What do you know about alternative energy sources?

Question

I have read articles about wind, solar, alternative fuels, and hydro power in The Mother Earth News. Who has used these alternative resources?

Answer 1

I have burned vegetable oil for about a year in various burners. Narrowed it down to simple easy clean exhaust. And applied it to a few household chores. I think I would sum it like this. If everyone burned veggie oil. Theres not enough. Geothermal should be mainstay temperature regulation. Hot water, cooking and clothes dryer activities are next. You only need so much hot water at one time. Make that much. Cooking make mega meals and freeze some, eat and eat some later. Lots of various savings here. Clothes, air dry if possible or dry selected items.

Answer 2

I have used each of the alternatives you list at various times in my life...

One of the easiest to use is solar for heating.. or for cooking...

You can make a decent oven out of just aluminum foil and a cardboard box in the sun...

You can also use aluminum foil to make reflectors to heat up water in pipes to heat your house or to use as a preheater for your hot water...

Wind energy is a bit more difficult but it is possible to make your own generators with home-made items (wheel & axle from a car, large magnets, some wire, some wood to carve a propeller out of, etc).. or you can buy components.. I like to tinker...

I have some windows in my house that I rarely use (they are in inconvenient places to look outside) so I built some passive solar heating elements to help warm up my house from the sun...

Hydro power is great if you can get a constant source of flowing water ( I've never lived next to one.. just seasonal flows)...

There used to be some plans available on the Internet for a decent wind generator but it has disappeared and now I can't find it.. it had speed regulation and produced a decent amount of electricity for a single family home... it was made from a car axle, the wheel (with magnets fastened to it) and some windings made to fit within the spinning magnets.. wish I could find it for you...

by the way.. you will not save much money (if any) by using alternative energies because their production is still currently very expensive but it is getting better.. I'm hoping for a Hydrogen/hybrid car soon.