Inspector Gadjet

Free power from the Sun! My Tasmania project is completely 100% off grid  MPPT (charge controller, inverter and circuit breakers all in one Thin film panels, less effective in full sun but perform better on cloudy days than poly or mono panels Solar is increasingly becoming a reality for more households as the technology improves and the price comes down. Grid feed systems were a viable option when the feed in tariff was high but is it the best choice now? More and more people are looking at batteries as a way to use their stored solar power at night because of rising electricity prices and grid blackouts. For my Earthship project in Tasmania I opted for a battery bank because I didn't want to be dependent on the grid. left: my 24 volt system batteries, nickel iron, the most durable and long lasting batteries money can buy I put the batteries in an insulated box on the roof with the panels so that lees cabling was needed and any hydrogen off gassing w...

If your family isn't frolicking in your backyard pool any more and you are tired of the cost and work of maintaining it, you should think about converting your pool into an attractive water feature.  I offer a complete pool-to-pond conversion service. My standard package includes: Project design A range of installation options A broad variety of attractive water plants  You may like to add more features to this basic package such as fence enhancement,plant placement, a cabana and other things. We can discuss these options at the design stage and I can give you a fully-costed quotation. For further information, check these sites. Permaculture Australia's how-to  on pool conversion. Geoff shows  his pool conversion  and shares his  delight in his new pond . I'm sure you'll find other information about converting pools to ponds. There are lots of options and I can help you make it a reality.

The last thing you want to do on a stinking hot day is crank up the oven to cook dinner! What to do?  Just eat salad in Summer?? NO! there is a better way. Solar ovens can be bought for around the $400.00 mark and they look high tech with their folding reflectors and sun angle settings but I wanted to try and build a solar oven for less than $50.00. Ingredients:  (bearing in mind I made up the materials list as the things became available). #1  an old chest freezer(no longer working). #2  a small double paned window. #3  two old oven shelves. #4  two latches. #5  off cuts of cool room panels. #6  foam and silicone. #7  flat black paint. #8  some kind of base. The first thing I did was find an old chest freezer which was being thrown away on the side of the road, after loading this into my van I started looking for an old oven in the same predicament. Sure enough only a couple of days went by and I ...

Passive solar design principles are used to harness the suns unlimited free energy. NOTE: The article below uses examples North of the equator therefore facing the buildings South, All buildings South of the equator should be facing North for solar gain. Passive Solar Design DEFINITION CONSIDERATIONS  COMMERCIAL STATUS IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES GUIDELINES Passive Solar Design Introduction Passive Solar Heating Passive Solar Cooling CSI NUMBERS Passive solar design includes many CSI categories. Some of these are: 03300 Concrete 03341 Insulating Concrete 03451 Architectural Wall Panels 04210 Brick 04212 Adobe Masonry 04220 Concrte Masonry Units 04400 Stone 08500 Metal Windows 08600 Wood Windows 08223 Glass DEFINITION Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun’s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces. In this approach, the building itself or some element of it takes advantage of natural energy characteristics in materials and ai...