Thermal

To get the most from solar panels you need to point them in the direction that captures the most sun. But there are a number of variables in figuring out the best direction. This page is designed to help you find the best placement for your solar panels in your situation. This advice applies to any type of panel that gets energy from the sun; photovoltaic, solar hot water, etc. We assume that the panel is fixed, or has a tilt that can be adjusted seasonally. (Panels that track the movement of the sun throughout the day can receive 10% (in winter) to 40% (in summer) more energy than fixed panels....


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This should be an interesting project and hugely useful for the Pomáz site. How to build a D.I.Y. Solar Shower via TreeHugger


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French firm Karawitz Architecture have developed a passive house in Bessancourt, near Paris, France. The house is closed to the north to limit heat loss and opened to the south benefitting from free solar energy. Aesthetically it is an abstract replica of a traditional house. the second skin of the houses design is untreated bamboo which envelopes the frame in solid wood panels. the cladding, which becomes grey over time, drew inspiration from traditional barns in the part of the ile-de-france region where the house is situated. it passes in front of the windows to the north and finishes by unfolding...


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read more The 1-hour Brick Oven This is the brick oven for those who wake up Saturday morning and think "It would be nice to have a brick-oven calzone for dinner". Nothing is set in mortar; nothing is going to have to be jack-hammered out of your backyard if you change your mind; and it really works! What it lacks in aesthetics it more than makes up for in (nearly) instant gratification. The longest part of the process is waiting for the fire to heat things up. read more. Wood-fired Earth Oven You can build this easy outdoor oven that works as well as a custom-built masonry or ceramic model....


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Passive Solar Energy Passive Solar Energy as a free heat source for your straw bale house. Read the article A rule of thumb for installed window area East side of the house 4%, west side 2%, north side 4%, and south side 7-12%. So if you had a floor plan of 1000 square feet, on the east side of the house you would allow for a total square footage of 1000 SF x 4% = 40 square feet of glass and so on. Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/living-off-grid-home-energy-options-part-2.aspx#ixzz1jzgojbUd


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How I built my own solar panels, article via Off-Grid.net Michael Davis Publishing - author of the previous article.


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CooKit DIY Solar Cooker


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Here's a list of composting toilet system articles & resources. Composting toilets An explaination of different types of composting toilet system. Composting toilets Composting toilet (Wikipedia) Owner-built systems CompostToilet.org.uk Download the Humanure Handbook


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Wikipedia article about seasonal thermal store which is a store designed to retain heat deposited during the hot summer months for use during colder winter weather. The heat is typically captured using solar collectors. Wikipedia: Seasonal thermal store.


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