle]

http://www.itdg.org/

Energy

Energy is a fundamental requirement for human development. Energy supply can transform communities. Yet at the beginning of the third millennium, over two billion people around the world (one third of the global population) have no access to grid electricity or to other forms of modern commercial energy supply.

This Bangladesh woman has received training by Practical Action in making improved cooking stoves. She has made one for herself, which needs around half the amount of wood as the original stove, and produces less smoke. She is now making more stoves to sell to people in the surrounding areas. For three billion people, the main energy usage is ‘biomass’ – wood, charcoal, and organic waste – for cooking. Overwhelmingly, these people are concentrated in developing countries.

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Practical Action works closely with communities to help them develop technology options which are appropriate to their needs.

Where biomass for cooking is the principal energy requirement, Practical Action helps bring technical improvements in its use; for example, by developing and commercialising low cost cooking stoves to improve upon the traditional three-stone cooking fires.

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These options include micro-hydro plants, small scale wind generators, affordable solar lanterns, and biogas plants.

The benefits to communities can be dramatic.


Improved cooking stoves use one third of the amount of firewood as a traditional fire. They also reduce household smoke levels, with benefits to the health of women and children.



Micro-hydro plants can be used to mechanise crucial tasks like grain milling, and to power small businesses, as well as to bring community and household light.



Small scale wind power generators can charge up the vehicle batteries which are used by hundreds of thousands of off-grid households to light their homes.



On-farm biogas plants can provide 75 per cent of household cooking needs, run lights and heat up clothes irons – with a by-product of enriched organic fertiliser for farmers’ fields.

Access to these energy options brings greater income, reduced drudgery (in firewood collection and cleaning utensils, for example), better education for children who can study in a lighted home, and access to public goods like information through TV and radio, or lighting for community centres.
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solar lantern

Practical Action Consulting has a high quality energy team currently working in countries as diverse as Vietnam, Ghana, India, Djibouti. Practical Action Consulting has developed the Glowstar solar lantern for developing countries.

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