lemit Posted November 22, 2009 Report Share Posted November 22, 2009 I've become occasionally obsessed with the simplicity, functionality, and directness of things like having a windmill to power your pump on the prairie or a water wheel to power your grain mill. Of course, I grew up on a farm powering a pump with my arms and delivering the water to the house with my feet, and similarly using my limbs to deliver tree limbs to heat the house. We've probably moved beyond that kind of application, unfortunately, (I loved doing chores) but are there similar, more modern alternatives to getting all your energy from somebody else, simple things like passive solar? And how about things that you can build yourself? Suggestions? Thanks. --lemit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemit Posted November 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2009 Well, a good example of what I was talking about was right there in front of me: http://hypography.com/forums/science-news/21483-generating-electricity-air-flow.html. --lemit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 I have often thought of a windmill to pump water into a water tower and then use the stored water to generate power during windless times. If I had a house a long distance away from a power source I could see such a system being a part of a system of generating power along with solar. If nothing else it could be used to give your self a source of pressurized water for home use where no power source was available. I grew up with no indoor plumbing, carrying water wasn't my fav thing but an electrical pump was beyond the power supply we had at the time. I wonder how close to completely off grid you could be and still have a modern house with all the power we currently have in our homes. I would think that expense of the low power items and your own generators would be difficult to recoup over less than many decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBigDog Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 I think that wind/solar/geothermal energy used to use power electrolysis to generate Hydrogen and Oxygen is the trick. The bottled clean fuel could be used as needed. It could be for personal use, or sold on the free market. The other half of the equation is reducing the power footprint we require for day to day life. If we can generate from out plot of land more than our requirement then we can be off the grid, but if our needs exceed our ability to generate, we are still a burden on the grid. Bill Chacmool 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maikeru Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 I think that wind/solar/geothermal energy used to use power electrolysis to generate Hydrogen and Oxygen is the trick. The bottled clean fuel could be used as needed. It could be for personal use, or sold on the free market. The other half of the equation is reducing the power footprint we require for day to day life. If we can generate from out plot of land more than our requirement then we can be off the grid, but if our needs exceed our ability to generate, we are still a burden on the grid. Bill I think there are problems with hydrogen storage that need to be overcome. Hydrogen storage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hydrocarbons still have the edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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