PA Solar Home

2007-11-06T17:26:00.000-05:00

Wow. Thought the last update was more recent. Anyhow, it's been a crazy summer. Lost the job, bit of a dry spell while finding another one, yadda yadda... The plans are still to make this happen, however it looks like a more feasible timetable will be for the spring. What with PP&L heading for the free market, looks like I better get systems in before the rate hikes. Even if I can only just cut my already low usage, it will still be worth the move to self sufficiency, especially after the rate hikes.

Just a quick catch up now, though. By late next year I should have the house next door to add to the system, it's got a nice, big, flat, black roof over the back room. And it faces south. There is already an unused chimney attached in the rear of that roof, that looks like a good spot for the VAWT and I won't have to drill any holes for the wires. As for the VAWT, I picked up a few old ceiling fan units (freebies), I figure that with 12 magnets (6 per side) and the right coil windings, I can generate 14-15vdc to charge the batteries. Plans are still to use regular marine batteries I can get at WalMart, makes replacements much easier. I still need a system that can deliver about 20 kwhrs per day, almost twice what I currently use, and that's without figuring in for the electric hot water heaters for the main heating system. I'll look into that after I get one running, and see just what I need to stay toasty in the winter (it is Pennsylvania, after all).

I've also recently picked up an old UPS system, I'll need to check that over the winter as well, looks like it's capable of at least 10 amps at 110vac, with about 6 receptacles in the rear, so I'll definitely try to get some power running from there, after I get to play with it a bit. That's about it for now, post will be irregular until the cash flow improves enough to get things moving again. In the meantime, I'll be playing with the toys I've already got...

2007-04-18T22:23:00.000-04:00

So it's been a really crazy winter. Snow storms on the holidays, Snow in April, power outages from all of them. Really gets me primed to get the systems up and running this summer. Spent a good portion of the winter designing the VAWT, using an old ceiling fan. I'm still aquiring the magnets for it, so it will be another month or so before it's operational for testing purposes. After that come the SLA batteries, I'm thinking 2ea 1000ah marine batteries, which should give me 2-3 days running time. With the solar trickle chargers, I should be OK until I can get some decent panels. I just aquired the house next door, so that flat southern facing roof should come in real handy. There is also a nice, tall pole that will work just fine for the VAWT. There is also an electric hot water heater installed, so a quick change of the element will be in order. I've also found 12vdc power supplies for the PC. (not the 110vac to 12vdc, these are designed to run the PC in the car, without the wasted conversions)

All in all a really productive winter, even if I didn't have time to keep up with the blogs and websites. But I'd also like to report on actual events, instead of just airing plans that will go nowhere.
Keep the Sun shining, or the wind blowing... ;D

2007-01-30T23:07:00.000-05:00

Crazy months... Anyhow, registered about 8-8.5 hours usable sun for December 19-22, so project is still feasible. I'm currently purchasing the house next to me, which has more accessible roof surface for PV cells, and a nice pole already in the ground for the VAWT. Since the oil furnace is already shot, I'll work on replacing that system this summer. I figure that with about 100 gallons of hot water heater capacity at 12 or 24 volt per unit, and the existing pump and baseboards / radiators, the house should stay reasonably comfortable. I'll have to work up a design this spring, aftre I make all the measurements. At least there is an income now, so plans can move ahead.

2006-12-05T05:34:00.000-05:00

I'm showing about 9 hours of solar power from the test rig, still wish I could track the wattage genertaed, but that will have to wait. There are some definite disadvantages to being broke, mostly in how long the wish list is getting. (general gripe) Things should be turning around soon, though. Stay tuned.

2006-11-23T22:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving folks.

Time to start paying attention to that watch again. It's getting to be that short time of year again. I'll look up the numbers and track the time that this location will generate. I figure that even if I need to adjust the angle of panels on that back roof, I'll still be OK. I'd love to have a 360 degree field for an active array, but I'll take the best that I can get. So far, it still looks like that tree is in the perfect spot. I may relocate it during the spring, I'm still undecided. I'll figure it out then. I'll post the times on the site.

2006-11-14T00:37:00.000-05:00

Found an interesting chart on water usage. It looks good for quick amounts on common usage items. http://www.wssc.dst.md.us/service/waterusagechart.cfm Over the summer I installed a bucket system that holds approximately 4 gallons. By turning on the hot water and filling the bucket up about 3/4 full, I'm able to get a decent shower with lower water usage. I still need to get better pressure from it, so I'm looking into that aspect, but if I sit in the tub, the pressure is just fine.

I'm still in need of parts for the VAWT, should be able to scam, er, locate the parts soon. Mostly I'm in need of sheet aluminum for the blades. There's a few people I know putting up some siding, so mayhap I can swipe, er, negotiate about 6 linear feet. I'll see...

2006-11-05T23:59:00.000-05:00

North facing home. 5 winters with ice and snow in front. I wonder if I can put a big reflector/concentrator in front of my place so that I can melt the ice on nice, sunny days. I'll have to do some reseacrh on it, already found The Solar Death Ray site. I'll need to do some calcs, find some mirrors, build the thing, and then make sure I don't fry anybody in the process. Problems I can see so far: Need to build large enough to be effective, small enough to be practical. Power needs to be concentrated enought to heat snow and ice to above 45(?) degrees. (Somewhat higher than freezing, will ensure that water doesn't refreeze before runoff/evaporation. Runoff, Hmmm. Gotta make sure I don't melt snow and form ice downhill. Somebody might get hurt. Possibility of 'softening' the snow to make shoveling easier (only if only alternative). Lemme look into it. I'll post here an on pasolarhome.com

2006-11-02T01:31:00.000-05:00

Set up the post for the VAWT today, will need to make a flange to attach the generator / turbine assembly to. But at least I won't be fighting frozen ground to bury post. Still, I only dug down about 2 foot, so I may need to create a cement base for it. I'll have to see how firm it stands. I'm hoping to have it operational by December. Just a whole lot of stuff for me to do in the meantime.

The house is pretty well sealed up for the winter, just need to get a few more wood strips to hold the window plastic down with. Mostly for the attic.I' thinking of redoing the back window, as I haven't pulled that plastic down in 3 years, and I see some loose areas. And it's pieced together as well. I got the plastic, might as well do it tomorrow. I'm still showing 5/8ths tank of oil, so I'm OK there. Should last until mid December, if it stays sorta mild.

Shine on...

2006-11-01T01:14:00.000-05:00

Things are a bit more colmed down lately, and can get back to a few things I've been neglecting. I just found out that the nice old lady who owned the house behind me has died last month, so I can possibly look forward to new neighbors soon. :-( Anyhow, this also opens the door to any of the yard mods I've been contemplating. Like the tree that's dead center. (chainsaw, anyone?) Naaaahhhh, I just removed the clothes line, so Tree-san has an extened life span. (japanese maple)
I've marked the spot for the VAWT pole, and will commence digging in the next few days, once I figure out exactly what size I'm going to make the blades. That will tell me how big the diameter will be, which will determine placement. Just need to not hit the sewer line... What with the few repairs that I've been making to other peoples PC's lately, I should be able to get the first battery next week. That gives me the rest of the whole system, as I already have 2 PV trickle chargers and the charge controller, and enough wire to do the job. yippee. Granted, having some cash would have made things a whole lot faster. But I digress. From what I've seen lately, the turbines at Mahanoy City are coming along quite rapidly. I can't wait to see them start up. I'm going to try to get a tour at some point...

anyhow, time for me to dream on... zzzzzzzzzzzzz

2006-10-23T23:44:00.000-04:00

Been reeeaaallly busy on the main site lately, haven't had too much time for running other experiments. Still looking for some aluminum flashing to make better VAWT blades. Also picked up another 12v generator. Now with winter here I definitely need to do some more sealing and insulating. I've noticed where the wind blows through in the bedroom. Gotta get some Great Stuff to seal it up. I also have to be careful not to seal *too* completely, as I do want some air to come in. I just don't need it ruffling my hair as it does. I'm also waitning to see if some financing is going to come through soon, that will make things a whole lot easier. Or not, depending. I really want to get enough of a system in place so that I can add a hot water heater running off renewable electric. I can have it set inline with the furnace to help cut back on oil consumption. But that takes cash. So I wait.

anyhow, it's late, brain is fried, need sleep.

Shine on!
Mark

2006-10-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

Wind picked up on Thursday, tore the turbine. *BUT* got some good voltage out of it before I pulled it in. I didn't want it flying through the neighborhood and breaking something, or littering. Since the design works well enough, I can start looking for some Aluminum siding or flashing to make the blades bigger. I'll work this one backwards, and design the circumfrence to match the width of the finished blade, since there will be a limit to the width of the flashing or siding.
I still want to get pics of all this at some point.

Oh, well...

2006-10-09T22:30:00.000-04:00

Put up the 3 bladed Lentz VAWT today, mounted it on the old bike hub and printer motor assembly I've had out there for the last year. Had to move the assembly down to the next upright on the bannister to clear the house. Put it up, and the wind died. :-P
will see how long this blade assembly lasts, as it's really just hot glued together. Still trying to find the NdFeB magnets to make a better alternator/generator hub. Seems that I can get all the magnets I need real cheap, unless they're big enough to do something with. I may try to use a more magnets/ thinner wire combo, with multiple discs to get decent voltage. I'll be looking into it.

I've also got my hands on some titanium dioxide powder for the homemade solar cells. I'm still looking for a cheap way to get the conductive glass. Backside of a mirror perhaps? There is a silver spray paint hat is used for mirrors, I've found, but they wants lots of money for it. Still cheaper than a commercial PV panel, but too much for my nonexistent budget. Still looking...

2006-10-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

VAWT Lenz type blade assembly completed, but I slipped in the measurements and it's too close to the house, so have to reposition the generator assembly. Should be up soon, I'm going to get pics of all this soon.

2006-09-26T23:45:00.000-04:00

VAWT Blade design

Found a good scalable design for a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine, will be posting pics on the site. Built the first blade, used an old Venitian blind , some dowels, plastic, and hot glue. Will have turbine operational by weekend.

Just as a footnote, saw the first turbine in Mahanoy City completed today, that thing is a monster! stands well over 300 foot, saw it from a few mountains over. Will keep ya posted.

2006-09-20T22:58:00.000-04:00

Under the weather.

I've been under the weather a bit lately, and have not been as active as I should have been. However, I'm looking into hydrogen fuel cells, and how to make them at home. Seems a closed system with a PV source for water electrolysis will create a closed loop system. I'm still looking into it, so stay tuned...

2006-09-15T23:04:00.000-04:00

Preparing for Winter, Part 2

One of the nice things about an old house is that you really don't have to look far to find a project. When I first moved in I bought a roll or two of spackle tape, the heavy paper kind with the fold down the middle. Didn't have to use much for the spackle, but it has come in handy for insulation purposes. I removed the trim from between the main and screen doors, slipped a folded piece of the paper tape behind it, then put them back up with enough room to slip some weather stripping in. I used the self adhesive foam type, 1/4" x 3/16" x 17', which is enough to do one door with.

From an old garage I helped clean out I have several more windows in frames. Eight of these will fit nicely on the 4 windows on the second floor, but I will have to make a wood frame for them. They will each fit without having to remove the aluminum frame from them, so they will be safer and easier to handle.

I had previously commented on the kitchen work that I did, and I can say that so far, the kitchen is holding nicely at about 70 degrees. I do not as yet have the heat on, but I am keeping water hot in the furnace (the home's hot water heater). There is a 'stack' on the furnace exhaust pipe, which blows air over the heated interior of the stack, which helps to heat the house.

I have a little over 1/2 tank of oil, let's say about 140-150 gallons (235 gallon capacity). Last season I went through 2 full tanks, and topped off this one in March, adding another 20 gallons in May. This will last until mid November, possibly December if the winter starts mild.

So much to do, so little cash...

2006-09-13T22:56:00.000-04:00

I've started with the window wrapping, found some old windows, pulled the glass out and built tight frames for them to go in front of my windows making them double paned.
I set it up so that they can be removed individually for nice days, and I won't have to keep using double sided tape and plastic. So far only the kitchen windows are paned, so I have a ways to go, and may just build frames for plastic wrap for the others.

I definitely have to replace the basement floor all the way to dirt and I think I'll replace with concrete and subfloor heating when I do. I should be able to have a hot water heater running off hybrid power to supply both water and pump power, so it should be pretty cheap to run. But that's at least a year away, maybe more.

2006-09-10T21:51:00.000-04:00

Gratzel Cells

Seems that there is a way to make homemade photovoltaics using a bit of tin oxide, titanium dioxide, berry juice, iodine, and graphite. Sandwich all that between two peices of glass, add wires and a small load, and you're all set... Of course, that's the simple recipe. What's simple is not usually easy. Personally, I'm betting on better juice from VAWTs than PV, But I'm covering as many bases as I can. I even figured that I can use Hydro by directing the rain water through a downsloping pipe, through a turbine, and out, but I don't think the basement downslope from me would like it...

But I'm looking into these Gratzel Cells, I'll report on what I find out, and see what can happen from there...

Shine on...

2006-09-08T17:02:00.000-04:00

Got the first solar nightlight going, set it up this afternoon, probably too late to charge the battery, but it's a start.

I was also doing some research into solar and wind, have started finding info on how to make your own solar panels, using a silk screen method... HMMM, did I mention I screen Tee shirts?? Screen Panels? what chemicals do I need?? I'll letcha know... and how it works...

As for the wind... I've identified the bushes that are gonna take a transplant... I hate to do it to a plant, as I have killed any plant that came my way, I'm unable to even grow Zucchini... However, I need to make the room...

Gotta run now, Stay Tuned...

2006-09-06T23:45:00.000-04:00

Life jumped me a bit.

Had to take care of some nagging points the last few days, namely laundry, pets, house, friends, family, and food. But I have been researching various VAWTs, namely the Savonious and Darrious models, and found a pretty good compromise in a small lift type, about 4' tall by 3' around. Designer says it will generate from an alternator at 6-9 mph winds, which is fairly low. I have 2 locations, er, 3 locations that I can put one in, so I'm busy scrounging parts this week. I need to figure how to bend some aluminum, or tin, into an airfoil. Then I'll have to scrounge the alternators. (Alternators will generate at slower speeds.) I'll also want some sort of auto braking system, incase of severe winds, and it will have to be automatic. This is gonna take some time.

It'll be fun, though...

2006-09-02T23:29:00.000-04:00

Rain Rain...

Keep it up... We can use it, and at least we don't have to shovel it yet... Been working on a few PCs lately, gotta get up the cash for the improvements... long days, busy, see the Time blog on http://462df.com ... I'll have time to do more research this week, and I want ot design a nice vertical mill that will be able to regulate it's speed, since Ernesto came through today...

for now...

2006-08-29T23:32:00.000-04:00

Rain Rain, we need it.

Can't fault the rain. I did some checking into whether I could add some hydro power to the setup, and the best I can come up with is "maybe". The only way I can see that would be feasible is to runn piping along the side of the house, with some kind of small water wheel. Seems like a natural kid magnet, the type that I'd be fixing all the time. Doesn't seem like it would add enough to the power scheme. I'll think about it. Besides, when I'ts raining, it seems that the wind is blowing...

Mentioned this to some one I know, they're really interested in how to power a home via hybrid power. I think this has potential...

I think tomorrow (wednesday) I'll pick up a battery at Walmart.com. See If I can get this whole thing started...

2006-08-26T23:54:00.000-04:00

Preparing for Winter, Part 1

It looks like I'm going to have to do the same thing again this year, which is to put plastic up on all the windows. Since this is an old house, ALL the windows really need replacement. And since I can't afford to replace them, well, anything that keeps a dead air space is a good thing. I've been looking at the online Rollback Savings at Walmart.com, specifically for the window shrink wrap kits and weather stripping, and I'm not finding them. I do know that I can get them at the store, so I'm not going to sweat it... Anyhow, these kits use double sided tape to attach a plastic "pane" to the frame, then use a blowdryer to shrink and tighten the plastic. I've been using either these, or a heavier gauge plastic someone gave my on my windows for years. It does keep the wind from whistling through the house, thereby saving heating costs.

Another project that is happening now is the floor in front of my 2 basement doors. Seems that over the years the boards have softened,and in the one case, appear to be termite chewed (the house was treated before I bought it, I insisted). I may not be able to apply as much insulation as I may wish under the floors, but I can put something under there... The kitchen has always been a bit cold in winter. I'd *really* like to run subfloor heating in there, but that may be next years project, or the year after...

It seems that there is a lot more to the whole conversion than I first thought...
But it all comes down to efficiency, and making the most out of the least...

2006-08-25T13:27:00.000-04:00

Midday Readings

The little cap is showing 2.4v at 50ma on this overcast and drizzly day. Works for me.

2006-08-24T00:22:00.000-04:00

THREE DAYS?!?!

WOW, I didn't think it was that long. Man, I been busy. Created some new graphics for the home specs page, built box so I can put trickle chargers on roof (they were meant for the dashboard, and are not weatherproof). Ripped up a small section of floor by kitchen door to replace, and have a minor job to do tomorrow. YIKES! and have 3 PCs to fix. Part of the other thing I do, mze.462df.com

So, maybe by the weekend I can have the panels in place, and the BB 12v going for some small applications. With any luck, this garage cleanout that I'm involved in will yield a bit of wood that I can make some kind of Vertical Mill out of. More on that later, complete with plans and drawings.

I've gotta look up how an alternator works... ;D

2006-08-20T22:05:00.000-04:00

Cloudy Day stats

Anybody got a day stretcher out there? *WAY* too much to do, *WAY* too little time to get it all done. I still need to be in 3 or 4 places at once, and never seem to get even close to getting caught up. God, I love it!!!

Any how, it was a cloudy day today, so I recorded 22-25 DCMA on 3.3VDC from the garden cap. Not bad. It looks like some cash may be coming in soon, so I can start really looking for the PV panels, batteries, inverters, charge controllers, generators(auto or truck (or alternators??)), vertical mill designs, and miscellaneous hardware to implement this whole shebang. I'm already looking at some suppliers, and with a new Home Depot opening in St. Clair, I'll have selection from Lowes products.

Gotta run quick tonight, lots to do, short time to do it, and gotta be up before the sun later.

2006-08-20T00:08:00.000-04:00

Project 2

This will be a more pracical test, as I intend to replace 2each 4watt night lights with the high intensity LEDs from the set I have equivalent to these Malibu 4-Piece Accent Lighting Solar Tier Light.

I have 2 options for this, I can either install more of the caps on the porch roof to charge the "AA" NiMHs, or I can use the ICP Global Batterysaver PhotoVoltaic Panels that I purchased from Walmart last year. I think I'm going to try the LEDs first, as it is a simpler system to set up for now. Although, the use of the LEDs with the BB 12v 7Ah battery is a pretty viable alternative, as well.

One of the lights is always on, in my basement/utility room, and it's dark with out it. Normally that would be no problem, but it is on the way to my kitchen, so I like to see what I'm barking my shin on when I get the late night snacks. BTW, this costs about $5.00 per year to operate. The other light is in the back bedroom, and is photo cell controlled, so it's only on when it's dark, for a cost of about $2.00 - $2.50 per year. Admittedly not much of a savings, but a start.

See the plans, and useful products at pasolarhome.com

2006-08-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

Nice times, need clouds, rain.

While getting lots of sunshine is a good thing for a solar power system, I'd like to see a few days with either more clouds, or rain. While still not a reliable or directly cross referencible experiment, I would get a good practical idea of how much juice is generated by the same photovoltaic cells in inclement weather. As I'm currently using Westinghouse Solarlights Landscape type PV caps, without the charging unit or battery ("AA"), they seem fairly responsive to all light. The watch is still ticking even after the cap is in shadow. I'll have to remember to check the current output.

I'm working on the water heater design as well.

I'm also looking into mechants who would have the requisite items in stock at reasonable prices, as they'll get both my business and my recommendation.

So much to do, so little time and money...

2006-08-15T22:27:00.000-04:00

PC Power.

I have a question out to an EE friend about powering the PC direct from a 12v supply, as opposed to running 12vDC, inverting to 110vAC, and then plugging in PC, which internally uses 12vDC and 5vDC. We'll see how hard that can be.

Meanwhile, looks like I've gotta spend some cash on the Phone and Electric bills, so I may have to hold the plans for the thermosyphon. However, I'm gonna scrounge around over here and see what I can find to build a smaller one than needed, just to prove out the theory.

Long day, gotta crash...

2006-08-14T22:50:00.000-04:00

Solar Water Heater (1)

Maybe a solar water heater isn't such a bad idea after all, as I'm doing the research into it. The idea at this point is for a 3 season system, thermosyphon, closed w/ antifreeze. The primary use of this would be for a warmer shower in the spring, summer and fall. I currently shut the hot water making furnace off during much of the summer, turning it on 2-4 times a week for 1 cycle to heat 1 tank of water.

OK, lemme 'splain... I'm a single guy with 2 cats, I can eat off paper plates from the microwave, laundry is twice a month, and I don't mind the occasional cold shower (yea, right... but I do it anyway ;D )

That said, I can rig a system off part of the porch roof to heat 5-10 gallons of water, more than adequate for a shower, and I can nuke water for dishes. (i'm a camper, can do a lot with minmal hot water) This would eliminate the need for the furnace all summer, and most of the spring and fall, or at least good portions.

By rigging an electric water heater with the appropriate heating elements into the baseboard heat (powered by battery and wind /solar), I may be able to get oil usage down to under 2 tanks a year, from 3-4. A savings of $750- 1500 a year. (250 gallons by $3.00/gallon).

I'll look into it, and post.

PS, the watch definitely needs a kick start...

2006-08-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

WOW, number 1? or 4?
anyhow, got a great 12 hrs 45 mins today, but raises the question of quality. I think I'll start slipping resistors into the circuit just to see how much quality I'm getting. The quantity is there, and after finding USNO site, now I can map out the sun angles. Posted a few pics to the website.

We'll see what happens tomorrow, I see clouds in the forcast, possible rain at night. Enough for tonite.

2006-08-13T00:07:00.002-04:00

Still Slight Problem With Watch.

Recorded 9 hrs 45 mins, Watch still needed 'kick' to gtet it going. Started after I put the volt meter on it. Oh, well... It may be a moot point unless I can figure how to track actual voltages, but having it in a bright spot for that long is a good thing.

I'm also starting to find some of the really good solar sites that are out there, and can get the eBay feed onto the pasolarhome.com site. Real time tracking of solar panels and inverters for now, makes it easier to find them later.

Search for Power at InterstateBatteries.

I'll find 300 - 600 Ah SLA batteries here. If I got with regular 12v car batteries,
or even marine, I can get them anywhere. And replacement will be easier, too.

Long day, *my* batteries are drained.

2006-08-11T23:42:00.000-04:00

Juice, Finally.

Got the watch going at 9:30am, had a bad solder joint on the positive lead, and I moved the cap closer to the edge of the roof. Had 9 hours and 50 minutes of generating time. Not bad for the late start. The next few days should show more accurately.

I'm going to start the research on adding an electric water heater to the basboard system. Currently, I get my hot water from the furnace, so I have to burn oil to stay warm. By throwing a water heater into the loop, I'll be able to preheat, if not go around the furnace. I'll have to figure the valves and plumbing, but it shouldn't be too hard.

This will keep me from frrrreezing should the oil run out. Once I figure the heater capacity I'll need, then I can calc the amount of battery power for 2 days running time. Why 2 days and not longer? I'm going to add wind generating to it. I found some interesting designs for bladed mills, and will experiment with that, as well. As I read somewhere, if the sun ain't shining, the wind is usually blowing. And it can blow all night, as well.

I'm really trying to avoid direct water heating, as I mostly need hot water in the winter, and most systems will need antifreeze, closed loops, and heat exchangers to be really efficient, and that is just too much expense for the return.

I'll be getting the chance to read this book on designing the system in the next week or so, so that should give me more input and ideas, see just what I've missed.

Shine on!

2006-08-10T23:32:00.000-04:00

The solar panel appears to need some adjustment. As I checked the setup throughout the day, I noticed it in quite a bit of shadow. Not good for solar! The watch tracked either 12 hours and 3 minutes, or just 3 minutes. Since there was only 1 minute clocked at noon, my guess is 3 minutes.

The weather today was a bit cloudy, so that could account for some of the time, but still, it should have been better. I'll need to adjust the placement of the cap a little further out onto the roof.

Well, this is why I test things out first, instead of just installing the whole package at once.
Friday is calling for sunrise at 6:11, sunset at 8:08 (weather.com), and sunny. That's 13:57 worth of possible sunshine. Which means that there should be a good 7-9 hours for the cap. This is due to the sun swinging past the 240 degree mark, putting the south facing wall into shadow.

And I'll have to remove the satellite dish. It ain't hooked up, so no big loss. In fact, I last turned the TV on around Halloween last year. (have internet, who needs TV?)

The next step will be to figure out what will be needed for the auxilliary water heater.

2006-08-10T09:18:00.000-04:00

weather yesterday was clear, some light clouds. Set up the passive array test cells. I have a back porch roof that faces south, approximately 6' x 15', so I set a small garden light cell top on it with caulk, and ran the wires to an analog wristwatch. When enough light hits the cells, I'll have a good record of how much time those cells had to make juice. With approx 14 hours of sunlight this day, it should be pretty good. I had about 7 1/2 hours yesterday, but set it up late, so it wasn't the full day.

I'll post the results, naturally.

Meanwhile, the pasolarhome.com site is taking shape, should get to the rest of the main pages today and tomorrow.

Enjoy!

2006-08-09T10:15:00.000-04:00

Hello there.
It's nice to be in the sunshine. What with the high cost of fuel oil, I've been looking into converting my house to solar and wind power. I think this will be beneficial, especially as I'm sorta broke, and it will feel pretty good to be able to thumb my nose at 'big oil'.

I'll be using this space to record some progress, but mostly for updates on sun amounts, and how hard the wind has been blowing. Which means I need to get some equipment to measure that. I'll letcha know.

Most of my posts will be at night (the better to report full sunshine amounts), so let's see where this goes...