Don’t discount a generator, especially a diesel generator, as your primary power source
By Skip Thomsen
Issue #28 • July/August, 1994
There are three major reasons that wind, solar or hydro-electric systems are impractical for some folks: not enough wind, too many cloudy days, and no stream. In that...
Make your own biodiesel for 80¢ per gallon
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #101 • September/October, 2006
My Ford F-250 diesel crew-cab pickup did not cause me to become interested in making my own bio-diesel fuel. No, the final straw was when I...
Build Your Own Car Wash
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #133 • January/February, 2012
Completed car wash in operation
If someone told me a year ago that I would have a commercial car wash behind my garage, I would have laughed....
Phantom solar — The crucial invisible system needed before you install solar
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #78 •
Are you planning to install a solar photovoltaic system to reduce your utility bills? How would you like it if your first solar electric power system had invisible...
Energy class: Part 2 — Understanding your electric bill
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #112 • July/August, 2008
In Part 1 of this series of articles, I hopefully made you aware that your home's utility costs should be more of a concern than what...
Solar charge controllers — myths, hype, and facts
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #153 • May/June, 2015
Most people with a basic understanding of solar power are aware they need a solar module and a storage battery to power an electrical device using...
Keep the Ice On
By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E., C.E.M.
Self-Reliance, Fall 2019
When I ask most people why they own or are looking to buy a generator, most will say it is to keep a refrigerator or freezer operating....
Solar-powered water purifiers
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #146 • March/April, 2014
Most of us can stay alive up to a month without any food if stranded, but we could not live longer than three days without water...
Solar-powered refrigerators
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #102 • November/December, 2006
In Issue #99, I discussed the importance of using the most energy-efficient appliances you can buy for any remote cabin or off-grid solar application. I also...
Intake and exhaust upgrades for better mileage and performance
By Len Torney
Issue #120 • November/December, 2009
Well, it seems the price of oil and gasoline has peaked and plummeted, much like a lot of the rest of the economy these days. One upside to...
Solar power for farm and ranch
By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E.
It may be surprising to learn that there are now all kinds of do-it-yourself solar powered devices specifically designed to make farmers and ranchers lives easier and safer. Many of...
Standby battery charging techniques can ensure engine startups
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #83 • September/October, 2003
Those of us living beyond the suburbs own various sizes and types of yard and garden machinery. From the mandatory riding lawnmower for those weekend warriors...
Solar-Powered Electric Fencing
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #147 • May/June, 2014
A new electric fence attached to older traditional wood fencing
More and more people are turning to electric fences as the cost of standard metal and wood...
Build your own solar-powered water pumping station
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #91 • January/February, 2005
In the last issue, there was an excellent article by Dorothy Ainsworth on water pumping using mechanical windmills. In this issue I will address another form...
Grid-tied, Grid-connected, Off-grid. What’s the difference?
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #140 • March/April, 2013
Several weeks ago I received a call from a woman in Florida complaining that they just had a power outage lasting several days and her solar...
Power your bug-out bag
By Jeff Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #160 • July/August, 2016
More and more people are starting to see the advantage of having a bug-out bag for each member of their family. Normally these bags are kept...
