Transition Whatcom

Information

Alternative Energy

Our group is working on small inexpensive residential energy generation devices that can be built locally.

Location: Bellingham
Members: 38
Latest Activity: Nov 13, 2013

Discussion Forum

Sustainable Alternative Energy

Started by Behrouz Aug 24, 2011. 0 Replies

I am a new member.  It is nice to see an interest group in this area, after all energy is what runs the world and fossil fuels have proven to be a dead-end especially in their mega-industrial usage…Continue

Wanting to build a Bicycle Generator

Started by Travis Linds. Last reply by Laura J Sellens Jan 10, 2011. 4 Replies

I am wanting to build a bicycle powered generator. Anyone interested in helping me? I have an old, small gas powered generator with a blown engine, I was going to try to use that as the generator.…Continue

Small scale biogas digesters built with local material by local people.

Started by Travis Linds. Last reply by Travis Linds Apr 15, 2010. 14 Replies

I'd like to include discussions regarding biogas generation in this group, if no one objects.Brian from Inspiration Farms and I have discussed and plan on building a small scale biogas digester this…Continue

Classes for Renewable Energy

Started by Shannon Maris Nov 30, 2009. 0 Replies

Hi there...I co-ordinate the Bellingham Chapter of Solar WA which educates the public on renewable energy options.See the list of classes below on renewable energy that are excellent. If you are just…Continue

Comment Wall

Comment

You need to be a member of Alternative Energy to add comments!

Comment by Heather K on November 7, 2009 at 1:26pm
I love the beauty & the efficiency of the bicycle!
Bicycle-Powered Tools & Equipment is a growing interest of mine.
The first one I saw was used at a smoothie stand on Maui in a remote electric-grid-free zone.

Although this winter & spring, life is full, I am networking with other folks who will meet in the late spring or earlier to create a few bicycle-powered tools & use them at community gatherings & events & schools.

I would like to be included in any hands-on tool building that Janet or the others here initiate, to increase the resiliance of our families & our neighbors and for healing the earth. (ie,sustainable power with bicycle, wind, micro-hydro, solar, wave/tidel, padel, sail, rain, etc).

My ning page & facebook page has more info on my background, my skills, my offerings.....And I have so much more to say!
Comment by David Culver on November 7, 2009 at 8:29am
One of these days I will be through working on the house and I will have a lot of time to explore alternative energy, service, music, fishing, etc. I have a salvaged exercise cycle that is destined to be a generator stand for whatever device we decide is best.
I acknowledge that my heating system is constrained by the electric grid being up and running and my hope is to employ other alternatives to take up the slack in case or should I say when the grid fails. I would really like to help out on your wind generator idea. The county is now allowing generators to be placed on our property with some regulations of course, but the idea of having a wind generator is becomming more of a reality. Please keep me in mind if you need some help. Thanks.
Comment by David Culver on November 7, 2009 at 8:15am
Janet: I'm interested in learning more about your wind generator idea also. How can I learn more about it? Does "Your group" meet to discuss and work on it?
Thanks, David
Comment by Travis Linds on November 6, 2009 at 10:22pm
sounds very interesting. I am also a mechanical engineer. How do i get involved?
Comment by Janet Senour on November 6, 2009 at 9:34am
Travis: My group is working on a wind generator, which could function as a replacement for a gas powered generator. We want to produce it with completely recycled products and built locally. Also, there are a great many solar products already on the market, so we are pursuing a new generation of wind generators that are small and safe; most of the current wind generators are dangerous due to the large, heavy propellors, and do not work well, if at all, in low velocity winds.
Comment by Janet Senour on November 6, 2009 at 9:15am
David: I have 13 years experience as a mechanical engineer in HVAC and plumbing design. We never got anyone to use geothermal for heating because of the upfront cost. It is less expensive to run, although you still need electricity to run pumps and probably some type of supplemental heat. I think it is wonderful that you took the leap and went with geothermal.
Comment by Ro Donelson on November 4, 2009 at 11:26am
Thanks for starting this group. I have little hands on experience, but quite a bit of "book" knowledge, and a keen interest in solar, and other forms of alternative energy. Travis, I'm intrigued with your generator idea... David, I'd love to talk more with you about the green house, food dryer, perhaps a solar oven...
Comment by David Culver on November 4, 2009 at 9:48am
We call our project "La Casa del Sol". We have been working on it for about three years.
Cheers.
Comment by David Culver on November 4, 2009 at 9:32am
Hi Janet,
I am building a solar home and planning other solar projects. At present I am planning for a greenhouse to extend the growing season for our vegetables, a solar food dryer for preserving food, and a solar hot water heating panel system to heat our domestic hot water.

For the heating system for the house and our shop room we went with a ground source heat pump. They are sometimes called a geothermal heat pump. We wanted to stay away from using fossil fuels and even though it is more expensive to buy up front, the system is the most efficient to run and is working very well. We don't have it hooked up to the house yet, but it is working in the shop room (Our current living space) and it works really well.

When the wall thermostat (in the shop room) calls for heat, a small pump turns on circulating warm water from a holding tank through tubing in the shop room's slab floor. When the temperature of the water in the holding tank gets down to 90 degrees, the electric heat pump comes on and boosts the temperature of the holding tank water back up to 120 degrees.

The heat comes from buried piping in the ground, where a small pump circulates water through 2400 lineal feet of tubing and back to the heat pump. In the coldest part of winter the temperature of the earth 5' down is 50 degrees. So the water comes back to the heat pump at 50 degrees. That temperature is enough to change the refrigerant in the heat pump from a liquid to a gas and after going through a compressor the 50 degree gas is now 160 degrees, just from being compressed. The extra heat produced (160 produced by the heat pump vs. 120 needed in the holding tank) is put into our domestic hot water tank, which is a different tank from the holding tank.
The system works very well and we are looking forward to getting it connected to the house floor, which has 6000 lineal feet of tubing in its slab.

I would love to discuss this with anyone who wants to see pictures of the construction and talk about it or any other solar ideas.
We are surely blessed to have the power of the sun to work with and to harness what we can for our solar projects.
Peace to you all. David
Comment by Travis Linds on November 2, 2009 at 8:48pm
Does small scale energy generation include generators? I am planning on purchasing a diesel generator that I would convert to run on 100% waste vegetable oil. I am very curious what type of generating devices can be made from 100% recycled materials.
 

Members (37)

 
 
 

© 2024   Created by David MacLeod.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service