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Self Sufficient Energy Production
The first and most important step to being energy self-sufficient is to require as little energy as possible.
Green Housing Passive Cooling Passive Solar Heating
The next step to achieve energy self sufficiency is to concentrate on maximizing your use of low tech solutions.
Wood Drying Hay With Renewables Mini-Car
High tech solutions can be added with caution.
Wind Energy
Some technologies work better in warm weather. But sometimes they can have an effective short term niche such as summertime water pumping usage.
Solar Energy
Some problems can only be solved by community level cooperation. Community self sufficiency is as important as individual self sufficiency.
Gasification with animal fat, municipal waste, etc. Methane Generation Links
Choose technologies which can efficiently and flexibly utilize energy.
Multiple Fuel ICE Engines Increasing Fuel Efficiency
The last step is to use agricultural methods that minimize fuel consumption.
Alternatives Rejected
************************************************** *************************************************** *************************************************** *************************************************** *************************************************** *************************************************** *************************************************** ***************************************************Green Housing:
The best way to be self sufficient is to require as little energy as possible.
Green Building Advisor - In cool climates, thermal mass on inside University of Minnesota - Exterior insulation for foundations, etc. SARE - Thermal banking Building Science - vented attics in cold climates Building Science - insulation details Green Home Institute - magnesium oxide Stanford - Amory Lovins lectures on energy efficiency
**********************************************************************Passive Cooling:
Absorption, evaporation, and thermal technology is getting better adapted for small scale home application. With outside window shutters in place, a double roof, foundation insulation, passive vents at the highest points to vent heat, passive coolers at living level, and ground heat exchange feeding into the coolers, a home can be kept fairly cool.
Absorption unit design Evaporative cooling Double roof for summer cooling Wikipedia - ground heat exchange Zero Homes - ventilation Passive Refridgeration
**********************************************************************Passive Solar Heating:
With indoor night time window shutters and curtains, rocket stoves tied into indoor thermal mass, foundation insulation, ground cold exchange, thermal banking, and angled multi-pane windows, an airtight home can be kept fairly warm.
Wikipedia - sun angle, shutters Wikipedia - ground cold exchange Zero Homes - ventilation Thermal Banking
******************************************************************Wood:
A wood burning cooking stove and space hester is still the cheapest and most reliable source of energy. A rocket stove can even burn animal fat, nut shells, etc. An indoor and an outdoor stove will provide the capability to handle short term power outages.
Rocket Stove Rocket Stove Theory Richsoil
***************************************************Drying With Renewables:
Hay was originally baled so it could be easily transported. If the hay is fed on farm, there is no reason to bale. A cheap pull type forage harvester can cut grass and blow it into a trailer. It can then be conveyed into the solar drying barn.
Forage Harvester History of hay drying University of Florida - chopped hay drying Sheet metal solar drying Solar Energy Drying Systems - solar chimney Solar Drying Barn Solar Greenhouse Drying barn - pulling and pushing air fans Loose hay movement DIY Solar Dehydrator
******************************************************************Mini-Car:
Perhaps the most efficient form of short distance transport.
Organic Transit bike car Wikipedia
******************************************************************Wind Energy:
Large wind turbines are the most efficient.
Small Wind Certification Small Wind Physics Inefficient Urban Wind Amory Lovins - the grid is the storage device
***************************************************Solar Energy:
Solar energy is perfect in the desert or outer space where there is lots of room not better used for something else. In cold regions, the sun's rays may be too indirect to be efficient.
Build It Solar - water heater Wikipedia - water heater
******************************************************************Gasification with animal fat, municipal waste, etc.:
Animal fat and other waste can be used in a gasifier facility to make hydrogen / syngas.
Plasma Gasification Wikipedia Gasification Global gasification statistics Gasification explanation American Hydrogen Association US DOE
***************************************************Methane Generation Links:
Manufacturers have started generating methane from excess renewable energy. This energy storage medium can then be purchased by the farmer and stored on farm without batteries as a hedge against energy interruption.
Power to Gas example Methane from excess renewable energy Methane from air
****************************************************************** ****************************************************************** ****************************************************************** ****************************************************************** ****************************************************************** ******************************************************************Multiple Fuel ICE Engines:
Instead of trying to make your own fuel, the key to energy reliability may lie in the ability to use many different fuels. Internal combustion engines (ICE) are very reliable because they are less vulnerable to EMP than electric vehicles. Unlike electric vehicles, ICE can provide high torque for heavy loads at low speeds. And purity of fuel is not a requirement for ICE.
Energy levels of fuels Search Multiple Fuel Vehicles Find alternative fuel stations Multiple Fuel Conversion WE R CNG - conversion kits NAT G - CNG Solution LiquidPiston - multiple fuel
**************************************************Increasing fuel efficiency:
Heating fuel Research Gate - heating fuel LiquidPiston - 75% thermal efficiency
***************************************************Alternatives Rejected:
Bio-fuels are not sustainable.
Most bio-fuels actually use more energy than they produce. And many engines have been damaged by poor quality bio-diesel.
Animal fat diesel has a filter plugging point that is high enough for it to be difficult in diesel engines. Tanks, lines, valves, and pumps must be heated in cold climates. The colder the climate, the more difficulty.
Manure is better used to increase soil fertility than to generate energy.
Algae as a fuel is far in the future.
Ammonia is not cheaply produced. And pure ammonia needs another fuel to ignite it in an ICE. And competing with food production is not a good idea.
More research needs to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of HHO. HHO does not appear to damage engines like H2 does. Fuel savings may actually come from additional adjustments that HHO allows.
Science Direct
Syngas / wood gas / cracked water with high levels of hydrogen has a tendency to make metals brittle, which shortens the life of an engine.
OSTI - effect of hydrogen on engines
Hydrogen technology is not ready yet
Since there are so many universities and engineering organizations researching plasma energy for combustion engines, there must be something worthy of so much attention. But obviously, the technology is not ready yet.
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