Search found 1054 matches

by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:39 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: LED home lighting
Replies: 2
Views: 5487

You are correct Greg, the prices have dropped considerably. Given the longevity of LED lighting and the enormous energy savings it would still be more economical in the long run. As LED technology progresses the prices will fall further and there will be more LED home lighting selection in all the s...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:38 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: LED home lighting
Replies: 2
Views: 5487

Troy, the price of LEDs have started to come down since their "discovery" a few years back. In the automotive & truck fields they have been around for 10 years or so and the price has dropped 50% in a lot of cases. There are now cordless LED work lights still a little pricey running $1...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:38 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: LED home lighting
Replies: 2
Views: 5487

LED home lighting

They say by 2010 that LED home lighting will be ready to replace incandescent, halogen and florescent lights as our home lighting system of the future. these lights although very expensive and still in its infancy as a home lighting alternative, last much longer then florescent, are safer than any o...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:37 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Solar heaters under cloud cover
Replies: 2
Views: 5138

As I said in the Hot Air 101 posting, it depends on the month to month sunlight, as Jes says.Since I first made my panels in 1990 I don't think I get as much sunlight. Milder weather north of 50 means cloudy days. My re-fit last fall has caused the collector to run on bright cloudy days and yesterda...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:37 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Solar heaters under cloud cover
Replies: 2
Views: 5138

Hi mattbecca unfortunately unless the sun is out they won't develope much heat. I am in Montana and built 3 of them, the first winter they worked great, the second winter we didn't see much sun so they didn't help much. so I scrapped that idea and moved into other areas to conserve and make power. T...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:36 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Solar heaters under cloud cover
Replies: 2
Views: 5138

Solar heaters under cloud cover

You are correct Greg, the prices have dropped considerably. Given the longevity of LED lighting and the enormous energy savings it would still be more economical in the long run. As LED technology progresses the prices will fall further and there will be more LED home lighting selection in all the s...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:20 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Self Sufficient Home
Replies: 2
Views: 6431

Self Sufficient Home

You've all heard of retired folks selling their homes and buying an RV and spending much of their golden years traveling. I just returned from a trip to the Florida Keys, and down there some folks retire, sell their homes and buy a yaht. And some of those yahts appear to be quite self-sufficient. Ta...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:07 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Thinking Perpetual Motion
Replies: 4
Views: 6360

Hi Mark and Maureen, yes i have been able to keep my power bills at bay, But it takes work and sacrifice, we no longer live the life of luxury. most of the house is dark at night, we bought lower energy tv's and monitors and keep most appiances off the grid as much as possible. Now were faced with h...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:07 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Thinking Perpetual Motion
Replies: 4
Views: 6360

Thinking of geo thermal. . . Do any of you who live along a body of water use geo thermal to cool? I can see throwing a bunch of tubing deep into a lake and letting the lake cool the liquid being pumped thru it. Gotta be cheaper than digging a big ole hole in the earth!

Mark
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:07 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Thinking Perpetual Motion
Replies: 4
Views: 6360

Geothermal would be a good one. Temperature is constant down inside the earth. I know a couple people in the area looking to replace their corn stoves with a geothermal unit. Corn stoves are messy and require constant attention. Once a geothermal heat pump is installed, it's pretty much hassle free....
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:07 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Thinking Perpetual Motion
Replies: 4
Views: 6360

You're only missing one that I can think of... Geothermal energy........ The bottom line is this, all of these natural resources take the little guy, taking control over the big guys out there. This means sacrifices. Most folks aren't willing to do that. It's not real comfy... but it can be done! JE...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:06 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Thinking Perpetual Motion
Replies: 4
Views: 6360

Thinking Perpetual Motion

Hi, One big hinderance in solving the world's energy problems is the lack of time to really 'think.' At least that's my excuse. So while on the road this past Easter, I had a little thinking time. Making a perpetual motion machine means making a machine that runs on its own power. According to scien...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:05 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Wind Power Statistics
Replies: 0
Views: 10113

Wind Power Statistics

I've said several times on this forum that we unfortunately need to pay high fuel prices for another couple years in order for us to develop alternative energy systems and lesson our dependence on oil. Well, it's working. Every week there's articles on alternative energy. Use to be you never heard a...
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:04 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Heat seeks cold
Replies: 5
Views: 8047

To quote a line from a movie, "He's thinking outside the box that the box came in!" But that's how great minds work! Greg
by archive
Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:04 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: Heat seeks cold
Replies: 5
Views: 8047

Hi Bill, thats the same thing i was talking about, i tore mine apart and found a pelter in it a fan and heatsinkss, Now if you put one side of that in cold air and the other side in hot air it will make some electricity, they can be used in to make cold, make heat, or make electricity, unfortunatetl...