August 2008 Archives

This article is meant to address Solar and Wind Power for the Financially Challenged.

Renewable energy has the potential to last as long as the sun shines. (Since wind is generated by thermal differentials caused by the sun, it can be thought of as byproduct of solar power.) What can you do to harness these free energy sources without breaking your budget? Here are several affordable suggestions.

1. Use a clothesline. Yes, you've read it elsewhere. You could go to the effort of installing solar panels to run your clothes dryer, or you can let the sun and wind dry your clothes directly and save money and energy.
   
2. Get a solar cooker (cheap) or solar food dryer (as cheap as a clean screen from a door), if your local weather permits it.
3. You may or may not be able to install a wind mill on your property. However, you may be able to increase the natural air flow around your air conditioner or heat pump. The temperature difference between air conditioner/heat pump and the outside air immediately determines its efficiency. If the air conditioner/heat pump is kept in the shade, this will help it cool your home in the summer since the air it takes in is cooler and thus not as much power is needed to "condition" it to make it even cooler. It should be noted however that a lack of air flow around the pump, such as natural air convection blocked by those shade trees and bushes, can trap the waste heat in the air right around the air conditioner. Removing blockages to air flow to keep the air conditioner / heat pump from living in its own heat bubble in the summer can reduce the electric demand of that equipment by over 30%. All of that saved electricity saves money, and all it takes is letting the wind blow on by.
4. Install removable solar screens. In the winter, take them down to allow the maximum of natural sunlight (free solar heating) into your home. In the summer, put them back up.
5. The greatest advantage of these tips is that you don't have to invest in a solar panel or wind turbine (though still a good idea) to enjoy the energy and financial savings. If you do want to use this option there is no better time to buy. Wind power has become much more affordable than solar electric but it does depend on your living situation and zoning restrictions.

Kent received his first royalty check from the drilling nearby. Here was a cash infusion, several thousand dollars. A big screen TV, shopping spree at Home Depot, and many other thoughts crossed his mind. What are we doing? Taking the royalties from non-renewable energy and using it to fund a renewable energy project.

The money was used to buy a Southwest Windpower turbine. My father has the AirX model. Retail, $400-600. Ever thrifty, he bought one used. Technical details on the wind power generator can be found here.

Features of our wind turbine include:

• Carbon Fiber Composite Blades
• Aircraft quality aluminum alloy castings
• Exclusive Brush-less neodymium cubic curve alternator
• Sophisticated internal battery charge regulator
• Maintenance-free - Only two moving parts
• Exclusive Auto-brake-feature that slows the AIR to a silent spin when the batteries are charged thus extending bearing life and reducing noise.
• High Wind Safe Mode - Automatically slows turbine in potentially damaging winds and reduces noise.
• Quiet Operation.

Specifications include:

• Rotor Diameter: 46" (1.14 meters)
• Weight: 13 lbs (6kg)
• Start up wind speed: 7mph (3 m/s)
• Voltage: 12 & 24 VDC max
• Output: 400 watts at 28mph (12.5 m/s)

Below is a stock picture of our Air X Turbine. Unfortunately, even though we now have the turbine it can't put out power sitting on the floor of the garage. We're in the process of getting blades suitable for the site, and a tower to hold it all.

The Barnett Shale formation is a natural gas formation under much of north Texas. With new "fracturing" techniques, it is now possible to extract natural gas from this formation which has been under the feet of Texans for over a century. Now, we have the technology to get it. Better yet, people who saw the oil boom pass them by decades ago are now dusting off their mineral rights paperwork so they can cash in on the new natural gas boom. Mineral rights range from $500 to $50,000 an acre. The value depends on how much gas is under your property, whether you let them drill there, whether you let them build pipes through your property, and other infrastructure variables (proximity to an existing pipe).

As two engineers, Kent Britain (aka "Dad") and I had discussed self-sufficiency all of my life. His home was built with extra insulation, low wattage lights and many other energy saving measures long before it was a high priority for others. Dad owns over an acre over the Barnett Shale. His decision? To take the Barnett Shale windfall and use the money to fund a wind power project instead.

Wind Power has certainly been around for a long time. It is quite possibly one of the earliest forms of clean tech ever developed. Not only is it carbon neutral, it takes far less engineering and processing to create which means it's probably one of the purest forms of energy man can get.

While dams can harm ecosystems and displace people (as we have seen in China recently), solar is cost prohibitive and inefficient as well as toxic to produce in many cases, and nuclear has the potential to create widespread disasters, wind is relatively safe (unless you're a bird). Even birds are safe with the latest and greatest wind turbines. Stay tuned as we explore this great technology in detail and keep you updated with regular updates on wind companies, their products, new research and findings, and everything else wind powered.