Action at A Distance, Good Simple Ideas

I like the U-shape too but would double up the containers so the room sizes were bigger. I'm also big on solar heat in winter and would have the opening of the U facing south for the winter sun light with that the one wall done with double pane glass. That area could easily be made into a green house and heated with one of those small yurt stoves. Over the patio one can put up an arbor or 2" by 2" spaced every 2 inches. If they are screwed in they can be removed for winter light. Lots of possibilities. If it's really cold where you are straw bale insulation is really good. I suppose you could split the bales in half length wise for the roof and just be sure to seal the straw so it stays dry. I have a good plastic that would do the job and then cover with a metal roof.

I also saw this one design where the patio was covered but one corner was done up as an out door stone fire place. Very nice and provides an outdoor room.

For homeowners, the appeal of solar shingles is that they blend, visually, with composite roofing shingles. For homebuilders, the appeal is that they can be installed by a professional roofing contractor, and easily integrated into existing systems, budgets and schedules for new construction. Dow Solar, a division of Dow Chemical Company, is the first really big name to enter the solar shingle market - and it's doing so in a curiously small way. Dow announced it will make its Dow Powerhouse solar shingle systems commercially available exclusively to homeowners in Colorado.

The shingles are being sold as part of a three-part solar roofing system, which includes an array of shingles, an inverter and an energy monitoring system. Homebuilder D.R. Horton will kick off the launch by installing 3-kilowatt solar shingle roofs on 50 new homes in its Spring Mesa community near Denver.

Very kewl to see in this day and age.

They do not say what technology they are using tho...The pics look like old school silicon.

I've read there is flexible film emerging, solar ink and you can print your own solar cells.

And then there's this:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/artificial-leaf-0930.html

Like these guys:



Hey Guys! Look! A Picture! Hugs and kisses to Carol, who posted pics in my previous posts (on my behalf), due to my gimped out newbie status.



Notice the word "Community" appears frequently:

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/massive-art-nouveau-inspired-mural-in-montreal

Direct Pic: http://api.ning.com/files/sCW-f0DLKzAJtJuJGYKpKAQbMKGMSlyMP2tumVNXaajsnXgu5Zt1zOH8gBoWSTK2fa8xzedkDgwKuIdQdbhbod0KO6Kn60wd/notredamedegrace00.jpg

It's a Real Gas!

Hydrogen as a matter of fact...

I've got an old Dodge truck that has a 33 gallon tank, if that tells you anything...seriously pondering converting it to woodgas. I've almost got enough hardware laying around to make one...

just need some tanks...

Here is a thing I'll be checking out...


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http://files.meetup.com/1366455/FEMA%20Emergency%20Gassifer.pdf

Our Tax Dollars At Work (tm)


EDIT

Ok apparently this is an emergency only design, as it makes a lot of tar. (which engines do not favor...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas_generator

I'll be doing a lot more research on this, to determine most efficient ways...

Stuck With Hackett (on the Science Channel) did a hack Wood Gas thing that actually worked...

I think the key is to ensure you get Hydrogen, as opposed to colder gasses...

Allright, here's a guy with a heavy reality check on the gassification process. But it seems straight up and reads like an eyes-open approach to this...

Wood Gassification Process

Tells me what I need to know...ain't gonna fool with it 'less I have too...

I think I may look into Alcohol conversion for the 'ol girl...



not my truck, but nearly so...this guy has fixed all his holes...

I love this thread. It just generates so many ideas on simple self-sustaining life style.

Remember the old Warner Brothers cartoon that had the pig under the sink?

This is about the same thing, except you have millions of micro-piggies eating and making methane....



Microbial Kitchen





methane bio-digester

the 'bio-digester' is a kitchen island that includes a chopping surface with waste grinder and gas cooking range.
in the device, 'bio-gas' is produced by developing gas-generating bacteria cultures that live off of organic waste.
the bacterias' gas is collected and burnt, for use in the built-in cooking range and lights or sent through to heat water pipes
and be used in other components of the 'microbial home'.

Is this real or just a prototype?

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/17397/philips-eco-friendly-microbial-home.html

Apparently, this is just a prototype at a Dutch homeshow, like a concept-car at an autoshow...

Pretty neat tho! It uses a central bio-mass for most of the house...

the 'microbial home' by philips design is a concept home design that adopts a systemic approach to domestic activity, connecting machines into a cyclical system of input and output that minimizes waste. as the designers explain, 'we view the home as a biological machine to filter, process, and recycle what we conventionally think of as waste.' from domestic beekeeping ('urban beehive') to gardens that decompose plastic waste (the 'paternoster'), view more information about each of the component prototype devices below.

The 'microbial home' was on exhibition at the piet hein eek gallery during dutch design week 2011 in eindhoven, the netherlands.

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/images/images_2/2011/jenny/0-microbialhome/microbialhome-d03R.jpg
urban beehive - the 'urban beehive' is designed to facilitate domestic beekeeping. installed into an exterior wall, one side of the device offers
an integrated flowerpot below an entry tunnel for the bees. as the creatures fly into the main hive, they find a preexisting
honeycomb structure on which they can build their wax cells. the glass shell permits the entry of orange light, which bees
use for sight, while rendering visible the interior structure and work of the bees.



bio-light - 'bio-lights' use either bioluminescent bacteria, fed with methane and composted material from the 'methane bio-digester',
or fluorescent proteins to generate light for home. the lamp structure is a wall of glass cells suspended in a hung or freestanding
steel frame, filled with biological cells. the low-intensity light generated requires no electricity and might be adapted to urban,
highway, and navigational use in addition to domestic.

filtering squatting toilet - the 'filtering squatting toilet' requires no external energy, saving water by using a special flush mechanism.
the device filters excrement to the 'methane bio-digester' for use as energy.

Research suggests that squatting toilets provide health benefits such as decreased risk of colorectal cancers, in comparison to sitting toilets, and in the philips design, a built-in handrail improves comfort and balance.


world architecture festival winners 2011 http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/17430/world-architecture-festival-winners-2011.html

Very Groovy! Nice to see you contributing Floyd.

I like this, in that it is done simply enough for just about anyone to try it.

Threecaster wrote:Very Groovy! Nice to see you contributing Floyd.

I like this, in that it is done simply enough for just about anyone to try it.

You can actually buy these set ups pre made if you cant make them yourself. Im still weighing up my optionsas im not very good at that sort of thing but it cant be too difficult.

They used them (a team of cyclists) to power up a back up power generator at a Glastonbury concert a while back when the main one failed.

Theoretically, you could have a couple of these charging up power for rechargeable power supply units, throw in a couple of cheap foldable solar panels and or a small wind turbine and you could have a significant amount of off grid power.

Its also good exercise!

Seems like I caught a blurb of that cyclist thing a while back...I thought it was great!

Really, the secret to this sort of thing is having good connections. Stickytape and twisting the wires together won't get you much.

And good, firm, fittings will ensure all those electrons will have a clean path through the circuit.

And make sure the direction you are turning the motor/gen is giving you the correct polarity, in how you are hooked to the battery.
(I think that's how it works, I'd have to run a bench test, or consult my texts to tell you exactly... )

I've read mixed reviews of the efficiency of wind power. If you have a good elevation, and a large blade, I think you can make out allright. Smaller fixtures may be good for smaller wattages.

But here's one I think is intresting:



http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/solar-wind/4224763

Windbelt, Cheap Generator Alternative

Here is an interesting one on organic wind power



Juvenile I know but still very funny.

One day we'll all have object printers, just like paper ones today...

Like This:

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/now-you-can-do-3-d-printing-out-of-sawdust.html

Libraries Make Room For High-Tech 'Hackerspaces'

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/08/143401182/libraries-make-room-for-high-tech-hackerspaces

OK....this takes the cake...This is the best Idea I've seen in a very long time, and could save lives in an emergency area...


http://dornob.com/global-cooling-solar-powered-ultra-portable-mini-fridge/