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...
A small creek provides plenty of power for this off-grid home
By Scott Gentleman
Website Exclusive • November, 2007
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...
Solar power trailer Part 2
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #109 • January/February, 2008
In Part I of this article in the November/December 2007 issue, I described the many uses for a solar power system that could be made totally...
Grid-tie solar-powered farm
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #94 • July/August, 2005
Photo 1: One of two Fronius 3-kW grid-tie inverters. Note the DC-rated safety disconnect and all high voltage wiring installed in metal conduit.
Most of my past...
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...
Power-up bag
By Jeffrey R. Yago, P. E.
During any emergency or related power outage, the most important electronic device you need to keep operating is your cell phone, at least as long as cellular service is...
Build your own battery charging station
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #142 • July/August, 2013
Completed charging station after sanding and painting
Let me guess the reason many of you do not use rechargeable batteries is that every time you need...
Is steam power in your future?
By Skip Goebel
Issue #43 • January/February, 1997
If you're thinking steam is old-fashioned, consider this: Almost a century ago, steam cars and ships attained speeds and efficiencies which are still difficult to attain, even with...
Build a community assistance recharging station
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #152 • March/April, 2015
Many preppers are starting to realize they cannot do it all on their own. True security during a major disaster or civil unrest is much more...
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...
Are hydrogen-fueled cars pie-in-the-sky?
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #103 • January/February, 2007
Hydrogen-fueled cars is a topic of much discussion these days. People who want to see the U.S. freed from dependence on foreign oil often assume the...
Our journey to modern off-grid living
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #177 • July/August/September, 2019
We’ve lived off the grid for decades. Throughout the years, we’ve traveled the path from living a very rustic lifestyle with few amenities to our current off-grid homestead...
Solar Power 101 — Batteries: Part 2
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #88 • July/August, 2004
This article is the second in a series of what will be a beginner's course in solar electricty. Simultaneously we have instituted a Home Energy Information...
Keeping your food cold — Solutions to refrigeration when electricity is scarce
By Michael Hackleman
Issue #56 • March/April, 1999
Many readers of this magazine live in remote settings and generate their own electricity, often through solar, hydro, wind, or generator machines, storing the electricity generated in batteries....
Energy class: Part 1
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #111 • May/June, 2008
Each fall when my dad took us to the State Fair, we could always count on this fast-talking salesman standing next to his car with a...
Solar hot water systems
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Photos by Patrick Redgate
Issue #118 • July/August, 2009
With continued shortages of wood for home heating, the Greeks built the North Hill section of Olympus in the 5th century B.C. This...
