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Sept. 11, 2001

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Home Energy Information

You may also reach this page by entering www.homepower.net or www.homeenergy.info

  


      Welcome to Backwoods Home Magazine’s Home Energy Information page. We hope this page with its accompanying articles will help you answer some of your questions about a home energy installation, especially about an alternative energy installation such as with solar, wind, hydro, or generator. Jeff Yago, BHM’s Energy Editor, is available on this page to answer your questions. Yago is a licensed professional engineer and certified energy manager and has written many articles for BHM. He is author of “Achieving Energy Independence—One Step At A Time,” which is available for sale in our bookstore.

From the Current Issue

Energy class—Part 1
      By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM

I receive many calls and website questions regarding energy, and most of these questions relate to a misunderstanding of how energy actually works. This is one subject most people were never taught in school, yet we are inundated every day with energy-related ads, products, and government-mandated energy regulations that affect these decisions. Although most people do not consciously think about it, energy is one of the most expensive items in their monthly budget. Energy is...

Website Exclusive

A small creek provides plenty of power for this off-grid home
      By Scott Gentleman
Hydro Powered Home
For eight years, Tracey and I lived in a solar powered home and for eight cloudy winters, we ran a small Honda generator every week to recharge our batteries. We understood that the original owner of our home had operated a small hydro system from the property's year round creek but we never investigated this option because the creek ran through dense forest. Besides, we could just tell there wasn't sufficient drop over its course.

We finally decided to use Backwoods Solar's Site Level just to confirm hydro didn't make sense. Much to our surprise, our traverse through the woods from a potential turbine site to a convenient intake location revealed about 80' of drop. Not possible, we declared, assuming our technique must have failed. To double-check our method, we used the same Site Level to measure the drop from our water cistern to kitchen sink. We knew this drop equaled 56 feet because we had used a transit to measure it when this gravity fed system was installed. The review with the Site Level gave us about 60 feet and confirmed we knew how to use the level.

Voila, hydro potential.



Ask Jeff Yago

      To ask Jeff Yago an energy related question, send it via email to AskJeff@backwoodshome.com. Selected questions will be answered on this page and in the Ask Jeff Yago archive. Sorry, personal replies are not possible.

Please Note - We ask readers to avoid asking detailed questions that require detailed analysis, calculations, component sizing, or wiring details. All suggestions and recommendations provided when answering reader's questions should be considered general in nature, for the benefit of other readers with a similar question.

We do not know your specific site conditions, and any information or reply offered assumes only UL labeled electrical components are being used, and that all wiring is being sized and installed by a licensed electrician according to the latest edition of the National Electric Code (NEC). Backwoods Home Magazine and Jeff Yago assume no liability for the answers we offer to your questions. You are strongly advised to contact a licensed solar contractor or electrician in your area before installing or modifying any electrical equipment or wiring.
 

Biodiesel

Jeff:

I need to get plans to build my own biofuel system. We are starting a greenlife store and we want to offer an alternative fuel for Tennessee. can you find me the plans for such without having to buy their equipment? I have most of the things we would need.

Thank you

James Fisk

James:

Looks like you are not a subscriber. In Issue #101, Sept/Oct 2006 I had a very detailed article on making your own bio-diesel. The article included photos, piping diagram, and internet links to lots of do-it-yourself web sites.

Jeff Yago


Ask Jeff Yago Archives

Page 1 — A tour?, Fuses for 12 volt systems, Convert my car to alternative energy vehicle, Small Gas Turbines, Free energy from a car?, Solar help for those without a clue, Battery question, Old New England Victorian, Woodburing stove, Solar water pump

Page 2 — Sine wave inverters, Small pumps, 4-wheel bike batteries, Solar water power, Dry batteries, Batteries, Charge controllers, Solar panels and batteries, Iron-nickel Batteries, Solar home

Page 3 — Two part question, Battery bank storage, Wet cell, Will this combo work ok?, Hydronic heating cost vs forced air, Solar home insurance, Alternate power for refrigerator, Converting to alternative energy, Passive solar, What about Alaska?

Page 4 — Alternative energy, Snow melting, Summer cooling, Solar power, Solar collectors, Tower for solar panels, Whole house power, Cabin power, Battery bank location, System design

Page 5 — Effect of gusty winds on solar panels, Modular Solar RV build, Water towers, Standby generator, How big of a system do I need?, Locating batteries, Sunroom heat, Battery hook up charger, Question on grid-tied inverters, Cooling question

Page 6 — Yago's Article on Flashlights, Corn burning boiler stove, Battery charging...to cycle or not to cycle?, A starter Solar System, Trailer plugs, Alternative energy insurance, Gravity-fed outdoor solar shower, Home power questions, Grid tie inverters during power failures

Page 7 — Electric automobiles that use no fuel, Deep well pump, Hooking up solar panels, Make lead-acid batteries, Generator amp sizing, Saving energy in an older home, Wood stove to heat water, Running a well surface pump from solar, Charging Batteries, What tells the pump to turn on?

Page 8 — Solar to radiant floor heat, Propane vs Natural Gas, Solar energy to power air conditioner, Hot water on demand from an oil boiler, Cost to run floor fans, Chinese solar panels, Compact fluorescent burnout, Battery discharge during cold times, Solar water pumping, Battery wire

Page 9 — Battery Charging, Corn Stove/steam generator, Inverter location, Radiant floor heat, Generator/ battery charging, Off Grid Systems, Off-grid mortgage lending, Pump on hot water heater, Resale values, Solar Well Information

Page 10 — Solar panel strength, Wood augmented domestic hot water, Solar cabin, Solar battery question, Radiant floor heating system design, Radiant Floor Heating in an RV, Solar Package, Outside wood boiler, Temperature Sensor Location, Heat pump run with solar

Page 11 — Corn Boiler, Homemade wood stove, 12 volt thermoelectric refrigerators, Bicycle-powered electricity generators, Battery Bank For Mobile Lunchwagon's Kitchen, Multi-zone Thermostats, Solar Heat, Radiant Floor Insulation, Well system as double duty ground source cooling, Cookstove question

Page 12 — Corn stoves, Heating a four-season room, Wind generator placement, Solar-powerd bike fridge?, Printable solar panels, Solar or Wind, that is the question, Self-powered corn stove?, Home Cooling without AC, Solar panels for rent, Satellite dish solar collector

Page 13 — 220 to 110, Biodiesel, Calculating House Loads for Batteries, Powering Computers, What did the retreat cost?, Building an off-grid cabin, Dawn to Dusk photo cell, DC generator, Illinois Power, Books about solar electricity?

Page 14 — Charging two different size 12v battery at the same time, Government grants, Pelton Wheel, Two pipe steam system, Solar powered generator, Solar powering a weekend cabin, Stock tank heaters, Solar converted to electric batteries, Invertor/charger ground subpanel wiring, Solar heating and hot water radiators, Getting into the energy conservation field, Solar Powered Attic Fans in Hawaii

Page 15 — Water tank information, Hydro-power question, Water powered electric power generation, Picking a Standby Generator, Heating, How to start getting energy independent, Deep cycle batteries, Off-Grid Refrigerator, 72 volts needed, Wind power

Page 16 — Filters and water heater for eco-lodge, Question about solar street lighting, Outdoor light, Water problem, Dual batteries question, Hybrid autos, Solar powered golf cart, Car alternator, Deep well pump, More modules or change inverter?

Page 17 — Electric vehicles, Solar cooker/oven, Paint for battery box, Lamp post question, I want to use solar energy to power my business, Electric fence, Solar inverter, Large amp-hour batteries, Battery backup power, Generator Shed

Page 18 — Need some ideas on solar energy battery bank, Off road truck campers, Stirling engines, Hydronic wood stove, 7 year old AGM Deep Cycle Batteries, Solar installer certification, Solar light question, Generator question, Solar question, Solar with Computer Center Using Laptops

Page 19 — Low RPM genrator, Solar water well problem, 48 volt battery bank and a 12 volt charger, Solar water heating for campervans, motorhomes and RVs, Utility disconnect, GTIs and Inverters, Double duty for a Honda/Yamaha inverter generator, Bike energy?, Solar collector on a trailer, Starting out the right way

Page 20 — Inverter Source Question, Emergency stove, Well pump advice, Old Solar panels, Pump volume for in-floor heat, Golf cart generator/starter, Alternative Energy Education, Cabin in the woods, Hybrid inverters, Module arrays

Page 21 — Recycling power poles, Simulating a grid on a grid tied system, Steam generator, We want to build a low carbon footprint home, Windpower, RV solar system, Small water boiler, Electric operating costs, Gravity hydronic heat, Solar powered lights

Page 22 — Alternative battery charging, Bio-diesel, Battery for the home?, 12 volt light, Batch solar water heater tanks, Battery question, Building an ice box, Solar battery life, Vent pipe fins, Old solar water heater

Page 23 — Remote cabin water heater, Wood stove/radiant floor heat, RV power to house, Propane generator, Inverter and battery charger question, Solar panel safety concerns, Switching power supply from Inverter?, Alternative energy in new home construction, Flashlight review question, Turning heat into electricity

Page 24 — Pumping water in Brazil, Hybrid System, EPA wood stoves, Solar-run water purification, Off the grid, On demand water heater used for hydronic heating, Diesel alternator, Grants for solar, Wind power, Passive Solar/ Photovoltaic System Home Design Question

Page 25 — Wood cook stove, Pre-catalytic wood stove conversion, Old Hot water heating system, Books, Thermosiphon, LED plant lights, Solar on the coast, Making steam heat more affordable, Info on solar basics, Solar power school

Page 26 — Solar array, Aeroponics, Surface mounted LED fixture, Transfer switch, Going solar on our RV, Wood fired hydronic furnaces, Windpower, PTO Generators, Inverter for solar powered trailer, Safe LED Lighting

BHM Advertiser Resources

Backwoods Solar Electric Systems      www.backwoodssolar.com
1589-BWH Rapid Lightning Creek Road, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864      208-263-4290

Central Boiler      www.centralboiler.com
20502 160th Street, Greenbush, MN 56726      800-248-4681

Kansas Wind Power      www.kansaswindpower.net
13569 214th Road, Holton, KS 66436      785-364-4407

Lamppa Manufacturing      www.lamppakuuma.com
Box 422, Tower, MN 55790      800-358-2049

Alternative Energy CD

BHM's Alternative Energy CD includes over 140 energy articles. Topics covered include solar, water power, wind power, generators & engines, steam power, home heating, wood & wood stoves, plus related topics such as cooking, cooling & refrigeration, food storage, fuels, home construction, tools, transportation, water systems, and more. At only $12.95, it is a great energy value.

Click Here for more information about our Alternative Energy CD.

Energy Articles Online


Comments regarding this page may be addressed to editor@backwoodshome.com. Comments may appear online in "Feedback" or in the "Letters" section of Backwoods Home Magazine. Although every email is read, busy schedules generally do not permit a personal response to each one.

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