(DF) CHEAP, HOMADE SOLAR PANELS: First Try

For many years I have been interested in solar power.  Unfortunately, several years ago, information and supplies were limited and prices were quite high.  Wit lack of information, components and funds, other interests took priority and alternative energy was left to simmer on the back burner.

Not, things have changed.  Information is readily available, components are more readily obtained and, though prices aren't exactly cheap, by shopping around a bit, some decent prices can be found.  Over the last couple of years, I have done quite a bit of research; research that has led in many directions.  As expected, most sites with information are trying to sell something, giving enough free information to spark interest and a price tag for getting enough kno0wledge to make it work.

After looking at several of these sites, I was able to piece together a general knowledge of how solar energy works.  Details and components, however, were more elusive, unless one was willing to pay for the training program.  Being such a tightwad, I was not willing to pay for the information.

One evening, armed with some basic knowledge and a good deal of frustration (mainly involving the local power company), it occurred to me to search for solar cells instead of information.  Most sites were pricey so I broadened the search to include "CHEAP" solar cells.  I found several sites with much kinder prices, but one in particular caught my eye.

A site Called :"solarcells101.com", not only had quite a variety of B grade and damaged cells relatively cheap, but also carried other components.  Perhaps more importantly, they have a free e-book of instructions.  These may not be the most detailed instructions, but 6they seemed to make sense, and the price was right (even for a confirmed tightwad).

With the obstacles of information and components taken care of, that only leaves cash (or lack of it) standing in the way.  While barely making ends meet, it is hard to come up wi8th funding for more projects.  Question is simple, can solar energy be funded with pocket change?  With pocket change being about all that was left after paying the bills, I was determined to find out. I have long had a habit of putting pocket change in a can to build up for emergencies, so I started counting up change.

Before ordering solar cells and such, there were a few tools I needed to acquire.  First round of chance got a soldering iron for putting the cells together and a multimeter for testing Amps and voltage.  I already had most of the other tools needed.

Next time the pocket change allowed, it was time to order cells.  To be more precise, it was time to order cells, tab wire, bus wire and (just for good measure) diodes.  For this first order I chose the 75 broken cells Item (it takes 36 cells for a panel that will produce enough volts to charge a 12 volt battery), 20 feet of tab wire, 8 feet of bus wire and 4 diodes.  This choice was made in order to have relatively cheap components for practice.  This order came to $70 which was a bit more than the contents of the change can.  A couple of weeks later, however, the change was cashed in, deposited and the order placed.

A few days later, I was like a kid at Christmas, opening packages and playing with new toys.  At first, I was amazed at just how delicate and fragile the cells were.  Yes, I broke a few before getting a feel for how to pick up such thin delicate items with my large hands.  Soon, this became less of an issue, but soldering such delicate connections took a bit of practice.

I began by soldering tab wire to the bottom (gray) side of the cells, leaving enough tib wire to cross the top (blue side) of the next cell.  As a
point of information, the bottom is the positive side and the top is the negative.

With tab wires on bottom, the next cell is aligned with the first and the tab wire soldered to the top of the second.  Positive wired to negative is called connecting in series, which increases voltage, leaving the amps the same.

This process was continued until four rows of nine cells were created.   A few of the cells were broken to the point that two pieces had to be soldered together in parallel (positive to positive and negative to negative) in order to get the amperage up so they wouldn't weaken the whole panel.  The "repaired" cells were then soldered in just as normal cells.

Four rows of nine were placed side by side, and attached with bus wire, in series just as the individual cells.  Wires were soldered to the bus wires for making connection the panel to the inverter or battery.

Now all the cells were together and they were producing electricity when placed in the sun.  However, a group of solar cells tied together, do not a solar panel make.  Now they had to be enclosed to prevent the delicate little buggers.  There are three basic ways to encase the cells.  One method is to make a metal frame with a pane of glass, place the cells face down on the glass and fill the frame with a resin type substance called encapsulent.  Another method is to make a flat plywood box, glue the cells in it and cover with glass.  The other method (and the one that seemed most often recommended) was to place the cells between tow layers of glass and seal the edges.

Being a tightwad, I chose to use the resources at hand which included a pane of glass salvaged from a storm door and some good, thin plywood salvaged from an old shipping crate.  I cut the plywood to size, treated it with deck sealer which had been purchased at a surplus store quite cheaply.  When the sealer was dry, I attached the cells to the backing with silicone sealer, made spacers from pieces of an old pencil so the glass would not crush the cells, and placed the glass on top.  The edges were then sealed with silicone and later with waterproof tape for good measure.

Though not the most powerful solar panel ever made, the finished

product produces about 2 amps at 21 volts in full sun.  That translates to about 40 watts at peak, plenty to charge a 12 volt car battery or feed back through a grid tie. To make it even nicer, the actual cost after figuring in the remaining parts for future use, was under $60.

Now all that remains is to hook the new panel up and start producing power.  For the next panel, I will use unbroken, higher output cells designed to produce over 3 amps.  The supplies are already ordered (yes, from pocket change)and I can hardly wait to get started.

(DF) SOLAR POWERED CHEESE: alternative energy at it's tastiest

As those of you who raise goats will no doubt agree, when the goat isn't giving milk, you wish she was, but when she is giving milk, there is often more than can be readily used.  This is where cheese comes in.  Making cheese isn't difficult, though some would say it requires close attention to details and precise monitoring of  temperature, and of course, a good cheese press.  I must say I agree with the consideration of temperature control  and I do enjoy a good press, at least I agree when it comes to making specific types of cheese.  Lets face it, if the temperature and method aren't correct, cheddar might turn out to be almost anything, though it would still be something resembling cheese.  The fact is that all that is required to make cheese (at least in theory) is milk, rennet to make it curd, and a source of heat to get it to the right temperature for the rennet to do its work.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your view, I tend to be more inclined to experiment than to follow a set procedure, though there is usually some thought of what the general goal is.  Sunday morning, the goal was simply to turn the five quarts of goat milk into something resembling cheese so it wouldn't become chicken feed. 

Another major factor for the day was time constraints.  Working overtime during the past week left me with one day off to catch up on all the work around the farm, and honestly, one day isn't even time enough to maintain what has already been done, much less make progress.  I know this post is getting a bit scattered at this point, but if you will bear with me, I will scatter it a bit farther before bringing it all together.

Solar energy seems to be a big topic right now, and I do plan to set up a solar electric system as soon as possible.  However, farmers have always used solar power.  Technically, green leaves are solar panels and roots, fruits, seeds and vegetation are the storage batteries that power life on the farm.  Solar power is also used for heat (some times a bit too much heat, in fact).

Now back to the cheese.  On this particular day, due to time constraints and work load, I needed it to be simple.  How simple?  Simple enough that it would do the work itself and leave me to planting yet more tomatoes, among other chores.  With that in mind, I took the five quarts of milk I had stored in the refrigerator, poured them in a stainless steel stock pot, added rennet and placed the pot on the pump slab in the sun to heat up.  My thought was that the sun would warm the milk, allowing the curds to set, and all I would have to do was squeeze out the whey, add a little salt and eat fresh cheese for supper.  Having never tried this method (or even knowing of anyone who had) my consideration was that if it didn't work out, the chickens would eat well.

Three hours later, when I stopped planting to cool off a bit, I found that the curds had set beautifully.  The curds were quickly cut, placed in a cloth lined drainer and most of the whey gently squeezed out.  A little natural salt was added and a bit more whey squeezed out.  As a side note, my hands are large and strong, making it hard for me not to squeeze out too much whey when making fresh cheese.  This time, however, I restrained myself and the result was the absolute best fresh cheese I have ever made, dry enough but not rubbery. 


You can bet in the future, I will be making use of solar power for cheese making on a regular basis, saving the fire for cold weather.

(DF) A NEW JOB, MIXED BLESSINGS AND QUESTIONS OF PERSPECTIVE

As most people can vouch, the economy is not as good as it once was and it is harder to make ends meet. Economic factors as well as supply and demand issues have also made my personal level of self-employment much less lucrative of late. Lack of funds have been an increasing issue over the past few months to the point of placing me among the ranks of those seeking employment.

Today, the seeking became the finding and I stepped into the ranks of the employed. I am now working in the lawn and garden department at the local store of a rather large retail store chain. This is where the consideration of mixed blessings comes in.

There are, as always, trade offs and opposing views running through my mind. From one very clear perspective, I really need, and am truly grateful for, a job. With steady work (and paycheck), the bills can be paid and funds will, over time, be available for a number of projects to further mine and Anna's goals. On the other hand, it takes precious time away from projects that need to be finished quickly. It also feels like a huge step backward from goals of self-sufficiency, in some respects, all the way back to self-sufficiency level II.

A friend of mine who served in the military would smile and call it a "strategic deployment to the rear", but honestly it FEELS like a retreat, and yes, just a touch of bruised pride to top it off. Feelings aside, the practical reality is pretty clear. Though a steady job will limit time and delay projects, it will also provide for the bills that just keep coming due, as well as providing funds for projects such as fences, livestock, fruit trees and vegetable seeds, tractor fuel, and alternative energy projects, to name a few.

At the end of the day, even with the pros and cons, I am truly grateful to find a job when so many who are in need are having so much trouble finding work. It is my sincere hope that everyone in need can have such good fortune.

(DF) MANY LEVELS OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY------ part 4

If you found part three a little discouraging, take heart. There is still hope for a greater level of self-sufficiency, though it will require leaving some of the trappings of modern life behind. Simply put, modern life, as we know it, runs on electricity and petroleum to a great extent and if we can't produce it in a self-sustaining way, perhaps we should re-examine our use of it.

LEVEL VI: In level six, there is a need for a very large shift in mind-set, and it needs to be shifted gradually so as to not be too overwhelming. Choosing to live without electricity instantly removes many things we take totally for granted, many of which we don't really have to have. It is the same with petroleum products. The things we DO require can be produced without modern energy.

Obviously, without electricity from some source, there isn't tv, movies, stereo, or video games, so entertainment becomes a little harder to get (or at least requires some thought and planning). Also, simple things like alarm clocks can no longer be taken for granted. These things are not among the basic necessities, but trust me when I tell you that you can feel pretty lost without them when they are suddenly not there. It takes a couple of weeks to come to grips with it, and yes, it is experience talking.

Lights, refrigerators, washers, driers, microwaves, mixers and a wide variety of thing we use every day, including warmth, hot water and cooking if you live in a total electric home, also cease to exist. If your water comes from a well with an electric pump, water becomes a problem very quickly.

Elimination of petroleum products obviously changes the face of transportation. Moreover, if you don't live in a total electric home, the moment of relief you may have experienced at the thought of not losing heat, hot water and cooking ability along with the electricity, just evaporated with the petroleum. Also, keep in mind that plastic is petroleum based. Look at everything you use that is plastic, and if there is a gasp of panic, you are not alone. Plastic is hard to replace at this point in time simply because so many things we use are made of plastic and nothing else, but keep in mind that many of these plastic items are not among the necessities.

Don't despair, there are other ways of providing for these needs. Light has been produced with candles made of beeswax or tallow, and lamps designed to burn animal fat or other oils, for many centuries. Food has been kept cool in springs and cellars for thousands of years and there are many preservation methods that don't require refrigeration. Clothes can be washed by hand and dried on a clothes line, water can be pumped with a hand pump or captured from rainfall and carried in buckets. There is also the fact that flush toilets require running water, so outdoor or composting toilets would be needed. Wood can be used as fuel for heating, cooking and hot water, but keep in mind that the wood will have to be cut with hand tools as chainsaws run on petroleum.

Without petroleum, transportation becomes an activity powered by people or animals. Walking is good for getting from point A to point B, but horses or mules (I personally favor mules but that is another story) can carry more than you can, and can also pull wagons and farm equipment. They can't haul the big loads a truck is capable of but they do alright. As for raising crops, draft animals are very effective though you have to produce enough grain and hay to feed them, so more land is required. Farming practices can also be entirely people powered. You can't farm as much land but you don't need to.

The information above is very simplified and I DO NOT recommend that anyone make such an abrupt change. I would, however, like to promote an awareness of all that we take for granted and encourage the gradual shift away from mindless use of modern energy. You may be surprised at how much you will gain in physical fitness, personal satisfaction and awareness (not to mention financial savings) as you lower your dependence on energy.

(DF) THE NECESSITY OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IN A SELF-SUSTAINING LIFESTYLE

***advance soap box warning*** This is a subject I am likely to get adamant about, so if I get on my soap box and rant and rave a bit, please bear with me. The points I will try to bring forward may be of interest.

In a society such as ours, where electricity has been readily available for many years, far too few people can remember not having it readily available. All sorts of appliances and electronic gadgets fill most homes, some very convenient, others merely annoying. Unfortunately, many of these appliances and gadgets have come to be considered a necessity of life.

This brings us to the real point of this post; energy dependence and the power utility companies have over our lives. Anyone on the grid depends on the power company to provide power to run the aforementioned electrical equipment, (thus the energy dependence). The power the utility company has over us is simple, you pay the company or they cut of the power. In most cases the company you get your power from is the only game in town, so you can't shop around; you simply pay what they ask, or do without.

Friday, the mail carrier brought me a strong reminder of just such facts in the form of my electric bill. Finances being what they are, I had paid the last bill a couple of weeks late, but still before receiving the next bill. It seems I had been one day late a couple of other times in the past year, so my bill now includes a new deposit. This deposit amounts to about four average months of electric usage above the regular charges, so my bill this time is five times the normal bill.

When I consider that I have paid my electric bill every month for the past 25 years without once having my power cut off for non-payment, this seems a bit like an insult. It is nothing personal, of course, this is the way they treat anyone who is late, with no consideration of circumstances or how good the customer has been.

The question is; What can we do about it? The answer is simple; give up electricity or get it somewhere else. But wait, they are the only game in town. Or are they? Fact is, I like a hot shower as much as anyone, and a freezer is nice, (especially when there is plenty of meat). I also enjoy having the fridge, lights, well pump and without the computer I would not be getting this information to you. The welding machine and a wide variety of power tools also come into the mix making the lack of electricity more than a minor inconvenience.

Alright, enough of the soap box. The fact is that it doesn't matter if the way things are currently handled is right or wrong, convenient or inconvenient. This is the way it is RIGHT NOW and it is up to each individual to decide how to, (or whether to), change it for themselves.

For some time, I have been looking for information on alternative energy. There is a flood of information on the net and it can get a little confusing, but the search can be worth it. There are also people out there who have put together courses on about anything you could ask for, but be careful to check reviews. There are always those who are just out for a buck mixed in with those who are legitimate. My main focus on alternative energy has been in the areas of passive solar, solar electric and wind. I am hearing some talk of geothermal but haven't checked into it yet. I have also checked into methane production, but it is pretty dangerous if not done properly, so be careful if you take this path.

Of course, there is the alternative of learning the techniques for living without electricity. I have taken this path in the past and am not opposed to doing it again, if need be, but a little preparation would certainly be in order before making such a drastic shift. Heating and cooking with wood heat, pumping water by hand and washing clothes by hand require some work but are not that bad. Preserving all the food one normally puts in the freezer, and keeping things from spoiling that would normally be in the fridge takes some planing and research. Working with manual hand tools instead of power is a whole set of skills unto itself.

Bottom line: Whatever choices we make, our level of self-sufficiency and, to some extent, our freedom depends on the power company and how we choose to deal with them.